Russian tourists are just beginning to discover Zanzibar, although many heard about it in childhood. Remember, at Chukovsky: âWe live in Zanzibar, in Kalahari and the Sahara ...â? To tell in detail about this small corner of our vast Earth, one article will not be enough, but you can describe the charming island of Zanzibar in just two words - âAkuna matata!â, Which translates something like this: âlive, enjoy what you have, donât think about problems. " This is the whole point, spirit, way of existence of the islanders and the very atmosphere of Zanzibar, into which everyone who comes here dives.
Zanzibar Island: where is it?
If you visually imagine Africa, its eastern part, washed by the Indian Ocean, and then even the famous island of Madagascar to children, and move a little northward from it to the mainland, then you will just get into the water area where the island of Zanzibar is located. Next to it from the north-west side there is a little smaller island of Pemba and many very small, mostly uninhabited. Another landmark for those who travel a lot - Zanzibar is located approximately in the same place as the Seychelles, only to the west, closer to the mainland, from which it is separated by only 40 km of water surface. Previously, Zanzibar was called Unguja, but now many locals call it that.
How to get there
You can get to Zanzibar island from the continent by air and by water. There is a small airport that accepts planes from Tanzania, some African and European countries. From Moscow, of course, there are no direct flights here. You need to fly to mainland Tanzania to the capital's international airport. Flights are carried out by several airlines, including Swiss, Qatar Airlines, Emirates. In Dubai, a stop is made for connecting, and Emirates offers an overnight stay, while others simply wait for the desired flight at the airport. The flight from Moscow to one of the two capitals of Tanzania - Dar es Salaam - lasts from 10 hours, a ticket costs from 45 thousand rubles (with discounts it can be cheaper). Dar es Salaam has a second airport of local importance, from where flights to Zanzibar are operated. A ticket, according to recent reports, costs $ 65. The journey from one airport to another takes about an hour. In addition to aircraft, there are passenger ferries to the island from the mainland, starting in the capital's port.
A few words about the story
Once the island of Zanzibar was the outskirts of the continent, but in the Miocene there was a subsidence of the land, and the outskirts received "independence". Local tribes living here were engaged in fishing, hunting and other harmless industries, until the Persians appeared on the island in the 10th century. They introduced the local population to Islam (it is still the dominant religion in Zanzibar) and actively engaged in the slave trade, catching their living goods in the jungle. In the sixteenth century the Portuguese ruled the island, taking over the slave trade from the Persians. A brutal war began in the 17th century against the new colonialists. By the middle of the XIX century, a sultanate was established in the country, which existed until 1964, when the long-suffering Zanzibar proclaimed the long-awaited independence. In the same year, he became part of the Tanganyika, which changed its name to Tanzania (so that it had something from Zanzibar). The island remained autonomous, has its own flag, its own customs, its own way of life, even its own president.
Neighboring islands
In this Indian Ocean, the island of Zanzibar is the largest, but not the only one. The second largest and most competitive island in tourism is Pemba, which lies about 45 km north of Zanzibar. It is rich in interesting sights and great beaches. There is also a small airport, but it is more convenient to get here by water. There are only a couple of inhabited islets in the water area - Uzi and Tumbatu, located 2 km from Zanzibar. The islands are rather small, up to 10 km long. Their isolation is largely determined by multiple corals, making it difficult for them to travel. For the same reason (sharp corals around) other islands of the water area remain undeveloped. Very similar to the name Pemba, the islet of Pnemba (Mnemba) is also located from Zanzibar, only two km, only from the ocean. In size, it is tiny - only 5 hundred meters in diameter, but very interesting for divers. Being a private property, Pnemba is open only to elite tourists.
Climate
Zanzibar Island is located just south of the equator line. The climate here is subequatorial, with clearly defined rainy seasons. There is no heat, which in theory should be at the equator, in Zanzibar. Fresh breezes contribute to this, bringing a pleasant coolness. In the African summer, the average air temperature during the day is +30 +32, at night +24 +25. The temperature of ocean water near the coast is + 24 + 26, that is, for relaxation from November to March there is a paradise. But in the rainy season (from March to May and from September to November) sometimes there are such showers that it is impossible to stick your nose out into the street. In Zanzibar, this time is called the low season. Many hotels and restaurants then close, and the remaining half or more reduce prices. But there are years when in the rainy seasons quite a little pours from the sky, and the rest turns out to be quite comfortable.
Beaches
The Bounty advertisement was shot in six places, and only one could choose - the island of Zanzibar. The photos give an idea of ââwhat white sand is on the local beaches, but itâs hard to imagine how soft and soft it is like powder. The color of the water in the photo is turquoise blue, and this is actually so. Add to the silent picture palm trees rustling with twigs, a fresh ocean breeze, unobtrusive chirping of birds - and here they are, the beaches of Zanzibar. There are no noisy water parks with water slides, jet skis, catamarans, "bananas" and other delights of leisure inherent in sea resorts. The maximum entertainment is a volleyball net and a surfer board. But the beaches of Zanzibar, especially on the eastern side of the island, have their own peculiarity - ebbs and flows. The ocean can "go" from the coast for more than a kilometer, which is not very pleasant for vacationers, but it is used to the maximum by local citizens who collect everything that can be used on the bare bottom. On the beaches from the mainland, tides with low tides are almost not noticeable, therefore, rest there is more popular. A good place where you can spend time without problems is the village of Kendva. In addition to it, the popular beaches of Pongwe, Uroa, Jambiani, Nungwi, Kiwengawa, Chwaka.
Vegetable world
Tanzania is famous for its unique natural wealth. Zanzibar Island, separated from the mainland several millennia ago, boasts plants and animals that have long since disappeared in other regions of Africa. That is why the island of Zanzibar, and with it the entire archipelago is considered a nature reserve. What is curious: on the island, the virgin nature, represented by the Josani forest, and man-made, which includes huge spice plantations, coexist peacefully. What is not grown here! Cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, coffee, cardamom, pepper. These and dozens of other spices used by us in the kitchen can be seen and tasted on excursions that are organized on the plantation. And in the virgin forest grow mangroves, date palms, dozens of vines and hundreds of other plants, large and small. To walk around this corner of nature, you must definitely wear trousers and high shoes, because you will not have to walk along asphalt paths, but along barely visible paths in the thickets.
Animal world
Who wants to get to the unknown islands, Zanzibar is what you need. The wildlife here is unique. In the hotel where you stay, as well as on the streets of the city and, of course, in the forest, you will be accompanied by bright and leisurely lazy, large and small lizards. There are a lot of them on all islands of the archipelago. Exotic butterflies fluttering over exotic and ordinary flowers will delight the eye here. Dozens of birds can be seen in the crowns of trees and on the coast, many of which are very rare and live only on Zanzibar. Among them are spotted pigeons with red plumage, a rhinoceros, Fischer toucans , a total of 47 species. Among the animals can be called colobus - cute monkeys living in the Josani forest, macaques - small thieves that drag all the food that tourists have left unattended for a short time, leopards who try not to catch the eye of tourists, antelopes, flying dogs living on the island of Mogil, cobra, black and green mamba, whose bite is 100% fatal, and, of course, large turtles. To see them, you need to make a trip to a cute island, where there used to be a prison and a link for patients with yellow fever. The island is called Prison Island. An excursion here will cost about $ 100. Speaking of the animal kingdom, one cannot but mention dozens of coral fish that can be seen among the reefs. Clown fish, parrot fish, barracuda, bonito are just some of them.
Excursions
In addition to trips to spice farms and to the island of Prison, everyone who comes to Zanzibar considers it his duty to visit Stone Town. The photo shows one of its main highlights - a carved door. Do not be surprised, it is with unique doors that this amazing place is famous. In addition to them, the Palace of one of the former Sultans of Zanzibar, called the House of Miracles, is of interest in Stone Town. It attracts mainly by its appearance, and the âmiraclesâ at the time of its construction were an elevator, a water tap, light bulbs. In the Stone City, you should definitely see the Persian baths, the museum located in the palace, the Malindi mosque, the Shakti temple.
Food
The Stone City cannot be avoided not only because of its relics, but also because of the best catering points on the island. Of course, they are also in other places, but experienced tourists and guides know that in the cafes and restaurants of Tauna they cook more deliciously, feed more nutritious, and dishes, even European cuisine, even local, are much digestible for the stomachs of Europeans. The most common dish in Zanzibar is pilau rice, which is eaten with leek salad. It is worth trying and sorpotel (stewed with seasoning pork, beef tongue, heart, liver), porridge ugali, salad mchicha, lobster, lobster, fish and meat, cooked in an unusual way with spices in the most fantastic combinations.
Hotels
Rest on the island of Zanzibar necessarily involves accommodation in any hotel. Their choice is unusually wide - from modest "guest houses", for example, "Beit al-Chai", to high-class hotel complexes that provide relaxation at the European level, for example, "Hilton Resort Zanzibar". Hotels are located along the entire coastline, as well as in Stone Town. In the high season, it goes without saying that prices are twice as high as in the low. Also, prices depend on the location of the hotel and on the category of rooms. An interesting hotel is âCoffee Houseâ, where each room has categories âstandardâ, âluxuryâ, âdeluxeâ not familiar to everyone, and the names of coffee varieties - âespressoâ (the easiest from $ 75 per duck), âmoccatoâ (more spacious and more expensive) and so on. You can book a room in any hotel through a travel agency or on your own, which is much cheaper.
Additional Information
The Zanzibar Islands belong to the Republic of Tanzania, but are included in the autonomy of Zanzibar. Although 60% of Tanzanians are Christians, Islam predominates on the island, which brings its own characteristics to the lifestyle and behavior of Zanzibaris. For example, most of them do not welcome photography. It is also undesirable in public places (in the market, in shops, just on the streets of cities) to wear too frank outfits. In terms of crime, Zanzibar is a relatively calm place, but walking alone at night away from public places is not recommended. It is also not recommended to flaunt in jewelry and in every possible way to show their good financial situation. Entering a mosque or a private house (if you were invited), you must definitely take off your shoes. Smoking in public places of Zanzibar is prohibited, and kissing and hugging is disrespectful to others.
A few more features of the island:
- here they speak Swahili (all) and English (not all);
- money needs to be changed only in official institutions (bank, hotel, airport);
- payment by credit cards here is accepted only in some hotels and shops, cash is not issued for them;
- vaccination against yellow fever coming from Russia can not be done;
- tap water can not be used even for washing and brushing teeth;
- spices, clothes, paintings, crafts, jewelry are brought from here as souvenirs, and tanzinite is especially appreciated.
Zanzibar Island: reviews
Those who were fortunate enough to visit here consider a long flight as an insignificant minus of relaxation.
Noted advantages:
- gorgeous nature;
- fabulous beaches;
- good weather (in high season);
- pleasant hospitable locals;
- interesting excursions;
- comfortable hotels of different price categories;
- real exotic.