Where better to go after an action-packed safari or a tough climb? Zanzibar is a tropical paradise just off the coast from Dar Es Salaam. And it is easy to reach from Arusha. Let Decent Safaris arrange for you a relaxing beach vacation on the Isle of Spice.

Located in the Indian Ocean 15 miles off the coast of Tanzania, is a breathtaking spot to escape from the world. You’ll enjoy clear, turquoise-blue water; shallow sandbars perfect for wading; and many small, nearly deserted islands virtually unvisited by tourists. Explore the World Heritage Site of Stone Town, Zanzibar City’s old quarter. Or just go beach to beach between tiny fishing villages—each one’s better than the next.

Zanzibar is an archipelago consisting of two main Islands of Unguja (commonly referred to as Zanzibar Island), Pemba and about 51 other surrounding small islets. Zanzibar is a partner state in the United Republic of Tanzania with the Mainland. The name Zanzibar is derived from a combination of two Arabic words, ‘Zenj’, meaning black, and ‘bar’, being the Arabic word for land, resulting in the ancient title ‘Land of the Blacks’.

As Zanzibar absorbed peoples from as far as the Orient and Iberia, Assyria and India. Pemba is the second largest island of the Archipelago, named Al-khudra “The Green Island” by the Arabic mariners. It is famous for its clove production and its channels offer some of the best diving experiences in East Africa.

This is a cultural safari in its own right, but the beaches scuba diving are the primary draw. In the North and East, the beach villages of Nungwi, Jambiani and Makunduchi await you. Here, you can relax in the warm, clear, shallow waters of the Indian ocean, or go for a dive along the many reefs that ring the island.

The most popular dive spot, Mnemba Atoll is a major tourist draw. The heart of  this island is ancient Stone Town. The tiny historical district of Zanzibar town is a cultural microcosm of the Western Indian ocean. Here you can see Persian, Arabian, African, and Indian influences vie for supremacy. The streets are so narrow that barely a moped can get through in places.

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