Zanzibar

The Zanzibar Archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, just 25–50 kilometres off the coast of the Tanzania mainland, consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, informally referred to as Zanzibar), and Pemba.

Following the early visits by Arab and Portuguese traders, the island was controlled by Omanis for two centuries, before it became a British protectorate in 1890, followed by an independent sultanate in 1963 and then a republic, after an uprising in January 1964. Later in 1964 it joined Tanganyika to form a new republic that was soon after renamed Tanzania. The capital of Zanzibar, Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site. Here it is possible to see many interesting remnants of the infamous African slave trade that made its base here.

So far as AfricaAway is concerned, Zanzibar provides the ideal conclusion to an exciting safari, by providing miles of powder-white beaches on which to relax in comfort for a few days. Unlike many other Indian Ocean destinations, however, Zanzibar also provides a wide variety of further activities, such as watersports, dhow cruises, dolphin watching, and exploring Stone Town itself.