Zanzibar is an archipelago made up of 2 islands and several islets, the islands are Unguja and Pemba. This group of islands belong to Tanzania and are located to the east of the country, therefore, its coasts are bathed by the Indian Ocean. This archipelago is often called “the spice islands”, because one of its main industries is the spice industry together with tourism.
Zanzibar, although it belongs to Tanzania, has an independent legislation, and has a president, a government and a chamber of representatives different from the rest of the country. Islam is the majority religion in the area, since 97% of the believers are Muslims. This is due to the fact that Arab traders lived in this region for many years. For this reason, one of the official languages along with Swahili and English is Arabic, unlike Tanzania, where this language is not considered official.
In the streets of Stone Town and in the architecture of its houses, you can appreciate the different cultures that have lived in this city, among them we find Muslim, Arab, Persian, Portuguese and African influences. Of course also in the innumerable doors of Stone Town this mixture of cultures is observed.
There are many beautiful and interesting places to visit during your volunteering in this amazing archipelago. Some of them are:
Stone Town
Stone Town is located in the capital of Zanzibar which is Zanzibar City. The capital of this region is divided into two towns, one of them is Stone Town and the other one is Ng’ambo, the latter means “the other side”.
One of the best ways to get to know Stone Town is to get lost among its narrow streets, and observe the way of life of the people, the unique architecture of its facades, the mosques, the bazaars and the unique and ancient doors made of wood. One of the best known is the door of Tippu Tip’s house. These doors represented the wealth of the families that lived in the houses and a clear Arab, Swahili and Indian influence can be observed.
During your volunteering experience you will be in this amazing city, therefore, you will have the opportunity to visit all its corners, meet some of its inhabitants and their way of life. In Zanzibar Cooperating Volunteers has 4 wonderful projects, these are; the child care program, the teaching program, the medical volunteer program and the turtle care program, for sure one of them will fit perfectly to your preferences.
Did you know that Freddie Mercury was born and lived during his childhood in Zanzibar? That’s right, and you can visit the door of the house where he lived, nowadays this house is a hotel named after the singer. Although in this city you can also visit a museum dedicated to Freddie Mercury.
Former slave market
In the 19th century Zanzibar became one of the largest slave markets in East Africa, it is estimated that more than half of the population became slaves. Where the old market was located, the Zanzibar Slavery Museum has been built to commemorate all those who were deprived of their freedom. This museum tells the story of these people, the conditions in which they lived, how the slave trade was carried out, who benefited and how slavery was abolished.
Darajani Market
This market is located in Stone Town and is one of the largest, oldest and most famous of the city, since it has been open for over a hundred years. We can find a great variety of foods, which are separated by products. On the one hand, there are meats, on the other, fish and seafood and finally, vegetables, fruits and spices.
Swimming with dolphins
Two species of dolphins are found in Zanzibar: bottlenose dolphins and humpback dolphins. These mammals are located in Menai Bay, in the Kizimkazi area and near the villages of Nungwi and Matemwe. There are an estimated 200 bottlenose dolphins in the waters around Zanzibar, so they are relatively easy to spot. You can take advantage of your stay on this island to swim with them, they like to play and swim near boats and speedboats.
Paradisiacal beaches
On this island we find long white sand beaches, perfect for relaxing, unwinding and appreciating the incredible views. Some of these beaches are Kendua or Nungwi, both are located in the north of the island and are well-known and quite touristy, even so they are perfect for relaxing and watching the sunset. On the other hand, if you prefer to enjoy less touristy beaches with more locals, you can go to Bwejuu beach or to the continuation of this beach that isJambiani
You can take advantage and relax on these incredible beaches, or visit the most remote places of these islands during the weekends, which are the days that volunteers have off..