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General Information On Zanzibar
The island is considered to be in
Tanzania
Zanzibar island
offers a comfortable climate all year round. The
best period for diving in Zanzibar is from
October to April. The climate varies from warm
to hot though there is always a pleasant fine
breeze from the Indian Ocean.
Vacations in Zanzibar is like no other, the
island enjoys an equatorial Zanzibar climate
with rainfall from March to end May and furthest
short rains in November. The relatively cool,
dry period from June to October is particularly
pleasant, with average temperature of 25 degrees
centigrade with cool long breezes of the
Southeast monsoon prevailing.
The best way to discover Zanzibar island is to
use one of the Island taxis ‘dala dala’ offering
very reasonable fares. Places and sights of
interest are among others Stone Town with its
historical buildings, many of them being
restored. These buildings are memorials of
bygone era and still hold the magic of "a
thousand and one nights".
Visit Jozani
rainforest and the ruins of the old Osmanian
palace. Dine at a picturesque fisherman's
village and enjoy fresh langoustines before the
visiting the surrounding islands by boat.
The best known of the Zanzibar islands, Unguja
has been at the prow of Indian Ocean history for
over a millennium. Explorer, sultans, slave
traders and merchants all chose Zanzibar as
their strategic base, spurred by monsoon winds
along trade routes, driven by imagined wealth
and riches or led by starry maps and religious
conquest towards escape and discovery.
These adventurers' tales were interwoven by
Sheherezade into 1001 nights, compelling other
dreamy romantics to follow their luck and the
breeze to Zenj in the south.
Your holiday in Zanzibar island in never
complete without visiting the historic charms of
Stone Town, the picture-book, palm-fringed
beaches, colorful reefs and the cultural pride
that exudes from every beach hut, every temple
and every courtyard continues to lure visitors
from around the world. Accommodation options are
listed here.
Visas
Customs and immigration officials are polite and
efficient, and a visa - for those who require
one - can be purchased on the spot at Zanzibar
or Kilimanjaro Airport or at any overland
border. Foreign exchange and ATM facilities are
available at the airport, which is also serviced
by several shops and restaurants. Most midrange
to up-market hotels in Arusha or Dar es salaam
will arrange airport transfers by request.
Culture
As Zanzibar absorbed peoples from as far as The
Orient and Iberia, Assyria and India, so the
tapestry of Zanzibar cultures became more
diverse in its range, more unique in its
expression.
Zanzibar is the birthplace of Swahili, a lingua
franca forged from global dialects, upon which
legends were carried, trade routes opened and a
Sultans empire prospered.
The strident laments and exultant overtures of
Swahili taarab were born, their rhythms and
melodies carried and honed between Zanzibar and
the Arabian Gulf until they became the sounds of
the islands own musical narrative.
The architectural styles of Stone Town were
borne of the social convergence, while the
tangled mass of stories, woven from centuries of
lives lived, bestow a folklore and legacy that
permeate life on the archipelago.
Zanzibars
history - Living Heritage
Zanzibar's prolific past created a confluence of
creeds and cultures, its people a distillation
of the nations of travelers, pilgrims,
fishermen, explorers and merchants who stopped
here in times passage.
A culture of tolerance was born from their
cohabitation, infused with the religious
acceptance, ethnic array, and spirit of
ubinadamu, that indefinable concept "of being
human and humane" that continues as the gift of
the Swahili people to their guests.
This progressive society, where tribe and
nationality were blurred, provided a foundation
upon which the peaceful Zanzibari way of life
was built.
A society of incomparable hospitality
endures, evident in the amicable and spontaneous
"jambo" of a warm and friendly people. Karibu
mgeni, mwenyeji apone, welcome the guest so the
host is soothed.
North Coast
Zanzibar Beach
South East Coast Zanzibar Beach
Other Zanzibar Beach
Locations
*Small Private
Islands Include.
Pemba
island
Chumbe Island Lodge Zanzibar
Chapwani Private Island Zanzibar
Mnemba Island Zanzibar
Mafia
Island Zanzibar
*Towns
Dar Es
Salaam Town |
