Foods inflected with cardamom, lime and coconut. Muslim women draped in bright-colored “kangas.” Wailing prayer calls at the first sign of dusk. Scents of clove and jasmine drift by in the breeze. Welcome to Zanzibar and its assault on the senses.
With “high season” falling between July-August (when the equatorial temperatures are more agreeable), Zanzibar is one stop along a tourist circuit that often includes ascents on Kilimanjaro and safaris in the Serengeti. Areas of interest are concentrated inside of Stone Town, the crumbling labyrinth of a once-grand Mecca, and along the shores of the idyllic East coast of the island. Most tourists spend at least a night or two in Stone Town either before or after a tropical hiatus on one of Zanzibar’s collection of stunning beaches.
While some might defame Stone Town as dirty and decrepit, I found it to be a fascinating piece of living history; a Swahili amalgam of Arab, African, Indian, and European cultures, traditions, architectures, and cuisines. Although those in the tourist industry speak some English, Swahili
dominates as the national language declared by Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s first post-independence president (a wise move that has allowed Tanzania to avoid the pitfall of tribalism and ethnic hostilities that have befallen other newly independent African states). The Swahili language and culture of today’s Zanzibar reflect a rich tapestry of history, time and people that have left a lasting imprint on its shores.The fused influences can be picked out in almost every aspect of the lived Zanzibari experience. The carved wooden doors can be identified as Indian if they are rounded, and adorned
with floral designs and large brass spikes (once used to protect doors from being battered down by elephants), or Arab, if they are square and geometric, with inscriptions from the Quran. Taarab music, Zanzibar’s most famous musical export which could be compared to Flamenco or the blues for its lamenting, soulful quality, fuses Eastern and Western tones and instruments including the violin and the oud with African percussion. Side by side, on the same menu, appear dishes such as tsastiki, hummus, and falafel of the Middle East, samoosas, pappadam, and chutneys from India…and the ubiquitous curry which can mean almost anything depending on who is cooking.During my last meal in Zanzibar at Radha Food House, which only serves traditional Indian vegetarian cuisine, I already began to miss the strongly flavored foods that had graced my palette in the preceding days. While some spices, such as clove, “the king of the spices” (so named because clove production was nationalized following independence), figure more prominently in the cuisine than others, Zanzibar offers intense culinary experiences for every pocketbook which feature the bounty of the “Spice Islands” – from delectably grilled fish and meats at the streetside Forodhani Gardens to five-star dining at restaurants such as Mtoni Marine, a high-end restaurant and hotel with a charmed waterfront setting situated just outside of Stone Town.
The quality of the celebrated Emerson and Green Tower Top Restaurant has reportedly declined in recent times, but being seated amidst its pillowed luxury at nightfall is unbeatable if for nothing more than a sundowner. Other noteworthy restaurants include the atmospheric Monsoon, for its traditional-style seating on floor cushions and Swahili menu, and Sambusa Two Tables Restaurant for the excellence of its food coupled with its authentic homestyle vibe. For an experience you will never forget, make a reservation in advance with Sambusa’s owner, Salim, who will seat you side by side with guests from around the world at one of his dining room’s two tables where he continues to serve course, after mouth-watering course.
If you have any curiosity about the spices flavoring your food, you won’t be hard pressed to find a guide to take you a bit outside of town and into the Zanzibari bush where you will be asked to identify a host of spices – cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, lemongrass, and vanilla – and be educated about the cultivation of familiar and not so familiar horticulture. Our guide was an encyclopedia of information, explaining the Viagra-like properties of ginger (especially recommended for men) and nutmeg (preferred by women). Spices no longer dominate Zanzibar’s economy as they once did due to the fact that following independence, the newly formed government seized Arab-owned spice plantations and divided them into 3 hectare plots which were awarded to landless African families. Although today the production is of a smaller-scale, it is nonetheless fascinating to soak in the sights and smells of the natural abundance and “hakuna matata” spirit of the bush.
If you follow the clove fields in an easterly direction from Stone Town for about an hour traveling by car, you will eventually find yourself at one of Africa’s most beautiful pieces of shoreline. The archipelago’s beaches, with their ethereal shade of turquoise waters and powdery white sand, are renown as a tropical paradise for honeymooners and tourists from around the world. Time seems to stand still or at least move to a different rhythm as local women pull in their fish nets and harvest seaweed, and villagers ride by on bicycles, marking the beginning and end of each working day.
Between beaches such as Matemwe, Pongwe, Bwejuu and Kendwa, you really can’t go wrong. All of them are protected by offshore coral reefs, causing the waves to break far out at sea and making for tranquil swimming waters and sand underfoot that can only be described as a blanket of flour. And although all hell thankfully hasn’t yet broken loose in the development of Zanzibar’s coastline, lodging is not difficult to come by. Robinson’s Place at Bwejuu is recommended for the quiet, intimate experience offered by its hosts, Eddy and Anne, and the property’s natural beauty and tasteful simplicity of its five rooms. Further North, Nyota Beach Bungalows at Matemwe offers a similar experience but with greater capacity than Robinson’s. More upscale resorts, such as Mnemba Island Lodge, are located a short boat ride away on smaller offshore islands.Beach getaways, “spice tours,” and other excursions, such as boat trips to “Prison Island,” are well worth taking, but be sure to leave time in the itinerary to idle away hours in Stone Town’s maze of alleys, curio shops, and museums. Throw away the map (you’ll never be able to follow its twists and turns anyway), and meander down Stone Town’s quieter streets, most too narrow for cars but ideal for the moped and the bicycle, requiring pedestrians to proceed with some caution. Although a definite tourist attraction, Stone Town is by all means a living city, glimpsed on the other side of open doorways where women prepare and sell uji, a sweet breakfast porridge, and on the stoops where men sit chatting until well past dark, sipping strong coffee brewed in the street.
The culture of spiced tea and coffee seems to have always permeated Zanzibar, evidenced by the deeply tarnished sets of engraved brass and silver kettles of all sizes, now adorned with hefty pricetags on shelves at places like Zanzibar Curio Shop. Beckoned inside by the smell of burning incense made from shavings of sandalwood, cooked with sugar and perfume, I was easily captivated by objects of a bygone age, a phenomenon explained as follows by a flirtatious Muslim shopkeeper: “those who live in new houses, like you, want old things, and those who live in old houses, like us, want new things.” If carrying home a suitcase laden with brass memorabilia is not in the cards, you can see the real thing (with tarnish removed) on display at the House of Wonders Museum or the Palace Museum, where you will learn about the assorted past of these riches and their origins in the monsoon winds which brought Sultans from Oman to trade spices, ivory and slaves (Zanzibar was East Africa’s major slave trading center during the 19th Century).
If your trip happens to coincide with one of the major Muslim festivals such as Eid al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) or an Arts festival such as the Zanzibar International Film Festival or the Sounds of Wisdom Music Festival (billed as “the friendliest festival on the planet”), plan accordingly as hotels can book quickly and restaurants often close for major religious holidays.
For the budget traveler, Zanzibar is not cheap, and even for $40 a night you could find yourself in a hotel a bit grittier than what you might have hoped for. For an atmospheric and intimate experience in an “Arab house” boutique hotel, Zanzibar Coffee House and Stone Town Inn (with about ten rooms each) are highly recommended.
Wherever your footsteps take you in Zanzibar, take a moment to hear the silence of the densely populated streets of Stone Town, feel the warmth of smiling eyes, and inhale deeply.
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