Zanzibar archipelago are popular Indian islands on the eastern coast of Tanzania. The islands offer some of the most amazing white side coastlines and a wide range of fun activities to engage in. This could range from watersport to cultural tours or even a safari to the hinterlands of Tanzania and Kenya. Here are some of the top things you can do while in Zanzibar.
- Relax in one of the pristine beaches
Zanzibar boast incredibly alluring sun-kissed coastline tucked in beautiful tropical flora. Despite the long to-do list one thing that you won’t miss out is the opportunity to spend some time out sunbathing. It could be by lying on a seaside bed set on the beachfront just outside your hotel or taking a stroll along the shoreline. With the tropical sun hard hitting the exclusive time out will be therapeutic as you enjoy the warmth and the unending sight of the seas.
Go snorkeling
Zanzibar is one of the world’s most a preferred snorkeling for its incredible marine park marked by shallow reefs with the most thriving and well conserved marine life. The Mnemba atoll Marine park which extend from the shorelines of Mnemba Island situated to the North East of the main Unguja island, offer the best diving sites in the archipelago. Immersing yourself into the vastness of the Mnemba Atoll marine conservation will lead to the widest varieties of sea life. The Mnemba waters are also very clear offering the best visibility. The Mnemba also has a vertical deep wall going from 18 to 50 m and with visibility going to 30m. This make it the most ideal diving site for advanced divers who would like to go deeper into the Indian seas.
Deep sea fishing
The archipelago has some of the best fishing grounds with a wide variety of tropical fish living in its waters. The channel between the northern edge of the main island and Mnemba island is particular famous for being one of the world’s renown offshore sport fishing sites . The channel boasts large schools of Kingfish, Burracuda and Wahoo. Other popular deep sea fishing grounds are mafia islands, pemba and Latham islands.
Go for a forest walk
Jozani forest situated on the south east of stone town in Unguja island is a magnificent coastal forest boasting over 291 species of tropical plants, 50 varieties of butterflies and 40 birds species. The park is one of the few places where you can sight saunders terns sand and crab plover which are some of the bird varieties that dwell in the expanses of mangrove forest. Jozani also shelter an impressive population of sykes monkeys and Zanzibar red colobus. Tourists in Zanzibar island have the opportunity to participate in a walking tour in the forest an experience that leads to unmatched sights of flora and fauna.
Meet the people as you learn the rich history of Zanzibar at stone town
Mombasa stone town is the old city area in the Zanzibar, Unguja Island. The site boasts some of the most revered historical structures in Zanzibar long history amongst them the famous house of wonder which was the first house to have an elevator in Eastern Africa region and was built by sultan Barghash bin Said al-busaidi in the 19th century. Other structures include Old fort, palace museum and Freddie mercury house. In a walking tour that take about 3 hours you will transverse this town where you will come across some of the sites including Zanzibar slave market that was the last slave market in east Africa. You will also encounter some local people at the Darajani Market. You can also enjoy he sunset experience at forodhani garden a public park inside the stone town and where vendors sell some grilled seafood mostly Swahili cuisines.
Kite surfing
Zanzibar is slowly becoming one of the worlds top kite surfing destinations. This could be attributed to favourable conditions like presence of stable tradewinds and that the Indian water are relatively warm at 27o c. The Kaskaz winds, December to march, and Kuzi, June to October, offer the best seasons for kite surfing in the islands. The Paje, Jambiani and Bwejuu offer the most stable conditions for surfers in the island. The beaches are ideal for both experienced and beginners.
Stand Up board paddling
Whether you have a previous experience paddler or you are just learning how to stand up on a board and read the waves, Zanzibar is the perfect place for you. The small archipelagos boast one of the most alluring ocean sites, warm water and favorable tropical climate. The central pongwe beach is the most popular destinations for wave board paddlers. Here you can paddle to the pouters of the reef which boast some of the most attractive under water life.
Go visit the prison island
This excursion could easily be combined with your stone town tour since the island is just 5 km to the north west. The island is also known as chaguu island and was used by the sultanate of Zanzibar as a prison for rebellious slave. This was however for a short while before European anti-slavery reformist came and acquired the island. Later in the 1920s, British colonial government used the island as a quarantine center and the prison chambers were converted to hospital wards. The tour to the prison islands starts at the shores near forodhani market where you ride on a traditional boat for about 20 minutes before anchoring near the tortoise sanctuary. Importantly, the chaguu island tortoise are said to leave for up to over 60 years and are quiet large in size.
Visit a spice farm
Zanzibar as commonly referred to as ‘The spice island’ has been one of the world’s biggest producers of species for over 150 years. Cloves are the most commonly grown varieties. During your tour to the island you can embark on a trip to on one of the nearby farms where you will have an opportunity to meet and interact with local spice farm. The tour will also come with a great insight of the rich history of the archipelago considering the fact that spice farming was introduced by omani who are the most outstanding rulers of the archipelago throughout its rich history of civilization. Spice farming in Zanzibar also contributed a lot in slave trade in the Eastern Africa region as the demand of man power to work in the farms increased.
Go sailing in an ancient dhow
Sailing on ancient dhow is one of the best things you could do in Zanzibar especially during the sunset hours when the sea is come and the luminous sun disk reflect on the horizons. Dhows has been a reliable means of sea transport in the Indian seas for hundreds of years. With dependable winds, the ancient dhow technology opened up the island to interaction with the Arabic world close to 1000 years ago.
Have a meal at the rock restaurant
The rock restaurant is one of the picturesque sites in Zanzibar. Set off the michanwi pingwe beach shorelines is the 30 – 40 guests hotel wound upon a rock emerging from the incredible turquoise waters. Though the rock is largely surrounded by water, there is a sand bath that emerge in low tides and in which you can walk to the site of the restaurant. The rock offers a perfect place to relax in the evening enjoying the breathtaking view of the sea as you take some of the local cuisines mostly seafoods.
