Once upon a time, there was a magical island found in Africa. An island so vibrant that it attracted the most lavish conquistadors on earth.
People have lived in Zanzibar for 20,000 years. History proper starts when the islands became a base for traders voyaging between the African Great Lakes, the Arabian peninsula, and the Indian subcontinent.
Unguja offered a protected and defensible harbor, so although the archipelago had few products of value, Omanis and Yemenis settled in what became Zanzibar City (Stone Town) as a convenient point from which to trade with towns on the Swahili Coast. They established garrisons on the islands and built the first mosques in the African Great Lakes.
During the Age of Exploration, the Portuguese Empire was the first European power to gain control of Zanzibar, and kept it for nearly 200 years. In 1698, Zanzibar fell under the control of the Sultanate of Oman, which developed an economy of trade and cash crops, with a ruling Arab elite and a Bantu general population.
To this day, Zanzibar is one of the most well-visited, highly cultured, full of stories, beautiful paradises in the Universe. Visit the North of Zanzibar to experience the most. Find time to spend a night or 2 at the ultimate world of escapism, Mnemba Island.
Raise a glass of champagne at The Kendwa Rocks, probably one of the most spacious and beautiful beach fronts in Africa.
How to get there is quite easy, Internationally – Dar Es Salam Airport hosts about 300 flights a day from all over the world. Now, from Dar Es Salam to Zanzibar, I trust Coastal Aviation and their Daily flights!
Check out www.coastal.co.tz
KEEP TRAVELING!
Photography: Jo-Ann Von Willingh
