Day 36 - Zanzibar, Tanzania

Zanzibar, Tanzania Arrive: 8:00 AM Temp 88° / 73°  “Maruhubi Palace Ruins & Spice Plantation”  

About the Excursion: There was a time when the archipelago of Zanzibar produced 90% of the entire world's clove supply. Karafuu (or cloves) were introduced to the island in 1818, and the combination of the rich soil and warm climate saw a vast number of plantations develop virtually overnight. Soon, other spices such as cumin, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and many others, were also cultivated here, lending Zanzibar its 'Spice Island' nickname. 

We left the pier and drove past the house of Dr David Livingstone. This is where the explorer lodged while planning his expeditions into African interior. Then we visited the Maruhubi Palace, built as the Sultan's harem and later destroyed by fire. Then we head to the countryside. What an amazing place. We trekked around the jungle with our guide pointing out various spices and herbs. He gave us tastes of almost everything grown here. The great variety of spices and plants grown here are used in food flavoring and preparation, as well as in cosmetics, dyes and traditional medicine. Near the end there was a torrential rain storm, we got soaked to the skin. Yes, I had an umbrella but it would not stay open. Eventually our guide and other guides cut off banana leaves to use as an umbrella and we made it to a leaky shelter. While we waited for the storm to pass, they passed out hats they made, plus a lovely bracelet for me. Spice packets are available for purchase from rustic stalls but we didn’t buy any. They were expensive and looked like they had been there a long time. Back to the ship to rest and clean up for the tour tonight.

Evening Panorama & Dinner (Complementary Tour) 3p 4 hours.  

Nov 14 - We had a complementary tour tonight. It included a tour of Stone Town, Darajani Market built in 1904, but first we visited Beit el Amani (Peace Memorial Museum), whose beautiful spherical design pays homage to Zanzibar's Arab influence and is reminiscent of the eastern architecture of Istanbul and India. We drove by the blue mosque and to the coast, away from the hustle of the city, Mtoni Palace was built in 1828 and was where extraordinary Princess Salme grew up. She broke tradition and taught herself to read and write, something unthinkable in the 19th-century Zanzibari Court. The palace is now only a ruin with roofless halls and arabesque arches framing glimpses of tropical foliage and an azure sea. Drive back to the city to Kelele Square and the Serena Hotel. This stunning oceanfront setting with interiors adorned in Arabic and Swahili opulence is your setting for tonight's dinner. With a traditional taraab band playing for you with the ocean in the background, enjoy your dinner under the stars. After enjoying your dinner, make your way back to the pier. Turning right or left when leaving the port makes quite a difference. Left very impoverished, right much more affluent.