Zanzibar from A to Z: hotels, beaches, sea, entertainment and excursions. Bright photos and map. Reviews of tourists about Zanzibar.
Zanzibar is an entire archipelago with the main island of the same name located northeast of Dar es Salaam. The main advantages of this resort are man-made and miraculous attractions: rich and varied cultural heritage, carefully preserved coastline, pristine coastal waters and many species of marine animals. The best beaches are located in the southeast of the island, while entertainment and nightlife are in the north.
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| Zanzíbar Tanzania |
Once upon a time, the island was the abode of romantic-minded tourists with tents and backpacks. Nowadays, mid-to-high-end hotels are lined up here, and young travelers live mainly in the northern part of Zanzibar.
The capital of the island - Stone Town - is famous for its old fort, its own amphitheater, several mosques, the Slave Trade Square and the house where the legendary Freddie Mercury was born and grew up. Zanzibar amazes with the richness of the natural world: dolphins swim on its fabulous beaches, and the curious are welcome to visit the Monkey Park and the Island of Giant Turtles.
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| Zanzíbar Tanzania |
History of Zanzibar
This island has a solid area and is separated from the continent by wide straits, so Arab merchants felt completely safe here. Perhaps in 1415 or 1418, the Chinese Zheng He visited Zanzibar, but the Portuguese armada became the first serious threat to the Arabs. At the end of the 17th century. the entire archipelago gathered under the flag of Oman, and in 1856 Sultan Seyyid moved the court from the shores of the Persian Gulf to the island of Zanzibar. In 1862, the Sultan ceased to control his former possessions in the Arabian Peninsula, but he was not too upset. His successor Majid ruled not only the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, but also a considerable piece of the mainland, where he founded Dar es Salaam.
The third Zanzibar Sultan Bargash did not live so freely: he lost his income from the slave trade, and was forced to share power with the English consul. When Bargash attempted to expel the British in 1896, it ended in the shortest war in history, lasting only 45 minutes. The fighting took place on the roadstead of the capital of the archipelago, and 18 years later the first naval battle of the First World War took place there. The German cruiser "Konigsberg" shot at point-blank the British "Pegasus" at anchor - this event was the last attack by an external enemy in the history of the island. But the civil war broke out just a month after the British left, in early 1964. Not wanting to see the Arab sultan head of state, black hard workers disarmed the police and staged a pogrom - also got to the Indians, Europeans, Chinese and all other non-Africans.(he is also considered the vice president of All Tanzania), and entry stamps are put on foreigners' passports.
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| Zanzíbar Tanzania |
Transport
In Zanzibar, in principle, you do not need to go anywhere: all the entertainment is concentrated on the coast in the immediate vicinity of the hotels. So it is more interesting and useful to walk here. Well, if you want to get to the capital, to the city of Zanzibar or to the beach on the opposite end of the island, you can use the services of public transport or taxi.
Public transport
There is no clear transport system in Zanzibar: such phenomena as "excellent roads", "regular routes", "equipped bus stops" are almost never encountered. But you can try to leave in the right direction by public transport, however, it is better to use it not for trips around the city, but for trips to other settlements. In the center of any of them there is a platform where buses and minibuses "dala-dala" are waiting for passengers.
"Dala-Dala" is a truck with an awning and benches. The price in them is two times lower than in buses, they are sent as they fill up, stops - on demand, payment - to the driver.
Both "dala-dala", and buses to other villages and cities follow through Stone Town, in the capital, minibuses are parked on Benjamin Mkapa Rd.
Taxi
You can take a car everywhere - at the hotel, on the beach, on the street. The main feature of local taxis is the lack of meters and high prices. It is not necessary to agree to them - bargaining, as they say, is appropriate and even recommended, you can reduce the initial amount by half. A trip around the city after the bargaining will cost 15,000 TZS.
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| Zanzíbar Tanzania |
It is not worth renting a car in Zanzibar due to the difficulties in paperwork, corruption of the local police and left-hand traffic. Cycling is also a dubious pleasure: even in relatively “cool” months it is too hot for cycling here.