Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Zanzibar Archipelago
Includes ยป
Why Go?
Step off the boat or plane onto the Zanzibar Archipelago, and you'll be transported through
the miles and the centuries - to ancient Persia, to Oman's caliphs and sultans, to India, with
its heavily laden scents.
On Zanzibar, Stone Town's alleyways wind past Arabic-style houses with brass-studded
wooden doors. Elderly men play
bao
(traditional board game) while women in their flowing
bui-bui
(black cover-alls) pause to chat. Along the coast, local life moves to the rhythm of
the tides and the winds of the monsoon.
Across the deep waters of the Pemba channel lies hilly, verdant Pemba, the archipelago's
seldom visited 'other' island. Coastal mangrove swamps open onto stunning white-sand
coves, and neat farm plots cover the hillsides.
Yet, there is another side to life on the archipelago. Zanzibar, especially, has changed
massively in recent years. Overdevelopment is suffocating the coast and mass tourism makes
the archipelago's allure ever more elusive. While the magic remains, you'll have to work
much harder to find it.
