Highlights
- Immerse yourself in the tradition and culture of Zanzibar
- Historical town tours
- World class diving
- World class fishing
Stone Town Tour
A tour of Stone Town takes you to a place where history appears to stand still. With visits to the House of Wonders, the Palace Museum, the Old British Consulate(the place where the body of the late Doctor Livingstone was kept and later sent to Britain), Sultan Palace, Custom House the Old Dispensary and the Arab Fort amongst others, it is a fascinating look at the essence of Zanzibar.
You will see Zanzibar’s bustling market, winding alleyways, ornately carved and studded doors, cathedrals and countless mosques! Stone Town has some excellent gift shops with plenty of souvenirs and handicrafts to choose from.
Duration: 3 hours
Spice Tour
In days past Zanzibar was known as a spice island, exporting cloves, vanilla, nutmeg and cardamom across the world. On the spice tour you will visit Kidichi Village to view the persian baths built in 1950 by Seyyid Said bin Sultan(First Sultan of Zanzibar) for his wife Princess Shehrzad (the grand daughter of Fateh All Shah of Persia). We will then continue on to Kizimbani Village to visit the spice farms.
You will walk through a spice farm with your guide. Touch, smell and taste different spices and tropical fruits. Zanzibar offers many fresh varieties of spices and fruits including cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, ginger, vanilla sticks, lemon grass, nutmeg and many others. Tropical fruits that Zanzibar boasts are jack fruit, bread fruit, pineapples, bananas, coconut mangos, malady apples and many others. Rare plants such as henna bush, ylang yang(perfume tree), anator (lipstick tree) are also to be seen.
Duration: 3 hours
Princess Salme Spice Tour
The tour starts at the birthplace of Princess Salme, Mtoni Palace Ruins. Here, you will enjoy an informative tour of the Persian Baths, the main palace, and its botanical gardens. From Princess Salme’s birthplace you will take a 20 minute boat ride to Bububu, where you will be part of a traditional coffee ceremony enjoying Kashata, Halua and dates on the terrace of the beautiful Omani house which once belonged to the nephew of Sultan Said(Salme’s father). Here it is said that she rested on her way to Kidichi and Kizimbani plantations. We take a stroll around the lush gardens and the impressive ruins. After the coffee ceremony we travel to Kidichi by donkey cart as Princess Salme once did. We visit the spice plantations and tour Mzee Yussuf’s private spice farm. On this plantation stands the ruins of an old rest house which belonged to Sultan Majid(Salme’s brother), who later sold it to Mzee Yussuf’s grand father.
Mzee Yussuf’s wife will prepare traditional pilau, fush masala, roast beef, stewed bananas, kachumbari salad, several vegetarian dishes, an array of fruits, fresh fruit juice and their famous spice tea. This special lunch will be enjoyed in Mzee Yussuf’s house and his plantation which overlooks the Indian Ocean and Stone Town.
After lunch we visit the Persian baths in Kidichi, which were built for Sultan Said’s second wife Binti Irich Mirza(Sheherazade), who was the daughter of the Persian Shah. The tour departs Mtoni Marine and you can enjoy the sights of Kidichi as we return to your accommodation.
Dhow Cruise
A cruise on a traditional wooden dhow is unforgettable and an essential part of your Zanzibar holiday experience. Nothing epitomizes the Arabic influence on Zanzibar more than the presence of a graceful dhow on a blue sea. Glide silently across the Indian Ocean to the sound of clean white sails being beaten by the wind. Be on the lookout for dolphins, sailing fish and even humpback whales. You can lie back and enjoy the ride or may choose to learn some pointers on how to sail these traditional boats.
Sunset Cruise: You will embark the dhow at 4:30, relax and enjoy the views of Stone Town at sunset while sipping refreshing beverages(beer, lemonade, wine and bites) while listening to the water lapping the side of the dhow. Sail back to the shore where a vehicle will be waiting to take you back to your hotel
Duration: 4:30pm till sunset
Sunset Cruise and Dinner: Imagine yourself enjoying dinner in a traditional dhow while taking in the spectacular views of Stone Town. You will You will enjoy the view of the Old fort (Ngome Kongwe), the house of wonder (Beit-l-Jaib), Palace museum (which housed daughter & wives of Sultan), the Malindi Zanzibar old port, passing near mangrove to Maruhubi Palace ruin where the Sultan kept his concubines, lastly you will arrive at Mtoni ruins where famous Princess Salme was born.
Duration: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Jozani Forest Tour
Jozani Forest us one of Zanzibar’s most special attractions. Its forest consists of very tall mahogany trees and a variety of shade growing plants. Your guide will be able to point out the medicinal use of some of these plants. The forest is home to the Zanzibar Red Colobus monkey, and it is endemic to Zanzibar only! They are agile and will delight you with their antics. They are not shy and they can usually be observed from a fairly close range. You will also visit the mangrove forest, where you will be shown the 3 different types of mangrove trees that grow here. The tour of Jozani Forest goes for approximately 1/2 day.
Dolphin Trip
This full day trip takes you to the south of the island Kizimkazi. You will enjoy boating over the Indian Ocean in a motorboat while on the lookout for dolphins. You will get a chance to swim and snorkel with these highly intelligent creatures. Lunch will be taken on the shores of Kizimkazi. Then it is time to relax and unwind before heading back to Stone Town.
Prison Island Tour
Changuu Island, also known as Prison Island is reachable by a short 30 minute boat ride from Forodhani in Stone Town. The island is home to the last remaining giant tortoises in the world. The giant tortoises are Changuu Islands most famous inhabitants, and are found nowhere else in East Africa. Not indigenous to continental Africa, the original tortoises were brought from Aldabra in the Seychelles in an effort to extend the Tortoise conservation efforts. There is a pleasant small beach on the island where you can relax and there are some good snorkelling spots nearby which you will visit by small boat. The duration of the tour is approximately 3 hours.
