Zanzibar Island (known locally as Unguja, but as Zanzibar internationally) is the biggest and most populated island within the Zanzibar archipelago and is surrounded by more than 20 other islands, many of them uninhabited. The name Zanzibar means "Land of the Blacks" and originates from the Arabic words "Zinj" meaning black and "barr" meaning land. The Island of Zanzibar consists of two main islands, Pemba and Unguja with some 50 smaller islands surrounding the archipelago. Unguja is the main and most developed island.

Many people refer to it as Zanzibar, so please do not get confused when we refer to it as Unguja. The population of Zanzibar is about 800,000 people, of which 150,000 are found on Pemba. The majority of people inhabit Stone Town (which is the "capital" of Zanzibar). Many of the rural people prefer the fertile Northern section of the island, whilst the East Coast has coral rag, and provides the most spectacular beaches and holiday destinations. These areas are so sparse that at the right time of the year, you may even have a whole stretch of beach to yourself

Zanzibar is the collective name for a series of East African islands off mainland Tanzania - the main ones being Unguja, Pemba and Mafia. The island of Zanzibar is, Unguja and Pemba.

General Information

Below is a summary of the information contained in the pages to follow. Read on and find out what Zanzibar is all about.

	Languages:	Swahili, English, Italian, Arabic
	Population:	800,000
	Capital city:	Stone Town (also known as Zanzibar Town)
	Currency:	Tanzanian Shilling
	People:	Native African, Arabic, and Indian
	President:	Amani Karume
	Government:	Republic
	Religion:	Muslim (95%), Christian and Hindu (5%)
	Climate:	Hot and humid
	Average Temp:	25ºC (77ºF)
	Major Industries:	Tourism, Spice, and Fishing

Zanzibar Island or Unguja is 60 miles long and 20 miles wide, occupying a total area of approximately 650 square miles. It is characterised by beautiful sandy beaches with fringing coral reefs, and the magic of historic Stone Town - said to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa.Just off the coast of Tanzania, 20 minutes by small plane (2 hours by slow ferry), Zanzibar is actually part of Tanzania. Tanzania is actually a combination of the two old countries' names - Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The coasts of Zanzibar offer something for everyone. White sands, crystal-clear waters, palm trees and seemingly eternal sunshine make the Zanzibari coastline a Paradise that continues to lure visitors from around the world.

The East Coast is the most popular with tourists as this has the best stretches of beaches. Many of the large resorts can be found here. But the North coast is just as enticingand it offers great diving and snorkeling reefs. The South coast of Zanzibar does not attract that many visitors, except for Kizimkazi where tourists can dive with dolphins. The tourism infrastructure on the west coast is not particularly well-developed.Zanzibar has a great variety of accommodation ranging from budget Bed & Breakfast inns to luxurious hotels and all-inclusive holiday resorts.On top of that, we can tailor-make packages of any length and including flights, transfers and accommodation at almost any of the hotels and resorts on Zanzibar

How to Get There

International Flights will show you the route from Europe to Zanzibar, United States to Zanzibar and South Africa to Zanzibar. These are meant as guidelines as they are the most frequently traveled routes by visitors. Should you be flying from one of these, or any other destination, please contact us and we will gladly assist you in your flight arrangements or advise you how to get there.

We are also able to arrange all domestic flights. If you are combining a safari with a Zanzibar trip, or a trip out to Pemba Island, we will be able to assist you with with any queries you may have, especially on how to co-ordinate the flights. Unfortunately we are unable to assist with ferry transfers or Dala Dala (local taxi's) transfers. These you will have to try to negotiate yourself, but we have given an indication of their routes. We have also  identified the most reliable ferry operator on the island. 

Religion
Religion forms a major part of the Zanzibar culture. If you are staying in Stone Town you will hear the calls for prayer from the local mosque.The most common religion followed is Muslim. 95% of the population follow the laws of Islam, this dating back to the original Arab settlers. The remaining mix is a combination of Hindu and Christian. A large Hindu population existed on the island, but many of them fled the country, or were killed during the revolution in 1963. The Christians came later during the period of Portuguese rule and British Colonialism.

Swahili is the most spoken language on the island and is the official language of Tanzania. It is derived from Kiswahili, which was a language formed by the intermarriages between Arabs, Omanis, Persians and the Zanzibar Bantu's. The Zanzibaris speak the most pure form of Swahili. Kenyans and mainland Tanzanians will always remark on your Swahili if you learned it from a Zanzibarian. English is spoken by most of the islanders, and many have a working knowledge of Italian and Arabic

Zanzibar History

For such a small island, Zanzibar is steeped in history. From ancient Arab and Persian emigrants to bloody wars and revolutions, Zanzibar has always been in the thick of these.

Pre 15th century
It was originally believed that Zanzibar first settled by Africans +/- 3000 to 4000 years ago. Many centuries later, inhabitants from Greece, Egypt, Persia, Arabia, India, China and Europe began to settle. Claudius Ptolemy, a famous Greek geographer, who lived in Egypt, made mention of Zanzibar in his work in about 150 AD. Zanzibar was a major trade route from Roman Empire to the Indo-Chinese ports.

By the 4 th century AD, Bantu people settled here, with Islam making it's way in, about 7 AD. These were Arab and Persian emigrants who were fleeing their own war torn countries. Through all the intermarriages, the language of Kiswahili was born. This forms the base of the present day language Swahili, which is the language spoken in Zanzibar.
This appeared to be a time of peace and prosperity, with Persians continuing to intermarry with Zanzibaris, and trade established with their homelands. Goods traded included gold, ebony, ivory, tortoise shells and slaves. In return they received porcelain, cloth and beads. This happy and prosperous time continued until the arrival of the Europeans in the late 15 th century. Zanzibar had been an independent Sultanate until the arrival of Vasco Da Gama in 1498.

Period of portugeese rule
Vasco Da Gama's expedition from Portugal was the beginning of the establishment of Portuguese rule over East Africa and Zanzibar. Lasting for 2 centuries, the Dominicans, Jesuits and Augustinians began building churches and mission outposts in an attempt to convert the entire population to Roman Catholicism. This attempt failed, as may be seen in the strong Muslim influence in Zanzibar today.

Thinking they were "invincible", the Portuguese omitted to send enough men to protect their territories. By the late 1800's they surrendered their last East African holding, Mombassa, which is on the coast of present day Kenya. There are few remnants of Portuguese rule over Zanzibar. Amongst these are bullfights which are held on Pemba island and a few Swahili words.

The Sultans of The Trade

After the Portuguese rule of Zanzibar which lasted some 200 years, the Omanis took over the reigns. Local African chiefs protested, but this fell on deaf ears, and the Omanis ruled literally up until the revolution in 1964.

During this period, many Sultans of the Busaidi family ruled. The name Busaidi is still common in Zanzibar today. Of the Sultans, the most famous is Seyyid Said bin Sultan, Said the Great. He introduced cloves to the island, and along with the lucrative slave trade, garnered himself a very rich empire. So much so, that he decided to move the Sultanate's capital to Zanzibar from Muscat in the 1840's

Slave trade through Zanzibar as mentioned was very lucrative. Traders like Tipu Tip were able to make large fortunes. Such fortunes allowed this trader for example to afford over 30 concubines, with their children and an official wife and her two children. After the death of Said the Great in 1856, the royal house was left with numerous power struggles. Faced with the advent of slavery abolition and jealousy within the family, the British managed to gain control of much of the island.

Britains Brief Empire
Britain had been fighting for the abolition of the slave trade which had been largely unsuccessful. They were limited to intimidating slave traders and effecting quotas. The British managed to pressurise Said's successors into stopping the trade, but many treaties were ignored. In 1890, Sultan Ali, the last of Sultan Said's successors, finally honored his treaty in declaring all slaves free, and freeing any slaves that entered the area.

In 1896, Sultan Hamed bin Thuwain died, leaving the throne vacant. Hamed's cousin, Khaled saw an opportunity and crawled through the palace window, gained a few supporters and announced he was the new Sultan. The British were obviously not impressed with this, as Zanzibar was a British protectorate. The British ordered Khaled to lower his flag by 9a.m. on the 27th of August 1896.
Needless to say this was not done, and the shortest war in history ensued (it is still listed in the Guinness Book of World Records). The British opened fire on Stone Town, destroying the Palace, the Harem, the Sultan's ship and the lighthouse. The House of Wonders was slightly damaged. 40 minutes later, the war was over and Seyyid Hamoud bin Mohammed was declared the new Sultan.
The British protectorate continued until independence was granted in 1963.

Revolution Day

Constitutional independence was granted to Zanzibar on 10 December 1963. On 12 January 1964, John Okello, a Ugandan President on Pemba, began what was to be the bloodiest revolution ever seen in Zanzibar. Okello began by gaining support amongst the black population, then started to capture strategic police and government buildings. Okello based himself in the building of the radio station, to help him broadcast his message to the now hungry revolutionaries. Within a couple of days, 17000 Arabs and Indians were killed. Witnesses testify that blood was flowing down the streets. Many Arabs and Asians fled, their land confiscated and nationalised. Abied Karume, leader of the Afro-Shirazi party, was declared the new president and proceeded to form the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar. This was a new beginning for the people of Zanzibar that had witnessed centuries of oppression.

Requirements

Visa
Visas are compulsory for all visitors, and cost from $50. Visas are obtainable at the airport when you arrive, but rather have one before you land, as officials tend to "not have change". Visas are obtainable from the Tanzanian Embassy. Please contact us should you want the Embassy address in your area. You will need 2 passport photos and 2 completed forms. Should you not have the time to organise a visa, please contact us and we will gladly assist you for a small fee.

Yellow Fever inoculation certificate
The inoculation is obtainable from your nearest travel clinic or from your local physician. Staple it into the front of your passport if you are afraid of losing it. Most African countries require this certificate, so don’t ever be without it when traveling in Africa.

Malaria Tablets
Zanzibar is situated in a malaria zone, so it is recommended that you consult your physician on the prescription right for you. Pregnant women are not allowed to take Malaria prevention drugs, and are cautioned before entering any malaria area. To set your mind at rest, we stayed in Zanzibar for 2 years, and fortunately never contracted malaria. This is not to say you won’t get it.. JUST BE CAREFUL.

Insect/ Mosquito repellent
Mosquitoes, like little vampires, favour night conditions. Be sure to take a repellent, and cover all exposed areas of your body (e.g. neck and arms). We recommend that you wear trousers at night and long sleeved shirts should you be outdoors. If the heat is too much and you wear a short sleeved shirt, make sure you smear/ spray your arms with repellent. At night before you go to bed, make sure your mosquito net is either touching the ground, or is tucked in, and your exposed areas (especially your ankles) are protected with repellent.

Anti-histamine cream
For those irritating bites

Currency
Traveler’s cheques and cash are accepted at hotels and Bureau de Changes. US$ are the preferred currency. If you plan on taking cash, make sure you take large bills (e.g. $50 or $100) as these for some unknown reason always get a better rate. Don’t go running to the first Bureau you see at the airport, as these, along with the hotels and resorts, normally have the worst exchange rate. If you are planning on taking a taxi into town, rather pay the fare in US$ and go to a bureau in town. There are many all over town. Try to negotiate a better rate, you never know. 

Try to pay for as much as possible in the local currency (Tanzanian Shillings), always bearing in mind the exchange rate. If the locals see you have foreign currency, they will try to relieve you of it. ALWAYS haggle or bargain and try to pretend you know what you are doing. Remember to keep some of your home currency for your return, just in case. You will also have to pay a departure tax of $30 when you leave. 

Embassies
There are a few consulates on the island, but all embassies are situated in Dar Es Salaam.

Medical
Make sure you consult your physician before coming to Tanzania if you have any health problems. Medical facilities in the country are very restricted, so best to make sure. The flying Doctor service is available.

Travel insurance
It is imperative that you have travel insurance. Even though they do not check any certificates when you enter the airports, for your own peace of mind, make sure that you are adequately covered.

What to pack
Light sandals or rubber flip-flops. Some places require you to remove your shoes before entering. Good walking shoes if you plan on doing a lot of sight seeing.

Clothes
These should be light as it is very hot and humid. A jersey or windbreaker is recommended for those winter nights (just in case). Women are "frowned upon" for wearing revealing clothes. Mini-skirts are a definite no. Try to wear shorts (no not hot pants) or a long skirt, and try to keep the shoulders covered.

Communications
There are many Internet cafes in major towns and at some of the hotels and resorts, so in a non-emergency, this is the best form of communication. Charges range from Tsh1,000 to Tsh5,000 (about $1 to $5) for an hour’s connection. The local telephone company TTCL is inadequate, so if you need to phone internationally, best you ask at the Internet café. They usually have facilities, or they will be able to direct you to someone who has. Be careful, it may be expensive.

Electricity
This is the same as the UK and in South Africa, being 220/230 V. Do not leave appliances plugged in all day, as there are many power fluctuations which might destroy them. US Citizens will have to get an adapter and a transformer for Zanzibar power. If your plug does not match, then enquire at a local shop, they should be able to assist.

Driving
If you are planning on renting a car or motorbike, make sure you have a VALID international driver’s license. You will be stopped in one of the many roadblocks, and often police are just looking for a bribe. Bribery has become a culture amongst the police, so make sure you have the correct documentation, to avoid having to pay a bribe.

If you plan on driving in Stone Town, make sure you know the roads, as there are many one way streets and the drivers are reckless. If a police car approaches with a siren hailing, you have to pull over to the side of the road and stop, no matter which way it is going. Once it has passed, you may pull out and continue.

Crime
As with all cities, Zanzibar is not free of crime. Unfortunately it has been on the increase, so make sure you do not take valuables on holiday with you. If you do take expensive jewelry, make sure it is either locked up when you go out, or hidden from sight.

Gay Travel
Unfortunately gay relationships are frowned upon in Zanzibar. We feel there is no risk for gay travellers, but have to advise that showing public affection can be prosecuted and can carry a prison sentence of up to 25 years. It is important for all people to observe and respect the laws laid down by the Zanzibar government.