Africa Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Zanzibar Travel Guide’ Category

Beaches in Zanzibar
The island of Zanzibar has some of the most idyllic beaches imaginable. Long stretches of palm fringed, white sands with an aquamarine sea make this the perfect place to relax after a safari. There are some superb beaches around Unguja, although many are getting overcrowded and built-up, especially in parts of the east and north. All are protected by coral reefs offshore and have fine, white coral sand. Depending on the season, they may also have a lot of seaweed which the locals harvest for export. Except for Nungwi in the north, swimming at all of the beaches is tide dependent. The East coast in particular has a very low tide. Tide tables are published in the free listings booklet Recommended in Zanzibar. Otherwise, theyтАЩre sometimes available from the Institute of Marine Sciences on the waterfront in Zanzibar Town. The most popular beaches are found on the North Coast and East Coast. Read the rest of this entry »

Diving is becoming more popular in Zanzibar as the word spreads of the excellent sites on offer. The water is shallower and calmer than at Pemba and visibility is good. At present most of the sites are on the West side of the island and the East is largely unexplored. Read the rest of this entry »

Shirazi Dimbani Mosque Remains
Found near Kizimkazi in the south of the island this mosque contains the oldest inscription found in east Africa-from AD 1107. The mosque has been given a tin roof and is still used.

Mvuleni Ruins
These are in the north of the island and are the remains of the Portuguese attempt to colonize Zanzibar.
Read the rest of this entry »