Zanzibar Island: Beautiful East African Beach Holiday Destination

Among the top holiday destinations in the world, few can rival the beauty of Zanzibar Islands. Lying in the Indian ocean 36 km off Tanzania's coast, Zanzibar consists of the Unguja and Pemba islands. Of these two, Unguja island is the more developed and is what most people know as Zanzibar.

Beautiful white beaches along Zanzibar's east coast are some of the Island's most famous attractions. These are found near the Northern tip of Zanzibar - whose name means "Land of the blacks" in Arabic. A number of fishing villages also dot the Zanzibar beach landscape.

Most of the Zanzibar beaches are pure, unspoilt, and quiet, with the only noise being that of the ocean. Nungwi beach is arguably the best among the more than 30 pristine beaches of Zanzibar. Situated in the northern part of Zanzibar, Nungwi is accessible by a road that is beautifully lined with coconut palms, mangrove and banana plants. Being the boat building capital of Zanzibar, Nungwi is a good spot for visitors to see traditional craftsmen at work.

Matemwe beach, together with Kiwengwa, Uroa, Pwani Mchangani, Jambianito and Bwejuu beaches on Zanzibar's east coast, and Mangapwani beach on the west coast are the other worth visiting beach holiday destinations in Zanzibar. The wide stretches of beautiful uncrowded white sands add up to a perfect Zanzibar beach vacation.

Apart from its pristine beaches, there are several smaller offshore islands in Zanzibar ideal for short excursions. The most popular among these is Prison Island, located not very far from Stone Town - Zanzibar's capital town. Prison island's main attraction are the giant tortoises found there. The island is surrounded by very clear waters that provide perfect conditions for snorkeling, the other major holiday activity attraction for this Zanzibar island.

Zanzibar's population comprises of Africans, Persians, Asians, and Arabs. The majority of them are Muslim (95%), with the remaining being Christians, Hindus, and followers of other religions. The official and national language of Zanzibar is Swahili. English is also spoken in many places, and most residents have some knowledge of the Arabic language. Fishing and agriculture are the other main economic activities of Zanzibar, in addition to tourism.

Zanzibar is not so big an island and you can explore the entire Island in a day. Moreover the map of Zanzibar is self-explanatory so you do not necessarily need a tour guide to move around. July through March are best months for visiting Zanzibar, when the average temperature is 25 degrees Celsius. During this period the air is dry and breezy and there is little rainfall. Zanzibar experiences heavy rainfall in April and May and this is not a good time to visit.

Getting to Zanzibar is easy both by air and by sea. A number of reputable airlines operate daily scheduled flights to Zanzibar island, among them KLM (in partnership with Kenya Airways), Gulf Air, Ethiopian Airlines, and Air Mauritius. You can easily arrange transport to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam, whether it be scheduled flights, charter flights, or speed boats. The journey from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar is a short trip.