Zanzibar: Something for Everyone
The Zanzibar portion of the trip allowed us to slow our pace and take advantage of the seaside resort as well as a series of optional side trips. Given the legendary lure of Zanzibar as one of the Spice Islands, many of us elected to take a tour that explored the exotic flavors that come from the region. Visiting three spice plantations, we played guessing games with our guide, Baker, about what spice various plants yield and how. Baker, whose family owned one of the plantations we visited, first showed us a clove tree and explained that the government regulates cloves and buys them for $3 per kilo. One big tree produces about 30 kilos per year. “We are beating Indonesia in the world market,” he said proudly.
After smelling a root that was turmeric, picking a reed that was lemongrass, and identifying cassava, a starch that grows like a potato, we saw a vine that produced what looked like overgrown green beans. After several guesses, we learned that this was one of the most popular flavorings: vanilla. Then we learned that cinnamon is the bark of a tree whose roots have a surprising menthol scent. Nutmeg, on the other hand, is the pit of an inedible fruit that resembles a small unripe peach. Covered in a bright, red, stringy substance that turns out to be mace, the nutmeg seed is dried and ground to form the familiar spice. At the conclusion of the tour, we sat on benches and tasted a variety of just-picked fruit: jackfruit, litchi, banana, orange, mango, passion fruit, and pineapple.
Another optional day tour from Zanzibar was a snorkeling and deep-sea diving excursion. A 45-minute boat ride from our beachfront hotel led us to a spot where we anchored and swam or dove in a spectacular coral reef with numerous exotic fish. Schools of beautiful yellow and black Moorish idol, their long white crowns elegantly swaying, passed in front of us without ceremony. Another highlight were the sweetlips, whose white-on-black polka dots are set off by a bright yellow tail.
Our final days on Zanzibar were spent in Stone Town at a beautiful hotel on the water. Those of us who opted for the walking tour began by visiting an Arab fort and then the Sultan’s Palace — the first building to have electricity in Zanzibar — where we saw exhibits of copper and ivory artifacts, hippo tusks, wooden masks, and weavings. As we walked, we witnessed the variety of architecture — Indian, Arabic, African, and European. The famous doors of Stone Town also caught our attention, particularly those with brass spikes whose beauty complemented their function: Of Indian design, they are made to prevent elephants from entering the building.
Also on the tour was the Palace of Zanzibar, a fruit and spice market, and the former slave market. Here we saw the dungeon-like quarters where slaves were kept, chained together, for up to three weeks. Many of them died; those who lived proved their strength and were auctioned off. The Anglican cathedral adjacent to the market was built after the slave trade was abolished in 1873 in order to ensure an end to slavery, and services are still held there today.
With its white sandy beaches, Zanzibar offered many options for those who were not interested in venturing away from the two resorts. Be it swimming in the warm Indian Ocean, writing postcards from the beautiful balconies that all rooms featured, enjoying a drink by the pool, or exploring the shopping options, Zanzibar truly offered something for everyone.
