Tours »Zanzibar

Tropical fruits, Spices and other rare species of other plants are among the different vegetation to be seen on this guided tour. It is not only a tour but also a rare experience to prove why Zanzibar is referred to as the Spice Island. Over the centuries, Zanzibar’s cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices brought the sultans of Oman across the Indian Ocean by dhow on the seasonal trade winds.

The guides give detailed descriptions of what the various plants are used for, though not all of them are for food. The leaves of the neem tree were once used as a cure for malaria and indigestion, the iodine tree produces a deep red sap used to fight infection, while the foaming berries of the unimaginatively named soap berry tree were used for centuries as an alternative to soap.

Other spices include nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, tamarind, menthol and cloves. The island was once the world's leading producer of cloves (3/4 of the total world supply) and the clove industry was the foundation of the golden age of Zanzibar.

The henna tree produces a dye from its crushed leaves used by women to elaborately decorate their hands and feet in delicate patterns. On the tour you’ll have the opportunity to have a body part painted, but by quick drying Indian ink, as henna takes all day to dry.