Zanzibar Spice Tour

Zanzibar Spice Tour - Half Day Excursion

On our Zanzibar spice tour you'll find tropical fruits, spices and other rare species of plants. The tour takes about half a day and includes a visit to the Kidichi Persian Baths, built by Sultan Said for his harem. A stop for a swim at the nearby Mangapwani or Fuji beach can also be arranged. A spice tour will show you up close and personal why Zanzibar is called the Spice Island.

On a guided spice tour, you will have the opportunity to learn about the variety of Zanzibar spices, to see how they grow, to taste, touch and smell them. The guide will also explain the uses of spices in Zanzibari cuisine, as well as their role in the medical and cosmetic field. Spices which can be seen include cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, vanilla and many others. Today, Zanzibar is the world largest exporter of cloves.

Spices play an important role in Zanzibar's history and economy. In the early 16th century, Portuguese traders introduced various spices and plants from their colonies in South America and India to Zanzibar. The Portuguese, however, failed to develop the spice trade on the island, and in the beginning of the 19th century, Omani Arabs arrived in Zanzibar to survey the island's spice farming potential. They realized that the hot climate and regular rainfall provided perfect conditions to grow spices and Sultan Seyyid Said, the first Sultan of Zanzibar, successfully developed Zanzibar as a spice-growing entity from then on. Following the end of the slave trade in the late 19th century, spices became the main source of income for the island. During the following era of British control of the island, government farms were established. Today, about 15 spice and fruit farms are operational close to Zanzibar Town.