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Zanzibar Excursions
SASZE 01 Tour to the North
This trip leads you through the Mangapwani
cave which is a 30minute drive from Zanzibar town, upto 1911 the cave was a
secret hideout from which the slaves were illegally led out to the sea
through a secret passage and then transported by dhow after the official
closure of the Slave Market in June 1873. The tour then proceeds to Nungwi
in the North of Zanzibar which is an hours drive from the cave. Nungwi has
crystal clear waters an excellent place for diving, snorkeling, swimming and
sunbathing. As Zanzibar is a turtle conservation area you will be able to
see the natural turtle aquarium here.In this tour we also take you to a site
where local villagers build dhows and boats todate using traditional tools.
SASZE 02 Sunset dhow cruise
This tour starts an hour before sunset, the
guests are picked from their hotels and transferred to thee drop off point
at the sea front, where the guests then board the dhow.
The skilled crew on board take the dhow about 1 km away from the shore by
means of an engine, once out in the sea the engine is shut off and during a
tense moment the skillful crew put up the sail, when the sail is in favour
of the wind, the guest can sit back and relax enjoying the peacefulness of
the ocean, as the dhow glides through the water, you can watch the wonder of
the fiery golden sun setting beyond the horizon (while savouring a glass of
chilled wine) .
SASZE 03 Dolphin tour
The
drive from town to the South takes one hours. On your way you might get a
chance to see the famous Red Colobus Monkeys of the Jozani Forest. Kizimkazi
fishing village is the home of several schools of the bottle-nosed dolphins,
here you are taken by boat out into the sea to view the dolphins and if
lucky will be able to swim quite close to them as they are very friendly and
playful, Kizimkazi is also the site of a 12th Century Mosque, the earliest
evidence of Islam in East Africa.
SASZE 04 Jozani forest tour
Jozani Forest lies 35kms South-East of Zanzibar
Town with an area of about 1,000 hectares, it is a natural forest where long
ago you could find leopards and antelopes. At present it is the habitat for
the Red Colobus Monkeys (Colobus badius kirkii) and the Blue Sykes Monkey.
The Red Colobus monkey is one of the most endangered and rarest species in
the world, they are very friendly creatures and love to be photographed and
can be viewed at close quarters by the help of your guide.
You may also get a glimpse of various butterflies, birds and snakes. Other
interesting features suitable for tourist in this forest include the coastal
evergreen bushland, mangroove forest, saline grassland and ground water
forest, though these may require longer walks to reach.
SASZE 05 Historical town tours
The
tour starts from wherever the client wants to be picked up. One gets a
comprehensive view of the Stone Town, it's sand and stone ancient built
houses, some of them have Arab/Indian carved doors and the architecture
which helps to make Zanzibar famous. We then proceed to the main City market
which was opened in 1904, where tropical fruits, vegetables, spices and
fresh fish from the island are sold.
Our next stop will be at the Anglican Church of Christ which was built by
Bishop Steers in 1873 on the side of the Old Slave Market. There is a cross
in the church which is made of wood from the tree under which Dr. David
Livingstone died. Next to the Church you will visit the slave chambers, tiny
rooms in which the slaves were kept before being auctioned.
From here we continue our tour to the Sultan's Palace Museum, House of
Wonders (Beit-el-ajaib built in 1883 and bombarded by the British Fleet in
1886), next to this you can also see the Old Fort, (built in 1700), moving
along the sea front we come to the Jamituri Gardens where you can spend your
evenings leisurely watching the brilliant sunset while you are enjoying the
locally made dishes. From here we drive you to The Africa House formerly
known as English Club, we then come to Tippu Tip house, (A notorious slave
trader). We round up our tour by taking you to the museum of Natural History
and Peace Memorial Museum.
SASZE 06 Prison island tours
Prison Island or Changuu Island is the middle
island of the three visible from the Stone Town, it takes approximately 30
minutes to get there by boat. The prison on this island was built in 1893,
which was later used as a quarantine Hospital, it has a frangipani lined
path around the island where the former patients took their evening walks.
Apart from the Prison ruins you can also see the beautiful peacocks and the
enormous giant tortoises some of which are over a 100 years old. These
tortoises were brought here from Seychelles by Sultan Said in the 1820's.
Efforts are being made to protect the eggs of the tortoise. The island is a
superb scenario for the photographer. A self walking safari covers the
island in 15minutes. On this little paradise one can also swim, snorkel,
sunbathe or just relax and enjoy the peacefulness that this beautiful island
h