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1.Zanzibar - A Magnet for Adventurers, Men-of God, Explorers and
Conquerors
Those
who have not been to Zanzibar will be surprised that despite its big
name, it is only a small part of Tanzania.
Zanzibar encompasses the
main island of Ugunja and its twin Pemba and several small islets. A
shallow channel 37km across at the earest point separates
it from the
African mainland. As the crow flies, it is 73 km from Dar es Salaam and
219 km from Mombasa in Kenya.
Zanzibar
is referred to as the Spice
Islands with good reason. The fragrant
scents of cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and vanilla hung in the warm
tropical air. To this day sailors claim that
they can recognise the
aroma of the islands even when far out at sea. Surely, not even
die-hard fans of the Spice Girls can claim anything similar. But
the
spice business is relatively recent, less than 200 years old. It is the
fascinating history of the islands that evokes the image of magic
and
romance in the minds of visitors. Today, there is a good number of fine resorts and hotels in Zanzibar to cater
for the modern day traveller.
The charms of Zanzibar have at
one time or another lured a vast array of adventurers, men-of God,
explorers,
traders and conquerors. The diligent time traveler will
sight footprints of Bantu Africans, Phoenicians, Persians, Assyrians,
Sumerians, Egyptians,
Chinese, Indians, Malays, Portuguese, English,
Dutch and Omani Arabs. That is why a visit to Zanzibar leaves a much
more lasting impression than your
usual island destination.
The
first people to settle on the islands were Bantu Africans from the
continental mainland. The assistance of the
trade winds eventually
brought in Shirazi Persians and Omani Arabs from about AD 700. Then
commencing early sixteenth century, the Portuguese dominated
the East
African coast including Zanzibar for nearly 200 years. Sensing the
decline of Portugal as a world power Omani Arabs invaded and subdued
the
Islands. The Omani Sultan was so excited about the prospects of
riches from the Islands that he actually relocated here. The magnet was
ivory and
slaves.
The slave business was thoroughly unwholesome
as you can well imagine. Zanzibar was the transit market of slaves
coming over from
raids in the interior. David Livingstone, the
missionary and explorer had traveled extensively in the interior and
was greatly offended by the practice
and impact of the slave trade.
This man-of-God managed to provoke liberal opinion in Britain, which
led to action by the Royal Navy. For the sake of
humanity, Zanzibar
became a British Protectorate in 1890. And for the sake of smooth
administration, power was finally transferred to then gentle hands
of
the King of England in 1913.
As a modern day explorer, Zanzibar
welcomes you to peek at the rich heritage whose testimony is in
the
architecture and culture of its people. The cultural heart of Zanzibar
is Stone Town, which is little touched by the hand of time. It is
here
that the association with “a thousand and one nights” comes alive. You
will find narrow winding streets, bazaars, mosques, fortresses
and a
Persian style public bathhouse.
Help and More Information for Zanzibar!
Are you planning for a holiday in
Zanzibar? Contact us
today and we will assist you in picking and booking the best hotel
and
flight, and all your other Zanzibar travel arrangements.
