7 Days Experience Of Zanzibar

You will be picked up from the airport for your transfer to Zanzibar Stone Town, a UNESCO world heritage site. Little has changed in Stone Town in the last 200 years hence your chance to experience its well-preserved heritage and exotic antiquity. You will stay at Park Hyatt Zanzibar equipped with a swimming pool among other amenities such as complementary Wi-Fi and air conditioning.

After breakfast, you will go on a guided tour of Stone Town, the old city area of Zanzibar city and historic heart of the island. The tour will take you to the former site of the slave market; the Anglican Cathedral built in its site in 1873, the Sultan’s Palace (Palace Museum), House of Wonders and Arab Fort where you will have enough time to explore these historical monuments. You will also see Zanzibar’s bustling bazaars, winding alleys, ornately carved and studded doors.

In 2000, UNESCO declared Stone Town as one of the world’s heritage sites, and it is now a protected area in Zanzibar. After the Stone Town tour, your guide will drop you off at the restaurant for lunch (own account and to be paid directly at the restaurant).

In the afternoon, you will head to the wharf to catch a local boat (with outboard engine) to visit Changuu Island also known as Prison Island which is located approximately 5 kilometre off to Zanzibar Stone Town and is approximately 30 minutes boat ride from Stone Town. This used to be a private place of detention for recalcitrant slaves. The island has the added attraction of several giant tortoises and beautiful peacocks which are living and breeding on the Island. You can stretch out and relax after your excursions and snorkel or just enjoy the white sandy beach. You will return to Stone Town in the evening.

Today you will be taken around the whole Southern part of Zanzibar Island starting at Jozani Forest Reserve- one of the last remaining sanctuaries in the world of the red colobus monkeys. Wonderful photo opportunities and sightings of these rare creatures living in the forest reserves are possible on the pathways. It will take about an hour to explore the forest, you will also have the option to wander down the boardwalk to the fascinating Mangrove Ecosystem. Afterwards, you will drive to Jambiani Village where there are tours to visit villagers working in different professions. Your guide will tell you about the history of the village.

You will visit a traditional herbalist, who will show you local medicines, herbs and their uses. Also, there will be a visit to a local organic plantation on coral stone, where farmers cultivate under difficult circumstances, and where seaweed farms are run by women. This is a good chance to learn about the unique culture and the diverse environment of Zanzibar’s villages and meet Swahili people. You will return to hotel in the evening.

On this day we will take you to Kizimbani village for the Spice Tour. The Spice Island has over forty of the most valuable tropical aromatic plants that were introduced over the last two centuries by the Oman Arabs. The spices are grown in the spice grades in the hills north of Stone Town. Our knowledgeable guide will take you through this fascinating tour. You will see tropical fruits such as jack fruits, bread fruits, carambola, pineapple, lychees, etc. You can try these fruits if they are in season.

Also you can check out various plants such as henna bush, perfume tree, lipstick tree and spice such as cardamom, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, nutmeg and many others. The landscape around the Kizimbani will give you a good impression of the life of Zanzibar.

After the Spice Tour, you will be driven for approximately 1.5 hours (60 kilometres) to the north-west of Zanzibar Island- Kendwa beach and check in at Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar.

Relax at Kendwa beach with the option to do water sports at an extra cost. Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar, comprising of a series of white-domed Pavilion guest rooms all set in 50 acres of lush tropical gardens, is a rarity in the world of luxury boutique hotels. The resort achieves the perfect marriage between Scandinavian minimalism and the dramatic architectural overtones of Middle Eastern heritage, whilst encouraging an open, 'back-to-nature' ambiance throughout. In each of the Pavilion suites, white wooden-slatted shutters embrace wide-arched glassless windows each affording spectacular views over the Indian Ocean. This same openness allows the gentle ocean breeze to waft throughout each of the rooms and carry with it the delightful soundtrack of Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar's colourful birdlife.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) to catch your flight to back home.