Spending 96 Hours in Zanzibar : Zanzibar is a mysterious spice island located in the Eastern coast of the Indian Ocean. This tremendous island is home to breathtaking beaches and is home to various destinations of historical importance. It is endowed with cultural and historical significance together with iconic sandy beach in the world.
The residents of Zanzibar are Swahili people with a mixture of Swahili and Arabic cultures. These charming communities are always proud of visitors coming to their splendid island. Most of them make their living by fishing and farming while others are merchants. Zanzibar has the world’s oldest living city, The Stone Town.
It was built by Arabs, Portuguese and German rulers. The Stone Town is a World Heritage Site since 2000 due to its cultural significance in the world. You can’t skip the wonderful spices which are said to be introduced by Portuguese explorers in the past 5 to 6 centuries. These exotic trees are used by Zanzibarians in making their dishes very delicious. They called them “karafuu” in Swahili. Zanzibar also host the white sand beaches where you enjoy all sorts of water sports, sunbathing and many other activities.
Your 96 hours stay in Zanzibar will be unforgettable as you will be able to visit some of the following attractions. You can pick any if interested and ask your tour operator for a 4-day itinerary;
Day 1. Visiting the Stone Town.
Make your first day majestic by riding to this dazzling medieval town. This wonderful city embeds a mixture of Arabic, Swahili, Portuguese and Indian architectural designs and ornaments. Some old ornaments from the Persians and Oman Arabs are still observed here in this city. You will enjoy walking in the streets of this oldest town, Spending 96 Hours in Zanzibar . Do you like interaction? If yes, you can visit Darajani Bazaar, a local market inside the Stone Town where you can bargain products like fish, vegetable and spices. Interestingly, this local market has two sections; fish market and spice and vegetable market. Therefore, if you want to taste Zanzibarian’s seafood go directly to the fish section while if you want to buy spices and vegetable you can head direct to spice section.
Your walking safari in the Stone Town will meet you with earrings, rings and many other jewels which are sold in the streets of this town. If you a fan local dishes, delicious cuisines are cooked there. You can take a stop at local restaurant and order your favorite dish. You can also stop at a local bar to interact with the locals drinking locally made beverages.
The Old Fort of Zanzibar is the one of fantastic scene in the center of the Stone Town. Zanzibar International Film Festival is hosted in an arena inside the Old Fort. You can pay a visit to this arena. Gorgeous Forodhani Gardens are also fascinating places to view in the Stone Town. You can enjoy eating, drinking and dancing in the Forodhani Gardens. At a short distance from the Gardens is the House of Wonders, the old Sultan’s residence a first house in Zanzibar to have electricity and elevator. This old building is now a museum preserving the Swahili culture. All these places are there for you to enjoy visiting and sightseeing. Other places worth a visit in the Stone Town are Palace Museum and Slave Market Museum.
After getting lost in the streets of the Stone Town, you may be tired of walking. Now you can book a boat to the Changuu island (Prison island). This is the island where the slaves were kept before being transported to various slave markets. Changuu island is now modified into stunning buildings including hotels and restaurants. You will enjoy the scenic views of oldest cells where criminal slaves were detained. You will experience a spot of the Stone Town at distance.
Changuu island is an authentic place where you will find the beautiful tortoises and take a picture with them. An oldest tortoise has an age of 157 years old. Historically, these tortoises originate from Seychelles. The British Governor of Seychelles sent a gift of 4 Aldabra giant tortoises to this island in 1919. It is still unknown to whom the gift was sent to, Spending 96 Hours in Zanzibar .
Your first day in Zanzibar will give you an incredible experience about the Stone Town. A single day cannot be enough to explore the whole Stone Town.
Day 2. Spice tour and a chill on white sandy beaches
The reason Zanzibar is called a ‘spice’ island is because of the existence of these eye-catching species of plants. After spending your first day exploring historical significance of the mysterious Stone Town your second day would be gorgeous if drive around this island exploring the spices for up to three to five hours. A ride around this island for exploring the spices will be nice if it ends up with a relaxation on a gorgeous beach you wish. You will enjoy watersports like swimming and snorkeling. If you like interaction, a public transport will be best for you; Dala Dala is a best option. Dala Dala is a minibus in Tanzania taking usual trips inside most cities. These buses have frequent trips to most fantastic beaches. You can finish day by switching from one beach to another if you like.
Day 3. Swimming with the dolphins
On your third day in Zanzibar you will be swimming with the stunning dolphins of the Indian Ocean. This day is full of to-dos, so you will wake up at around 5:30 a.m. A one-hour drive around the island where you will view the wild dolphins. These beautiful marine creatures are afraid of humans and water boats. They will be escaping from you. Therefore, you will be swimming next to them. You will spend 3 to 4 hours exploring these marvelous marine dolphins. After being satisfied with the dolphins, you will visit Jozani Forest Reserve, the only national park in Zanzibar. You will encounter Kirk’s red colobus monkeys, bird species and insects like butterflies. Jozani Forest Reserve is a nice place for winding up your day before going to your lodge, Spending 96 Hours in Zanzibar .
Day 4. Snorkeling
This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be experienced by every visitor arriving in Zanzibar. You will experience a diver’s view within the majestic Indian Ocean. Mnemba island is wonderful island for snorkeling. You will a book a boat safari to this unique island for snorkeling. With a snorkel mask and other accessories, you will be able to explore the underwater world. If you want to have a wonderful memory, a waterproof camera is important for taking pictures. You will be able to spot various colorful fish and coral reefs.
On this same day you can visit the Marine Turtle Conservation Pond where turtles are preserved in turtles. You will be exhausted with the scenic views of turtles. The turtles are conserved until the age of laying reach and are then released into the wild (Indian Ocean). After witnessing turtles, you will head to Nungwi beach for seeing the sunset. Sensational views of sunset are observed in Zanzibar. This beach receives many visitors who target the sunset, Spending 96 Hours in Zanzibar .
The entire beauty of Zanzibar can’t be summarized in pages but by an exploring eye. With all sense organs, you can enjoy a Zanzibar safari tour by planning a trip. You should note that 96 hours are not enough to get the most outs of Zanzibar because this idyllic island. However, these four days will be give you an unforgettable experience.
