Zanzibar

Zanzibar is an archipelago located in the Indian ocean off the Mainland Tanzania coast. The island measures 86 km long and an average of 39 km in width. It is, however, made up of two main islands namely Ugunja and Pemba alongside other smaller islands namely Mnemba, chumbe and Mafia.

The Island is home to approximately 1 million people where the majority are of the Muslim religion (98%) and Christians and hindus (2%).

Zanzibar is serviced by Sheikh Abeid Karume International Airport which lies some 5 km south of Zanzibar city.

The main attractions in Zanzibar include:

• Stone town – a world heritage site.
• Spices Farm – Which produce cloves, nutmeg, pepper and cinnamon.

Brief History:

The history of Zanzibar is influenced by numerous countries visiting the island for different decades. The countries include Arab, Persia, Portugal, Britain as well as the Africans from the main continent.

The architecture is clearly noticed alongside very narrow streets and ancient mosques.

It is as recent as in 1964 that the island and the mainland Tanganyika united.

Language:

The main language spoken in the Island is Kiswahili (An Arabic and Bantu mixture) though English is also widely spoken.

Climate:

The island has a tropical climate and humid all year round and is comfortable.

The average temperature’s range from 26 Celsius to 33 Celsius during the days and never drops below 18 Celsius during the coolest months.

Currency:

The main local currency used is Tanzanian shillings though the USD and Pounds are widely used in the bigger establishments alongside the debit and credit cards.

Visa:

A single visa is required for both the mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar Island. The visa can be obtained on arrival at the point of entry which includes Dar es salaam Airport, Kilimanjaro International Airport and Sheikh Abeid Karume International Airport at a cost of 50 USD (paid in cash). However, a pre-paid visa is recommended to avoid any delays at the listed points of entry.

Health and safety.

Visitors travelling into Zanzibar are recommended to have yellow fever vaccination card or a letter from a registered Doctor to show otherwise.

Anti- malaria medication is also advised during the trip.

Plenty of sunscreens are recommended for the sensitive skins and other protective gears like sunglasses and a sun hat.

Keeping oneself hydrated is also recommended and it is always advisable to drink only bottled water to avoid any contamination. We also recommend that you avoid uncooked food and unpeeled fruits for the same reasons.

Tourism.

Tourism is huge in Zanzibar and there are a lot of places including numerous museums, bays and sandy beaches to visit.

Zanzibar is simply a touristic hub rich in history, hospitable and always welcoming people, great culture and ever warm and sandy beaches.