tanzania - zanzibar
Part 2
Sunrise over Dar es Salaam airport - Jumping off point for short flights to Zanzibar.
In my quest to determine whether a market for paintball exists in Tanzania, I decided to expand my avenues of exploration. Following the reasoning that paintball could be combined with some form of adventure tourism, I headed for one of the principle vacation spots in Tanzania - the magical island of Zanzibar.
Unguja Island, also known as Zanzibar is one of three islands off the coast of Tanzania. The other two islands are Pemba (north of Zanzibar) and Mafia Island, towards the south. Zanzibar is definitely the best known of the three and has a very long and often notorious history heavily influenced by the Arabs and the Persians. Zanzibar was also the centre of the East African slave trade for many years, which eventually ended in the 1920s. Thankfully it has shed this wicked past and has re-invented itself as one of the Spice Islands. It is now one of the premium holiday destinations for travellers from all over Europe, and South Africa, and even attracts visitors from further a field.
Unguja Island, also known as Zanzibar is one of three islands off the coast of Tanzania. The other two islands are Pemba (north of Zanzibar) and Mafia Island, towards the south. Zanzibar is definitely the best known of the three and has a very long and often notorious history heavily influenced by the Arabs and the Persians. Zanzibar was also the centre of the East African slave trade for many years, which eventually ended in the 1920s. Thankfully it has shed this wicked past and has re-invented itself as one of the Spice Islands. It is now one of the premium holiday destinations for travellers from all over Europe, and South Africa, and even attracts visitors from further a field.
Private beach on the west coast of Zanzibar
The island is 85 km long and 20 km wide. Its location close to the equator gives it a tropical climate, and the fact that it is one a similar timeline to many European countries makes it a perfect spot for a short vacation (no jet-lag). The island sports many leisure activities from lounging on perfect beaches to a variety of water-sports including snorkeling, diving, windsurfing etc. The interior of the island is also a lush paradise with many activities, including tours of spice farms - one of the activities that have always ensured the wealth of those who have controlled Zanzibar over the centuries. There are also several pockets of original Mahogany rainforest on the island, one of which, the Jozani Forest serves as a reserve to the endangered Red Colobus Monkey, that was brought back from the brink of extinction in 1997 when the reserve was created. These intriguing creatures only occur on Zanzibar, and an encounter with a family group of these monkeys is an incredible experience.
Kizimkazi in the south is the site for dolphin tours
A trip to Zanzibar would be incomplete without a trip to Zanzibar town, especially the original area known as Stone Town. This is a labyrinth of alleyways and buildings dating back to the era of Said the Great, the Omani Imam who used Zanzibar as the seat of power. The original town hasn't changed much since 1850's, when Burton and Speke (two great explorers) set out to find the source of the Nile. There are many old buildings of interest including many of the original slave market and the People's Palace (formerly the Sultan's palace). The Zanzibar market is a riot of colours, sounds, and smells. Rare and exotic spices are sold by the kilogram amongst all manner of fruits and vegetables. There are also many street butchers where animals are literally slaughtered on the spot and cuts of meat are carved and hung in open windows. There are also numerous fishmongers selling jodari (fresh yellow fin tuna), king fish and other fresh delights from the sea. As you move away from the central market you encounter numerous curio dealers selling carved items (from stone and wood), and woven goods. The Zanzibar chests, often carved from Ebony are also common. Bargaining is the name of the game, and if you choose not to you will most certainly be ripped off.
Sundowners over a private beach
The tourist high season is the end of June and July, with most of the Europeans flocking to the island during this time, although the tropical climate attracts a fair amount of tourists throughout the year. The eastern side of the island boasts the highest number of resorts, while the northern tip has many resorts popular amongst the younger travellers. At the southern tip (Kizimkazi) there are numerous boat operators offering dolphin tours. Here visitors are given the opportunity of interacting with schools of wild dolphins as they swim around over the large coral reef that surrounds the island. The interaction takes place in the water (often several hundred meters off shore), and is only recommended for those who are capable swimmers. The general idea is that the guides on their boats determine the approximate trajectory of the school of dolphins and then throw you overboard in front of them with fins, masks and snorkels and that you then swim along, waiting for the dolphins to pass around and under you. The day I went, the wind was blowing and there was a 1.5 meter swell, which made this activity rather treacherous, but I managed after a couple of attempts to see a large school of dolphins numbering about 30 animals including 2 babies gliding effortlessly below me.
Red Colobus Monkeys foraging for food in the Jozani Monkey Reserve
With all these leisure activities is there room for one more? I would say "Most definitely", in fact I believe that a paintball range would be a perfect compliment to all the adventure activities already available on the island. Aerial investigations of the island showed up large areas of open land, and many partially built houses - a perfect paintball playground! Even if it were only run for the tourist high-season, I believe that it could be a worthwhile venture. - JK
Tanzania