By Anyone ever heard of Unguja? How about the island’s more common name, Zanzibar? It’s known as the Spice Island as well as the birthplace of Freddy Mercury. An Indian Ocean archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, Africa, it’s also a diving and snorkeling mecca. Here are five reasons to visit Zanzibar.
Five Reasons to Visit Zanzibar
Reef Diving, Snorkeling, Surfing
A coral reef runs along most of the ocean side of Zanzibar for about a mile offshore. Levan Bank, off the northern tip, is one of the island’s most famous and impressive dive sites. There, you can see huge kingfish and impressive tuna. Inside the reef, the waters are calm and crystal clear. When the tide goes out, you can actually walk from the beach to the reef. According to many professional divers, Zanzibar offers some of the best dive sites in Africa, and possibly the world.
There are official and unofficial guides who can take you diving or snorkeling, depending on what you want to spend or what type of boat you’re looking for. Seeing some of the rickety wooden boats along the beach may send you in the direction of a resort that offers more professional services. If getting up close and personal with scaly fishy friends isn’t your style, Paje, further south, offers pristine beaches and some of the best kite surfing anywhere.
The Spice Island
Zanzibar has an abundance of spices, and therefore, an abundance of spice tours! They’re not only informative but an interesting distraction from the beach, where you can explore small villages set right in the jungle, and see first hand how exotic spices are grown and harvested for sale. You get to sample cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper that are plucked right from trees and shrubs growing all around you. Local guides encourage you to smell and/or taste the indigenous spices.
Retreating under the thick jungle canopy, the spice tour was a nice escape from the 90°F heat. About halfway through the tour, they offered a cornucopia of fresh local fruit. Local guides receive training at a young age on how to climb trees and harvest spices. They make their village huts out of nothing more than grass and mud. Using hammocks for beds, furnishings remain simple and sparse.
Giant Tortoises
We took a leisurely three-mile boat trip to Prison Island (Changu) from Stone Town, the main port and largest city on Zanzibar. The trip was relaxing. Our arrival at the beach pier offered the most amazing shades of blue I’ve ever seen. The locals have opened the prison, once hell on earth for rebellious slaves incarcerated in the 1860s, for public tours. The island has also functioned as a coral mine in the past. Despite its grim history, Changu remains in the top five reasons to visit Zanzibar.
The main attraction of Prison Island is the gigantic tortoises. Some weigh up to 500 pounds, live until 150 years of age, and are about the size of a Smart Car. At one time, there were as many as 200 of the unique creatures, but now there are about 50. Since Zanzibar has become a world heritage site, the tortoises have been offered protection from theft and poaching.
The Masai and Freddy Mercury
Whether it’s on the beach or in Stone Town, you’ll surely notice the people of Zanzibar come from a variety of backgrounds. We saw Muslims in robes and hijabs, native Swahili, and Masai in their traditional red Shuka. No matter their religion or heritage, the people were welcoming and friendly. Many of the tourists are European, with some flocking to the upscale Italian-focused resorts.
Zanzibar is like any other exotic tourist destination, with people trying to sell their wares on the street or beach. Fortunately, street sellers were nowhere as bothersome or persistent as some we’ve encountered elsewhere. There is a colorful market in Stone Town, offering all kinds of fresh produce and seafood. If that’s not good enough, you can buy fresh fish and octopus right on the beach from the fishermen who caught it.
Stone Town
We stayed in Stone Town for a night, hoping to explore as much as we could. Unfortunately, even with a city map, we found the narrow and winding streets confusing. The personal tour we booked was the way to go. We saw and experienced so much more, and our guide explained things that we had no idea about. For dinner, we sought out Mercury’s, a beachfront restaurant with an awesome sunset view. The kitchen is an open-pit barbeque, and there are autographed photos from Freddy Mercury and Queen on the walls.
The stone architecture pays tribute to the town’s name, and buildings have taken on a lichen-stained patina that shows how gracefully they’ve aged. There is no room for cars on the inner-city streets. They are more like alleys or sidewalks, where everything has to be carried in or on wooden carts. Beware of some locals who buzz through the cobbled maze on motor scooters.
The Beaches
Try to imagine what your favorite beach looked like before it was invaded by massive resorts and the throngs of tourists that come with them. That is what the deserted beaches of Zanzibar offer. Miles of white sand with swaying palm trees on one side and turquoise water on the other. The northeast beaches of Nungwi, Kendwa, Pwani, Waikiki, and Kiwengwa were some of the prettiest that we’ve visited anywhere.
There are a handful of resorts on the island that exist mostly on the north end. Nonetheless, you’ll find more fishermen and wayward cows on the beach than noisy jet skis or other pleasure craft. Small sailboats are more the norm. We stayed in an AirBnB and ate most of our meals in, but found plenty to eat and drink by visiting the mom-and-pop restaurants scattered along the beach.
When not cooking at home, we found ourselves strolling down the beach for fresh homemade dinners, rather than taking a taxi down the road. Outdoor restaurants and patios can be nice, but they can’t compare to sipping cocktails in a shaded beach restaurant, listening to the waves roll in, and watching the moon rise over the ocean.
Friendly Locals, Beautiful Locale
In conclusion, we found Zanzibar to be one of the most interesting places we’ve ever visited. We consider it quite safe and Cathryn walked to the beach and local village for groceries by herself. She worried when one local man followed her around the village, but it turned out he was only there to protect her and help carry things.
The man even helped me carry a five-gallon jug of water all the way home. You’d think I gave him 100 dollars when I tipped him a buck. Not being resort people, we stayed in the Kamili View Apartments in Kiwengwa, a gated complex with a beautiful swimming pool. Our second-floor unit offered ocean views and breezes.
I don’t pick favorites and rarely return to places I’ve visited, but Zanzibar is one destination that both Cathryn and I agree we’d definitely return to. These five reasons to visit Zanzibar represent a short summary that doesn’t give this beautiful island justice. Book the trip and see for yourself.
If you enjoyed this article and wish to read more of Ed’s adventures check out my website at www.edmondgagnon.com.
54 Comments. Leave new
Zanzibar looks amazing. I have to be honest, until I read this Zanzibar was one of those places that I’d heard of but never seen. Now it’s going right to the top of my travel bucket list.
We were about the same, Bill, then totally blown away when we experienced it. I hope you get there.
Is it kinda white sand beach? Never heard of Unguja island. Really pretty even seems local people are nice.
Unguja is the native name for Zanzibar. Great white sandy beaches you can walk for miles. And yes, friendly locals.
Nice summary and nicer pics! Thanks for sharing the story
Thanks Jim, lots of Kodak moments.
This place looks really amazing. I’ll be honest, I have never heard of this vacation spot before but I would love to swim at that beach!
I’m not much of an ocean swimmer, but the water was warm and clean and inviting. The sand was easy to walk on too….miles of it.
Beautiful beaches 🏖 and those tortoise🐢 are really giant. A close look at locals is the best part of visiting a new place.
Some of the prettiest beaches and easily the biggest tortoises I’ve ever seen.
I have only visited five African nations…four in west Africa and once to Morocco long ago. So of course the east is very different from that. Places like Zanzibar – and more specifically, Lamu, Kenya just north of there have always been on my travel radar. One day. It’s an intriguing part of the globe I have yet to see with my own eyes.
Cathryn and I watched some travel videos on Youtube last night….so many places to see yet, and so little time.
BTW, Michael, Google Edmond Gagnon on You Tube and you can see the first four promo videos for my books that I’ve been working on with Mediaworks Studios. I’ve done one for each book in the crime series (6) and we’re still editing the main interview video.
Wow, would love to visit such beautiful island. The beaches look so beautiful.
Some of the prettiest deserted beaches I’ve seen, and you can walk for miles.
I can’t wait until a vaccine is out and we can finally start travelling again! We’re so close to this becoming a reality again.
I couldn’t agree more, Emily, my feet are so itchy…
What a wonderful review of Zanzibar as a tourist destination, Ed. Thank you for showing me the beauty of this island. I’ve never been to Africa and never had plans for going, but that might change now that’ I’ve read your post.
I like beaches and the blue see and Zanzibar seems replete with them. Am I rght?
The beaches and the shades of blue were amazing…miles of them! Look on this website for my Capetown piece…it is also a beautiful piece of Africa.
I would love to spend some quality time on the beaches in Zanzibar. I would definitely go diving, too!
You wouldn’t be disappointed Claudia, I hope you get there.
I will have to visit one day. It looks like a gorgeous spot to explore.
If you go, Amber, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Zanzibar looks beautiful. Since I do a lot of cooking, I’d love to visit the spice islands!
Exotic spices were cheap and we ate in a lot. The owner of our apartment cooked with my wife one day…fresh fish and octopus right from the ocean.
It is so cold here in PA right now, I’d love to visit somewhere warm, especially those beaches!
I hear you, Kelli, this will be my first winter home in about 12 years.
I’m in! When are we going?? This looks amazingly beautiful!
It is beautiful and maybe I’ll bet back there some day. Covid is really cramping my style.
Plucking fresh spices from the tree is a great experience.
It was for sure, and cool to find so many that come from trees.
Zanzibar is such a stunning place! This is a piece of paradise! I can’t wait to go here.
It truly was, Mama, I hope you get there soon.
The Zanzibar beaches look amazing. And the tortoises sure would have been fun to play with!
The beaches were definitely amazing but I’m not sure how you’d play with a tortoise…besides feeding them and staying out of their way.
Such a great place to visit, so beautiful and relaxing. I wish to be there someday!
A perfect place to relax I hope you get there Gervin.
I’ve heard of Zanzibar, but honestly, I didn’t know exactly where it’s located. Now I know. Great photos!
Thus endeth your geography lesson for the day. Thank you!
I would love to visit there sometime. It looks like an amazing place. Looks like a nice place to just relax and enjoy.
I hope you get there someday, Kathy, an excellent place to kick back and relax.
Ohh…I loved the photos you’ve shared. Zanzibar looks like an amazing place to visit and relax.
Thank you, Mayuri, it’s a great place to visit and relax.
WOW! Zanzibar looks like a gorgeous place to visit. Your photos are lovely.
Thank you Kate, I was surprised by its natural beauty.
The place looks beautiful and peaceful. Love the blue beach with white sand. I would love to snorkel there.
We didn’t try the snorkeling there, but heard the reef was very colorful with lots to see. It’s a great beach destination.
My family vacation is long overdue. I wish this pandemic will be over soon.
I hear you, Farrah, this will be my first winter home in over 12 years.
Zanzibar looks amazing. Never heard about this place before, but i would love to spend holiday to this beautiful place.
It’s virtually undiscovered by the western world…take advantage before massive tourism leaves the ugly footprints that it has in so many other amazing destinations.
You didn’t even have to give us reasons. We are ready to go! lol
Glad to hear it…happy travels!
Great review, Ed! I really never had an interest in going to Africa, but may be changing my mind about Zanzibar. Looks amazing! I’m particularly interested in the spice tour. Were you able to bring home some fresh spices? Was it expensive to stay there even though you did a lot of your own cooking?
Thanks Jen, we combined it with the Egypt and South Africa trip, leaving Zanzibar a place to veg on the beach at the end of it all. It was a great choice. You guys would love Capetown…search my article here for my take on it. They really didn’t have any spices we needed and no, it wasn’t expensive at all…easily cheaper than home and maybe comparable to small town Mexico. We may have paid a bit more for an upscale place to stay but it was still cheaper than here or the US.