Zanzibar Island, lying 36km off the Tanzania coast in the Indian Ocean about 72km north of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), has some of the best beaches in the world.

Zanzibar (meaning Land of the Blacks in Arabic) is famed for its alluring white beaches majority of which are placed along the east coast, near the northern tip of the island, where fishing villages dot the landscape.

There are more than 30 pristine beaches in Zanzibar. Most of Zanzibar beaches are quiet and unspoilt that the only noise breaking the silence is likely to be the ocean.

At the northern end of the island is Nungwi, arguably the best beach in Zanzibar and the island’s dhow building capital.

Nungwi is accessed by a road lined by banana palms, mangroves and coconut trees and it is a good spot to see traditional craftsmen at work.

Mangapwani beach, situated on the west coast of Zanzibar, is also worth a visit and so are the beaches of Matemwe, Pwani Mchangani, Kiwengwa, Uroa, Bwejuu and Jambianito the east of Zanzibar. With stretches of beautiful and uncrowded sands, these beaches offer unlimited opportunities to make the most of Zanzibar safari holidays.

In addition to the pristine beaches, Zanzibar has several small offshore islands which are ideal for short trips. Prison island is the most popular of these islands as it is only a short distance from Stone Town, the capital town of Zanzibar.

Although giant tortoises are the main attractions of the island, the spot’s clear waters offer excellent opportunities for snorkeling hence drawing numerous visitors. Zanzibar hotels offer excellent accommodation to the visitors.

A majority of people of Zanzibar (95%) are Muslim, while the remaining percentage consists of Christians, Hindus and followers of various other religions. The friendly population comprises Africans, Persians, Arabs and Asians. Swahili is the official and national language of Zanzibar although English is also spoken in the country. A small percentage of the population also has a working knowledge of Arabic. The economy of Zanzibar is based on agriculture and fishing.

Zanzibar is not so big an island and you can explore the entire Island in a day. Moreover the map of Zanzibar is self-explanatory so you do not necessarily need a tour guide to move around. July through March are best months for visiting Zanzibar, when the average temperature is 25 degrees Celsius. During this period the air is dry and breezy and there is little rainfall. Zanzibar experiences heavy rainfall in April and May and this is not a good time to visit.

Zanzibar can be reached by air, road as well as the sea. Gulf Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Mauritius and KLM (in conjunction with Kenya Airways) are presently offering international scheduled flights to Zanzibar. Transport can also be arranged from Dar es salaam which is only a short trip by sea or by air from Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam has regular scheduled flights, small charters and fast boats to Zanzibar.

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 28th, 2008 at 12:20 pm and is filed under travel destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.