Located just off the east coast of Tanzania is a hidden gem to which few people you know will have ever visited.

With a checkered history of Arab and European imperialism, spice and slave trades, all set in a stunning island paradise, Zanzibar is a unique and exotic destination for anyone willing to go out of their way to find something special.

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous island off the coast of Tanzania, East Africa. Its defensible harbours and ideal location as a base for trade between Asia and Africa led to its rule by the Persian, Portuguese, Omani and finally British empires. This has led to close ties with the Middle East with a predominantly Muslim population, the dhow as its traditional sailing vessel, and a spicy and delicious cuisine blended from Asian, Middle Eastern and African influences.

Interestingly enough, it is also the birthplace of Freddie Mercury, the front man of legendary rock group Queen, who was born Farrokh Bulsara in the Parsi community of Stone Town.

Things to do
Despite its small and quiet character, there are a few sights to see on Zanzibar. A good tour to start off with is a trip around Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the historic centre of the capital, Zanzibar City. There you will find the House of Wonders, the Palace Museum, Dr Livingstone’s House — yes, the Dr. Livingstone, you may presume — and an Arab fort from Zanzibar’s days as part of a Middle Eastern empire.

You will also find its bustling markets, twisting streets and unique architecture that provide a real insight into Zanzibar’s history of slavery, colonisation, trade and conflict.

Venturing out of the capital, it’s worth checking out the spice plantations, for a bit of background into one of the driving forces behind Zanzibar’s history of economic trade, and then on to the Jozani forest reserve. This is home to Zanzibar’s population of Red Colobus Monkeys, as well as other local species of wildlife, and there are some great photo opportunities along its well maintained nature trails. Tour guides are available for a fee.

On the north coast, towards Ras Nungwi, you’ll find the island’s most idyllic beaches, and some of the best snorkelling and diving. There is also a turtle sanctuary operated by the local villagers. Trips can be arranged through a number of operators on the island, as well as the nearby resort. Arab empires brought with them the famous Middle Eastern dhow. As a result, Zanzibar has its own dhow-building industry, and you can see these historic crafts being built in Nungwi.

Other good tours to take are the Kizimkazi Mosque and dolphin tour, and the Prison Island Tour. Kizimkazi is home to East Africa’s oldest mosque, dating to the 12th Century, as well as several schools of bottlenose dolphin. Prison Island is an enlightening peek into the African slave trade.

Despite its reliance on tourism, Zanzibar, along with international pressure groups, has resisted massive plans for tourism development on the island. It was feared that such developments would wreck the local ecology and economy, drive up food prices, displace locals, annex public beaches, recruit skilled, foreign labour to run them, and, ultimately, only profit the international tour operators and developers that would establish the resorts.