|
Client Testimonials:
'The safari experience was awesome. Everything
went perfectly as planned to our great satisfaction. I am in love
with Africa. Thank you so much".
Pam Wright, L.A., USA
"Everything went perfectly. like a fairytale.
We will plan all our future visits with you..."
S. Zielinsky, CA, USA
"Wonderful..A grand and adventurous
safari.I will recommend you to everyone! Thanks a million"
D. Ashby, CA, USA
"Thank you so much for an experience
I will remember always. Everything was wonderful! I'll be back.."
Bill Peer- Long Beach USA
Click
here to read more testimonials from our list of satisfied clients
|
   |
|
Country info > Zanzibar >
Beaches >
Zanzibar Tours
> Points of Interest
> Travel Tips > Zanzibar
History > Useful Info
Did you know?
- The people of Zanzibar are known as Zanzibaris
and their native language is Kiswahili, commonly known internationally
as Swahili.
- Zanzibar used to be the world's largest producer
of cloves, and its history was heavily influenced by the this
activity.
- Zanzibar's paradise beaches are fringed by an
abundance of coconut palms. Unlike most tourists, the local people
see these trees as more than aesthetically pleasing flora! Nothing
goes to waste, and apart from the famous nut, the coconut palm
yields an impressive variety of products, among them materials
for weaving, building, eating and drinking. The roofs of many
houses in Zanzibar (particularly in rural areas) are constructed
using makuti palm thatching, made from palm leaves. Its many uses
makes the coconut palm one of the most versatile of all plants.
- The late Freddie Mercury, who was lead singer
and front man for the band Queen, was born in Zanzibar on 5 September
1946. His name then was Farouk Bulsara, and his father was an
accountant working for the British government in the House of
Wonders in Zanzibar Town. His family had emigrated to Zanzibar
from India but were originally of Persian extraction.
- The rare Kirk's Red Colobus monkey is only found
in Zanzibar, predominantly in Jozani Forest.
- Zanzibar had the first steam locomotive in East
Africa. A tiny two foot gauge engine to haul the Sultan to and
fro from his summer palace in the 1880's. Zanzibar also boasted
a seven mile railway to Bububu, built in 1905, which became notorious
for setting the countryside alight.
- Stone Town has been designated one of the world's
few heritage sites by the United Nations.
- The Shortest War in History was fought
in Zanzibar in 1896. On 25 August, Sultan Hamid bin Thuwaini died,
and two hours later, an usurper broke into the Palace and declared
himself ruler. In a show of Victorian Gunboat Diplomacy, the Royal
Navy was asked to evict him. At precisely 9 o' clock on the 27th,
three warships opened fire and in 45 minutes reduced the Palace
to rubble, and deposed the usurper. The bombardment has since
been called the "Shortest War in History" as verified
by the Guinness Book of Records.
- At last count, there were 560 carved doors
in Zanzibar. The oldest door discovered in Zanzibar is dated AD
1694. When a house was built in Zanzibar, the door was traditionally
the first part to be erected. The greater the wealth and social
position of the owner of the house, the larger and more
elaborately carved his front door. Many doors are studded with
brass spikes.
This may be a modification of the Indian
practice of studding doors with sharp spikes of iron to prevent
their being battered in by war elephants. In 915 AD, an Arab
traveler
recorded that Zanzibar island abounded in elephants, and around
1295 Marco Polo wrote that Zanzibar had 'elephants in plenty'.
However, there are no elephants here now, and the brass studs
seen today are purely for decoration!
|
 |
|
|
|
