A holiday in Zanzibar: island hopping in secluded, unspoilt archipelago
Nested off the coast of East Africa, the marine wonderland is home to salt-white beaches, crystalline waters, spectacular coral gardens and a truly private getaway. Just watch out for the monster crabs
Dozens of mostly uninhabited islands surround Zanzibar (the “zan” in Tanzania) and fan out to create one of the world’s most exotic archipelagos. Zanzibar island itself, or Unguja, as it is more correctly known, is the largest, at about 1.5 times the size of Hong Kong’s total land area. Hilly, fertile and laced with beaches, it hosts lively communities, a busy tourist scene and the remnants of an ancient spice trade. Its colourful, sometimes cruel history is evident in its beautiful architecture.
Aircraft flying into Zanzibar pass over atolls rising from the ocean atop coral outcrops that resemble aquamarine butterflies caught beneath glass. Many tell a unique story.
Mnemba is dubbed Millionaire’s Island – approach from the sea and, if you’re not a mega-buck-paying guest, rumour has it beach security will throw you back. Bawe, 10km west of Zanzibar’s capital, Stone Town, was given by an 18th-century sultan of Zanzibar to the British Eastern Telegraph Company, which used it as a base station for an underwater cableto the Seychelles.
Tiny Prison – or Changuu – Island is just 800 metres long by 230 metres wide, and was used to accommodate rebellious slaves in the 1860s. In 1893, the first British prime minister of Zanzibar, Lloyd Mathews, bought Changuu and built a proper prison there, which later morphed into a quarantine station for sufferers of yellow fever. Today, the island is home to a collection of Aldabra giant tortoises, a present from the British governor of the Seychelles.