Zanzibar’s lasting mystique has attracted
travellers from around the world for centuries.
From its early days as a Swahili port, Zanzibar
has done a thriving business in the cargo of the
day. In generations long past, ivory, slaves and
spices were transported on large wooden sailing
dhows across the Indian Ocean to the Arabian
Peninsula and beyond. Although spices remain a
main export, these days Zanzibar’s main
attraction is the beauty of the island itself.
Zanzibar’s history stretches back to when the
first dhows from Arabia and India discovered its
natural harbour. Using the island as a stopover
point for caravans that journeyed deep into the
African interior, permanent settlement soon
created the beginnings of what became Stone
Town. Merchants from Oman, Gujarat and around
the Indian Ocean moved their families from
across the ocean to start a life in Zanzibar,
some amassing great fortunes and building the
high stone houses so indicative of Stone Town
today. Although Swahili civilization in the area
of Kilwa Kisiwani further south peaked in the
14th century, Zanzibar’s prosperity came much
later, with the arrival of the Omani sultans in
the 18th century. Living and ruling from Stone
Town, the sultans presided over the slave and
ivory trade, planting vast spice plantations
that survive to this day.
Remnants of the hey-day of Swahili civilization
in Zanzibar still remain, vestiges of a vanished
past that people still look to with a sense of
heritage and pride. In Stone Town, the House of
Wonders greets visitors arriving by sea, a grand
building once used by the sultan for his
administrative duties. His town palace stands
adjacent to it, the walkways that connected the
two buildings still in dilapidated existence.
Nearby, the Portuguese Fort recalls the brief
occupation of the island by foreign rule, while
the nearby Anglican Cathedral built over the
site of the old slave market soothes the wounds
of a sobering past. Today, Stone Town is as much
of an attraction for visitors as Zanzibar’s
beaches, world-renowned for their idyllic
seascapes and island charm. Guests have their
pick of beaches famed for their tropical climate
and soothing crystal-clear waters. Swahili
fishing villages, snorkelling, diving, or just
beachcombing offer perfect choices of relaxing
itineraries.
For cultural connoisseurs, it’s best to time a
visit around one of Zanzibar’s many festivals.
Vibrant occasions occur throughout the year,
days of celebration when the island and its
people truly come alive. The annual ZIFF
Festival of the Dhow Countries film festival and
the Sauti za Busara Swahili Music Festival are
the main attractions, with the Swahili festival
of Mwaka Kongwe not to be missed.
Yet there’s more to Zanzibar than the main
island of Unguja. To the north, Pemba Island
offers world-class diving in pristine
surroundings. Accommodation ranges from the most
basic to the utmost in barefoot luxury and
visitors agree that a visit to Pemba is well
worth the effort. To the south is the
little-known Mafia Island, its reefs affording
perfect diving in tranquil surroundings. Covered
in coconut palms and abandoned fruit groves left
by Arab merchants centuries before, Mafia’s
charm is unique to the Swahili coast, its shores
untouched by development or change. Other
smaller islands surround Unguja, the main island
in the archipelago, and make pleasant day trips
for visitors from Stone Town.
Come to Zanzibar and you will experience the
hospitality of the Swahili people, the beauty of
the island, and the lasting mystique of its
regal history. Visit Zanzibar, and you will
understand why century after century, travellers
have come to its shores in search of magic and
romance.
