Zanzibar Island Tours and Excursions
About Zanzibar Island Tours and Excursions
Zanzibar Island, Tanzania, is known for its fascinating history. It is an East African Coast island dominated by Arab traders who traded all over the world. Zanzibar Island in Africa was once the center of the slave trade and has a negative perception when it comes to human rights.
Zanzibar is one of the largest islands off the East African coast, consisting of two main islands, Unguja and Pemba, with Unguja covering approximately 1,464 square kilometers and Pemba covering approximately 686 square kilometers. The name Zanzibar is derived from the Arabic word “Zinj el Bar,” which means “the Land of Black People.” Unguja, Pemba, and many other islets together make up the semi-autonomous part of the United Republic of Tanzania. Unguja Island is often referred to as Zanzibar, and in that case, all the time when we travel to Unguja, we say we are going to Zanzibar. Stone Town, with its fascinating history, is the capital of Zanzibar.
Thinking of Zanzibar Island’s history and pictures of the very romantic past—white sail dhows in the Indian Ocean, swinging palms along the beautiful white sand beaches as the sun sets—the ruin of the most historical buildings, women in black veils, the exotic spice plantations, and the fascinating history of this island—all these are reflected in people’s culture and traditions today.
Zanzibar Island offers the white tropical sand beaches, spices, history, and culture of this cosmopolitan island. As a ground handling company, we are in a position to arrange various activities on this historical island, ranging from spice plantation tours, dolphin tours to the southern beaches at Kizimkazi, a walking culture tour at Jambiani village, a visit to Jozani forest, home to the Red Colobus monkeys, known in Swahili as the “Kima Punju,” and a Prison Island trip with an engine-powered dhow. This can be combined with either the spice tour or the Stone Town tour. A tour of Zanzibar’s old town, “The Stone Town,” with its narrow streets and old buildings ranging from Beit el Ajaib, which means “The House of Wonders,” to the Sultan Palace and many more, including the former slave market at Darajani, please see our packages for Zanzibar and Tanzania safaris starting from Zanzibar. The packages can be customized to meet your preferences, ideas, and budget.
Zanzibar Island tours can be booked independently prior to your arrival, but they are best when combined with a Tanzania wildlife safari, Kilimanjaro Mountain climbing, or both.
Zanzibar Tours
- Stone Town Tour
- Spice Tour
- Prison Island Tour
- Dolphin Tour
- Jozan Forest Tour
- Jambiani Village
Stone Town is the oldest part of Zanzibar and is built on a 95-acre peninsula consisting of 2,500 buildings all built with coral stones, lime, and clay, hence the name Stone Town. Among these buildings were 45 mosques, two Christian churches, two Hindu halls, and, of course, two huge baobab trees. However, much renovation has recently occurred, and some buildings have been altered from their original state. The Stone Town Tour will take you to most of the famous and historical buildings, such as the House of Wonders, built in 1883 and saved as a ceremonial palace for the third Sultan of Zanzibar, Said Barghash bin Sultan. The tour will also take you to the Sultan Palace, which was used as a residence by the majority of the Sultans. From there, you will visit the old fish market, which today serves as a general market, and then the former slave market. There will be walking along the narrow lines, with shopping if you wish, and to many other places of interest. The tour can take about two to three hours.
The Spices Tour can be done in the morning or afternoon. The tour includes a short drive and walking, depending on where you are. A spice tour is a visit to the spice farms. It is a walking tour where you can see, touch, taste, and smell most of the spices grown on this island, ranging from cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, turmeric, and many more. The tour will also give you a chance to taste most of the tropical fruits, such as Jacky fruit, passion fruits, mangoes, and papaya, including the famous durian (locals call it hell and heaven fruit). All the fruits will depend on the season. This tour takes about 3 to 4 hours and can be done from the Stone Town Hotel on the way to the Beach Hotel, depending on the time and your program for the day.
This is a wood-engine boat trip to this island, which was originally intended to be a place for the concealment of slaves. It takes about a half-hour to reach this island from Stone Town. The giant Aldabra tortoises, which were moved many years ago from the main island, are one of the amazing attractions on the island. A short walk around the ruins of the prison building and to the quarantine building used in the past during the outbreak of contagious diseases such as cholera and yellow fever takes you around the island before you go swimming or snorkeling in one of the nice coral reefs around the island. Today, there is a hotel and restaurant on this island where you can have lunch or some bites and drinks. It can be a half-day visit or a full-day visit.
This is a full-day tour with lunch. From Stone Town, it is an hour's drive to Kizimkazi. On arrival, you will be provided with snorkeling equipment like masks and flippers, and you will be shown a lunch menu. You can choose what you want to eat before sailing to see and swim with dolphins. Dolphin tours started many years ago in this area, which is part of the Minei conservation area established to protect marine life, including dolphins. The species of dolphins found here are bottlenose dolphins, white dolphins, and black dolphins. The dolphins have become friendly to people since the beginning, and the tour has become an interesting one. The people of Kizimkazi are really appreciating this program and have positive ideas about the protection of marine life, as it has been of many benefits to them since it has created a market for their local products and the dolphin activities have employed many people around the area.
This is a half-day tour of this forest, which is home to the erratic Red Colobus Monkey. After about 45 minutes of driving from Stone Town, you will start with registration and a short briefing before you go for a guided walk to the main forest to see some indigenous trees, medicinal trees, and other plants of interest. Thereafter, you will visit the monkeys before finishing with the Man Groove Body Work area. The forest is mainly divided into three areas: the main forest, the red colobus section, and the mangrove bodywork. Your guide will provide you with a wealth of information about this area.
This is a cultural tour that reflects the daily lives of Zanzibaris in the countryside. It takes about an hour to drive from Stone Town, and with your local guide, you will be walking around their small farms and to their houses, and you will learn how they prepare most of their dishes, especially with coconut milk. Then you will go to the beach, where they grow weeds along the shore. You will learn more about their culture and their livelihood. You will have lunch and relax or go swimming before you drive back to your lodge or hotel. Scuba diving, fishing, snorkeling, and many other activities can easily be arranged on request. Zanzibar Island's beaches, history, and people are unique. Don’t miss your chance to visit Zanzibar Island.
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