Among the top holiday destinations in the world, few can rival the beauty of Zanzibar Islands. Lying in the Indian ocean 36 km off Tanzania's coast, Zanzibar consists of the Unguja and Pemba islands. Of these two, Unguja island is the more developed and is what most people know as Zanzibar.
Beautiful white beaches along Zanzibar's east coast are some of the Island's most famous attractions. These are found near the Northern tip of Zanzibar - whose name means "Land of the blacks" in Arabic. A number of fishing villages also dot the Zanzibar beach landscape.
Among the more than 30 pristine, quiet and unspoilt beaches in Zanzibar, Nungwi beach is arguably the best. Located at the northern end of the Island, Nungwi is also the dhow building capital of Zanzibar and is a good place for visitors to observe traditional boat builders at work. The easily accessible road in Nungwi is lined with coconut trees, banana palms and mangroves.
Matemwe beach, together with Kiwengwa, Uroa, Pwani Mchangani, Jambianito and Bwejuu beaches on Zanzibar's east coast, and Mangapwani beach on the west coast are the other worth visiting beach holiday destinations in Zanzibar. The wide stretches of beautiful uncrowded white sands add up to a perfect Zanzibar beach vacation.
Zanzibar has a number of smaller offshore islands with several attractions in addition to the pristine beaches. The most popular of these small islands is Prison island, which is situated just a short distance from Zanzibar's capital town of Stone Town. The island's giant tortoises are its major attraction. However, the clear waters surrounding Prison island provide ideal conditions for snorkeling, which attracts many visitors there annually.
Zanzibar's population comprises of Africans, Persians, Asians, and Arabs. The majority of them are Muslim (95%), with the remaining being Christians, Hindus, and followers of other religions. The official and national language of Zanzibar is Swahili. English is also spoken in many places, and most residents have some knowledge of the Arabic language. Fishing and agriculture are the other main economic activities of Zanzibar, in addition to tourism.
The Island of Zanzibar is relatively small such that you can explore it in one day. The map of Zanzibar is also quite self-explanatory, making it possible for you to move around without the help of a tour guide. July through March is the best period for taking a beach holiday safari in Zanzibar. During this period, the daily average temperature is 25 degrees Celsius, the air is dry and breezy, with very little rainfall experienced then. Zanzibar gets heavy rainfall from April to May, a period that is obviously not the best for a Zanzibar vacation.
Getting to Zanzibar is easy both by air and by sea. A number of reputable airlines operate daily scheduled flights to Zanzibar island, among them KLM (in partnership with Kenya Airways), Gulf Air, Ethiopian Airlines, and Air Mauritius. You can easily arrange transport to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam, whether it be scheduled flights, charter flights, or speed boats. The journey from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar is a short trip. - 16492
Beautiful white beaches along Zanzibar's east coast are some of the Island's most famous attractions. These are found near the Northern tip of Zanzibar - whose name means "Land of the blacks" in Arabic. A number of fishing villages also dot the Zanzibar beach landscape.
Among the more than 30 pristine, quiet and unspoilt beaches in Zanzibar, Nungwi beach is arguably the best. Located at the northern end of the Island, Nungwi is also the dhow building capital of Zanzibar and is a good place for visitors to observe traditional boat builders at work. The easily accessible road in Nungwi is lined with coconut trees, banana palms and mangroves.
Matemwe beach, together with Kiwengwa, Uroa, Pwani Mchangani, Jambianito and Bwejuu beaches on Zanzibar's east coast, and Mangapwani beach on the west coast are the other worth visiting beach holiday destinations in Zanzibar. The wide stretches of beautiful uncrowded white sands add up to a perfect Zanzibar beach vacation.
Zanzibar has a number of smaller offshore islands with several attractions in addition to the pristine beaches. The most popular of these small islands is Prison island, which is situated just a short distance from Zanzibar's capital town of Stone Town. The island's giant tortoises are its major attraction. However, the clear waters surrounding Prison island provide ideal conditions for snorkeling, which attracts many visitors there annually.
Zanzibar's population comprises of Africans, Persians, Asians, and Arabs. The majority of them are Muslim (95%), with the remaining being Christians, Hindus, and followers of other religions. The official and national language of Zanzibar is Swahili. English is also spoken in many places, and most residents have some knowledge of the Arabic language. Fishing and agriculture are the other main economic activities of Zanzibar, in addition to tourism.
The Island of Zanzibar is relatively small such that you can explore it in one day. The map of Zanzibar is also quite self-explanatory, making it possible for you to move around without the help of a tour guide. July through March is the best period for taking a beach holiday safari in Zanzibar. During this period, the daily average temperature is 25 degrees Celsius, the air is dry and breezy, with very little rainfall experienced then. Zanzibar gets heavy rainfall from April to May, a period that is obviously not the best for a Zanzibar vacation.
Getting to Zanzibar is easy both by air and by sea. A number of reputable airlines operate daily scheduled flights to Zanzibar island, among them KLM (in partnership with Kenya Airways), Gulf Air, Ethiopian Airlines, and Air Mauritius. You can easily arrange transport to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam, whether it be scheduled flights, charter flights, or speed boats. The journey from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar is a short trip. - 16492
About the Author:
Andrew Muigai is the Managing Director of AfricaPoint.com, a travel agency that provides Tanzania Safaris including Zanzibar beach holiday packages and Zanzibar Lodges among other Zanzibar travel services
