Zanzibar in 3 days

Zanzibar Spice Tour (the most distinctive Zanzibar cultural-agricultural experience; the tours depart from Stone Town and visit the spice plantations in the central Zanzibar Island interior, 15-20 km northeast of Stone Town): the spice history (the Zanzibar spice trade — the most important commercial reason for Zanzibar's extraordinary history: the clove (Syzygium aromaticum — the dried flower buds of the clove tree) was introduced to Zanzibar from the Maluku Islands of Indonesia (the "Spice Islands" — the only place where cloves grew in the world before the Dutch East India Company (VOC) monopoly was broken) in 1818 by the Omani governor Salih ibn Haramil al-Abrussi under the direction of the Omani Sultan Said bin Sultan al-Said ("Seyyid Said"): the clove plantations established on Zanzibar and the neighbouring island of Pemba in the 1820s-1840s grew so successfully that by 1860 Zanzibar was producing 75-80% of the world's cloves — the global clove monopoly that made the Zanzibar Sultanate one of the richest states in Africa in the mid-19th century: the clove money that funded the Omani Arab merchant class architecture of Stone Town); the spice tour experience (the typical Zanzibar spice tour (TZS 30,000-50,000 (€11-18.50) per person, 3-4 hours, usually including lunch): the guide leads the group through an active spice farm where the farm workers demonstrate: the clove tree (the identification, the flower bud harvesting method); the nutmeg (Myristica fragrans — the tree that produces simultaneously the nutmeg (the seed) and the mace (the red aril covering the seed) — the double spice); the black pepper (Piper nigrum — the climbing vine); the cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum — the bark peeled from the inner wood of the young stems); the cardamom, the turmeric, the ginger, the vanilla (Vanilla planifolia — the only commercially important spice from the Americas (Mexico) that was successfully transplanted to the Indian Ocean zone); the ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata — the "Chanel N°5 tree": the flowers used in the production of the most famous French perfumes including Chanel N°5 (Coco Chanel, 1921) contain the linalool, benzyl acetate and geraniol aromatic compounds; Zanzibar is the world's second-largest producer after Madagascar).

House of Wonders (Beit al-Ajaib — the "House of Marvels" in Arabic; on the Stone Town waterfront on the Mizingani Road seafront promenade; the most architecturally prominent building in Stone Town): the building (the Beit al-Ajaib (the "House of Wonders") was built in 1883 by Sultan Barghash ibn Said (the Sultan of Zanzibar (1870-1888) — the most modernising of the Zanzibari sultans: Barghash built the first piped water supply in East Africa (the water pipeline from the Chemchem Spring to Stone Town (1871)), the first electric lighting system in East Africa (in the Beit al-Ajaib (1883) — the electric lights were powered by the first steam-driven electrical generator in East Africa), and the first elevator (the "lift" — the hydraulic lift in the Beit al-Ajaib (1883): the first mechanical lift in East Africa): the "House of Wonders" name derives from these marvels of modern technology (electric light, the elevator, the piped water) that were unknown in East Africa when the palace was built); the building (the Beit al-Ajaib: the four-storey coral-stone and plaster building (the largest building in East Africa when built in 1883), with the two-storey colonnaded verandahs on the front facade (the tiers of slender cast-iron columns supporting the verandahs — the cast iron imported from India), the square clock tower (the clock was imported from England and is one of the oldest public clocks in East Africa)); the museum (the Beit al-Ajaib houses the Palace Museum — the museum of Zanzibar history (the artefacts of the Zanzibari sultans, the Omani influence period, the British Protectorate and the 1964 Revolution): the most important historical museum in Zanzibar (the museum was severely damaged by the partial collapse of the building in 2012 and has been undergoing restoration since then — check current opening status before visiting).

Prison Island (Changuu Island — the "Quarantine Island"; 5.5 km northwest of Stone Town by motorised dhow (25 min)): the history (the "Prison Island" name: the island was purchased in 1893 by General Lloyd Mathews (the British officer who commanded the Zanzibari forces under the British Protectorate) and developed as a prison for troublesome slaves from the mainland (the prison was never actually used as such — the building was completed but the Zanzibar Protectorate authorities decided not to use it for prisoners and it became a quarantine station for yellow fever and cholera cases arriving at Zanzibar port from the 1890s until World War II)); the giant tortoises (the most visited attraction at Prison Island: the Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea — the giant tortoises of the Changuu sanctuary: a population of approximately 100+ giant Aldabra tortoises on the Changuu Island, including individuals estimated to be over 100 years old (the oldest individuals at Changuu are believed to be 150-200 years old, though the exact ages of the oldest individuals are uncertain): the tortoises were gifted to the Sultan of Zanzibar from the Seychelles (the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles — the only natural wild population of Aldabra giant tortoises in the Indian Ocean (100,000+ individuals on the Aldabra Atoll) in the late 19th century); the snorkelling (the coral reef off the Changuu Island: the most accessible coral reef for Stone Town visitors (the 25 min dhow from Stone Town is the shortest boat journey to a coral reef near the city): the reef (the fringing coral reef around Changuu is an Indo-Pacific tropical reef with the typical Zanzibar coral fish species (the butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae), the parrotfish (Scaridae), the surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), the moray eels (Muraenidae), the octopus (Octopus vulgaris and Octopus cyanea) and the sea turtles (the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) — both on the IUCN Red List as Endangered)).

Sunset dhow cruise (the most romantic evening experience in Zanzibar — the traditional dhow sailing cruise at sunset from the Stone Town waterfront): the dhow (the dhow (the "jahazi" in Swahili — the most important type of traditional Indian Ocean sailing vessel; derived from the Arabic "daw": the wooden sailing boat with the lateen sail (the triangular sail rigged at 45 degrees to the mast — the most efficient sail for sailing in the monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean): the dhow tradition in the Indian Ocean is approximately 2,000 years old (the dhow is depicted in Roman-era mosaics from the 2nd century CE): the lateen sail allowed Indian Ocean sailors to sail "into the wind" (the closest-hauled ability that European square-rigged ships lacked until the 16th-17th century): the monsoon wind system (the "kusi" (the southwest monsoon: May-October) and the "kaskazi" (the northeast monsoon: November-April)) allowed dhows to sail reliably from Arabia and India to East Africa (northeast monsoon, November-April) and back (southwest monsoon, May-October): the most important wind-driven commercial maritime system in the history of the Indian Ocean world; the sunset dhow cruise (the Stone Town sunset dhow cruise (the most popular tourist experience on the Zanzibar waterfront: the 90 min cruise from the Stone Town harbour around the north Stone Town coast and back, watching the sunset over the Indian Ocean): the most photographed image in Zanzibar tourism (the dhow silhouette against the orange Indian Ocean sunset with the House of Wonders and the Arab Fort in the background); the most popular cruise format includes the local fruit platter (the Zanzibar fruits: the passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), the papaya (Carica papaya), the mango (Mangifera indica — the Zanzibar Alfonso variety), the jackfruit and the star fruit (Averrhoa carambola)) and the sunset Kilimanjaro beer.

Nungwi Beach (the northernmost village and beach on Zanzibar Island, 55 km north of Stone Town (1h30 by daladala (the shared minibus) or 1h by taxi)): the beach (the Nungwi beach — the most popular beach on Zanzibar and the best beach for swimming at all tidal states (unlike the eastern and southeastern beaches of Zanzibar (Paje, Jambiani) which become shallow tidal flats at low tide, the Nungwi beach is on the northern tip of the island where the tide exposes only a 20-30 m sand flat — the beach remains swimmable throughout the tidal cycle)); the village (the Nungwi village — the most important dhow-building village in Zanzibar: the traditional Zanzibar dhow (the "ngalawa" — the outrigger canoe, the "mashua" — the small motorised fishing boat, and the "jahazi" — the large ocean-going sailing dhow) are still built at the Nungwi boatyard using the traditional techniques (the ribs and planks of the dhow are made from the mango wood (Mangifera indica — the most durable local hardwood in Zanzibar) and the frame is sealed with coconut fiber caulking (the "ukumbi" — the traditional dhow caulking material derived from the coconut husk fiber mixed with fish oil)); the turtle sanctuary (the Mnarani Marine Turtles Conservation Pond — the natural tidal pool in the reef at the western end of Nungwi beach used as a turtle rehabilitation and conservation centre: the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) are kept in the tidal pool for rehabilitation before release — the most accessible sea turtle encounter on the Zanzibar north coast): the entry fee (the local community manages the turtle sanctuary: TZS 10,000 (€3.70) entry fee).

Mnemba Atoll snorkelling (the Mnemba Atoll — the protected marine area surrounding the Mnemba Island (the private island 3 km off the northeast coast of Zanzibar, owned by the luxury safari company &Beyond)): the reef (the Mnemba Atoll reef — the most biodiverse coral reef in the Zanzibar Archipelago: the atoll is designated as a Marine Protected Area under the Zanzibar Marine Conservation Area management; the reef (the ring reef surrounding the Mnemba Island to a depth of 20-40 m): the marine life (the most complete Indo-Pacific reef ecosystem in the Zanzibar Archipelago): the reef fish (500+ species: the angelfish (Pomacanthidae), the clownfish (Amphiprioninae) in anemones (the Nemo fish — the most photographed fish by snorkellers), the sea turtles (both the green and the hawksbill sea turtle are permanent residents of the Mnemba Atoll reef — sea turtle encounters at Mnemba are nearly guaranteed in the September-March season), the whale shark (Rhincodon typus — the world's largest fish (max 12.65 m recorded length): the Mnemba Atoll is one of the most reliable whale shark encounter sites in the East African coast (the whale shark feeding aggregations at Mnemba are observed most reliably between October and February when the phytoplankton blooms attract the whale sharks to feed); the dolphins (the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) and the spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) are permanent residents of the Mnemba Atoll waters); the snorkelling access (the Mnemba Atoll is accessible by the snorkelling tours from Nungwi, Kendwa and Matemwe beaches (the north and northeast Zanzibar resorts): the tour boats anchor outside the private island boundary and snorkellers enter the reef from the boat): the conditions (the clearest visibility at Mnemba: the dry season (June-October: visibility 20-30 m) and the short rains (November-December: slightly reduced visibility).

Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park (the Jozani Forest — the largest area of indigenous forest remaining on Zanzibar Island (Unguja): 50 km² of forest (10 km east of Stone Town): the only national park in Zanzibar (gazetted 2004)): the Red Colobus (the Zanzibar Red Colobus (Piliocolobus kirkii — the "Kirk's Red Colobus" (named after the first British Consul of Zanzibar, Sir John Kirk (1833-1922), the botanist, conservationist and friend of David Livingstone who served as the British Resident in Zanzibar from 1873 to 1887)): the most important conservation species on Zanzibar: the Zanzibar Red Colobus is endemic to Zanzibar Island (found nowhere else on earth): a critically endangered primate (the IUCN Red List: Endangered; the estimated wild population: 3,600-3,700 individuals (the entire wild population of the species lives on Zanzibar Island (Unguja) within a range of approximately 40 km²); the Jozani Forest holds the highest density population of Red Colobus on the island (approximately 700-800 individuals in the Jozani Forest)); the forest ecology (the Jozani Forest is an unusual forest type for East Africa: the forest is dominated by the red mahogany (Khaya anthotheca — the East African mahogany), the Indian almond (Terminalia catappa) and the breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) trees, with a significant understorey of the invasive lantana (Lantana camara) (the most problematic invasive plant in Zanzibar — controlling the lantana invasion is the most important management challenge in the Jozani Forest); the mangrove boardwalk (the Jozani National Park mangrove boardwalk: the 400 m elevated boardwalk through the mangrove forest at the edge of the Chwaka Bay (the most accessible mangrove walk in the Zanzibar Archipelago): the mangrove species (the red mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata), the white mangrove (Avicennia marina), the black mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorhiza)).

Zanzibar farewell dinner (the full Swahili-spice cuisine experience of Zanzibar — the most characteristic Zanzibari foods for the final evening): the Swahili cuisine (the Zanzibar Swahili cuisine — a fusion of African, Arab, Indian and Portuguese culinary traditions unique to the Swahili Coast (the term "Swahili" itself is Arabic: "sawahil" (ساحل) — the plural of "sahil" (shore/coast) — the "people of the coast")): the pilau rice (the "wali wa pilau" — the pilau rice of Zanzibar: the most characteristic Zanzibari rice dish (the influence of the Indian and Arab cooking traditions on the Swahili kitchen): the basmati rice cooked with the whole spice blend (the "pilau masala" — the Zanzibar pilau spice mixture: the whole cardamom pods, the whole cloves (the most important spice in the Zanzibari kitchen (the island produces the world's highest-quality cloves)), the cinnamon stick, the star anise, the black pepper and the cumin seeds, toasted in oil before adding the onion, the garlic, the ginger and the tomato and the chicken or lamb stock — the pilau rice is the most formally important dish in Zanzibar cooking (served at all major celebrations (weddings, Eid festivals, commemorations))); the mishkaki (the "mishkaki" — the Swahili grilled meat skewers: the most commonly sold street food in the Zanzibar evening markets: the beef or chicken cubes marinated in the coconut milk-garlic-ginger-lemon-chilli-cumin marinade and grilled over charcoal (the typical Zanzibar mishkaki marinade uses the coconut milk from the freshly grated coconut (Cocos nucifera) as the tenderising base and the Zanzibar clove as the primary flavouring spice)); the biryani (the Zanzibar biryani — distinct from the Indian biryani: the Zanzibar biryani uses the fresh coconut milk instead of yoghurt, the Zanzibar cloves and the cardamom (both grown on the island) instead of the Indian spice blend, and the raisins (the Arab influence) and the fried cashew nuts (the Mozambique/East African cashew crop)).