Blogs from Zanzibar City, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa - page 26

I have arrived safely! The journey was long (21 hours), but I managed to get the coach, plane, meet Patrick (the very nice guy who drove me from the airport to the port), get a boat, and then taxi to the cathedral. The journey was mostly straightforward, although my flight was delayed by 100 mins (although ended up only 40 mins late) and I was seasick three times on the two hour boat journey, not fun when you are already dehydrated by the hot weather. In addition to this there are the dangers of arriving in a foreign country, eg. people trying to rip you off, the first taxi driver I met on Zanzibar charged double the proper rate, fortunately the guy at the tourist office warned me, and I used another. As mentioned above, it ... read more

Wow...I don't know how else to describe this town. Old, centuries old architecture, Islamic Arab influence ingrained with a mix of Indian and East African (Swahili) heritage, preserved on an island untouched by modernization yet preserved in its time. One could only imagine what bustling business occurred in this town centuries ago, for this sea faring island reeks of history from many cultures past and is infused in its present form. The Persians, Arabs, Portuguese, and Omanis have all touched this area. However, thanks to the Aga Khan trust for culture, the buildings and streets are being preserved and maintained. Must do's in Zanzibar? For sure, staying at the Zanzibar Serena Inn, or even having lunch there (make sure to order the Swahili mix). Also, the Emerson & Green hotel has a beautiful rooftop restaurant. Make ... read more

In the last "Stonetown" entry I almost didn't mention anything about the town itself. Stone town is regarded as Zanzibar's capital. The town was named after the coral stone buildings, largely built during the 19th century. The town is known for it's narrow alleyways, large carved wooden doors and covered balconies. The doors are part of the Swahili culture and were largely influenced by Arab and especially Indian motifs. The large brass studs on the doors became decoration after having served as spike covers to protect the inhabitants from elephant raids during the Indian wars. The town currently house over 16,000 people and is home to 51 mosques, 6 Hindu temples and 2 Christian churches. The people are extremely diverse and fascinating. What is annoying in Stonetown, are the touts... they see you from a far, ... read more

Prison Island (Changuu) is the most popular island to visit from Stone Town as it is only a short boat ride (about 10 minutes) away from town. Actually, everybody seems to visit this island... The island was in the 19th century owned by an Arab who used it, as the sign says, for housing "recalcitrant slaves". Basically, unruly slaves were to the island for discipline. Later it was owned by a British General who actually built a prison and it was used it as a quarantine station. The island offers the largest tortoises we have ever seen, and visitors can take a walk around the island sightseeing the old prisons and various other historical artifacts. That is it... I must say i was a bit disappointed. OK, giant turtles were quite intriguing (they were brought to ... read more