Together with the simple ground floor, Swahili houses and the narrow façade of Indian shops along‘ bazaar’ streets are constructed around a commercial space‘ duka’.
The major buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries and include monuments such as the Old Fort, built on the site of an earlier Portuguese church; the house of wonder, a large ceremonial palace built by Sultan Barghash; the Old Dispensary; St. Joseph’ s Roman Catholic Cathedral; Christ Church Anglican Cathedral commemorating the work of David Livingston in abolishing the slave trade and built on the site of the last slave market; the residence of the slave trader Tippu Tip; the Malindi Bamnara Mosque; the Jamat Khan built for the Ismaili sect; the Royal Cemetery; the Hamamni and other Persian baths. Together with the narrow, winding street pattern, large mansions facing the seafront and open spaces, these buildings form an exceptional urban settlement reflecting the longstanding trading activity between the African and Asian seaboards. In particular, the Stone Town is also marked by being the site where slave-trading was finally terminated.
Jozani Forest
The Jozani Natural Forest Reserve is located in the central east region of Zanzibar island and is home to the rare Red Colobus Monkey( pictured above), which is endemic to Zanzibar. These monkeys are full of character and roam freely. They can also be seen at very close quarters just outside the reserve’ s perimeter and are incredibly photogenic. Jozani is home to other species including Syke’ s monkeys, small buck, and bush pigs. The elusive Zanzibar leopard( last sited several years ago) is said to feed here at night – perhaps this is why the reserve is only open during the day! Jozani has an excellent nature trail and the guides are well trained and informative.
North Coast
Tours to the unspoiled north coast always end up at Ras Nungwi, a sleepy fishing village on the northern tip of Zanzibar island. It is the dhow building capital of Zanzibar, so you will be able to see the traditional methods of dhow construction in action. This area of Zanzibar has some fantastic beaches and nearby coral reefs, which are ideal for
Beaches
The beaches in Zanzibar are a paradise, interspersed with picturesque fishing villages, where people live a simple way of life, unchanged over the years. There are more than 25 fantastic beaches in Zanzibar, and some are so peaceful and remote that the only noise breaking the silence is likely to be the ocean.
Spice Plantations
The history of Zanzibar would be incomplete without the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices, which brought the Sultans of Oman and the beginnings of the infamous slave trade. They can be seen in the plantations just outside Zanzibar town, and a good tour includes opportunities to dazzle the senses with fresh spices. A detailed description is given about a variety of spices and their uses in cooking and cosmetics. Visitors will be fascinated by the sheer number of spices produced and their incredible value for many ailments. This is also the cheapest place to purchase spices and spice oils.
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