Out there, the island of Zanzibar is widely known for its beautiful beaches, which make it one of the well-endowed tourist destinations on the East Coast of Africa and around the world.
It’s blessed with naturally beautiful beaches that are equally rich in seafood, which is traditionally sold in the streets by itinerant traders to the most expensive hotels on the island.
It’s the natural breezes that can be felt several kilometres away from the beaches.
The island, one of the world’s leading producers of spices and cloves, is a destination worth visiting for a holiday.
When at the centre of Zanzibar City, the island’s capital, business is moderately fast, and you might not think you’re on an island. This is due to the vastness of the land surface area and the seriousness with which the natives approach their daily chores in the fight for survival of the fittest.
Public service vehicles are always at high speed on the main streets, but not as fast as in Nairobi. However, the difference between the two cities is that the ‘City in the Sun’ has more vehicles. The other modes of transport here are the boda bodas (motorcycles) and the bajajas (tuktuks), which are licensed by authorities in that line of duty.
Hotels are always in big business from one location to another.
Their classes differ, but the moderate ones are three times more expensive than those found on Moi Avenue or Ronald Ngala Street in Nairobi, owing to Zanzibar’s status as one of the main tourist destinations on the western Indian Ocean, alongside Mauritius and Madagascar.
When we landed at Sheikh Abeid Karume International Airport two days after the kick-off of the African Nations Football Championship (CHAN), the atmosphere was electric with expectations of high arrivals of football fans from the rest of the continent.
People are very friendly here, an indication of their warm hospitality towards visiting foreigners.
“Karibuni hapa kwetu. Hapa sisi ni wakarimu na twapenda wageni sana (Welcome here to our place. Here, we are hospitable and love visitors very much),” said an airport official.
While on a working mission at Amaan International Stadium that lasted seven hours one morning, over 60 planes passed over where I was seated while heading to the airport for landing, a development that confirmed the place is a tourist destination.
“We are on the highest peak this time, and it should continue this way for the next three months,” said Omar Haji, a resident of the city.
He confirmed that tourism is the backbone of the island’s economy, besides the agricultural activities that concentrate on growing cloves and other spices.
Clove oil is used in the manufacture of soaps. It’s also used as a spice, flavouring, or fragrance in consumer products such as toothpaste, soaps, and cosmetics.
The spices are used in soups, stews, meats, sauces, and rice dishes, and they have a wide range of health benefits.
And the island is full of classy tourist hotels spread along the beaches, with high value.
There are notable characteristics among the natives, which include hospitality and patriotism, qualities that explain why the island is always a tourist destination throughout the year, let alone when it hosted CHAN matches.
And I was equally a beneficiary of these characteristics during the nine days I was on the island covering CHAN matches.
According to Asha Mkulima, who’s a resident of the city, the Zanzibaris are patriotic people who are always keen on how their country can benefit from visiting tourists.
“This is the norm with all of us here. We treat our visitors with lots of humility, knowing very well we need them again later,” she said.
And in some parts of the city (Zanzibar), it’s a 24-hour economy, especially in the entertainment industry, where different artistes are an inspiration to the tourists.
“Here, we buzz for a whole night without many hindrances, and crime rates are low. It’s part of our business trend in this part of the country,” said Athumani Ali, a bajaja (tuktuk) driver.
Ali operates within the city centre, and he’s the one who ferried me from the airport to my residential hotel when I landed on the island from Nairobi on my ten-day working tour.
He confirmed that people here are humble, but something special is that it’s a place of naturally beautiful ladies.
During the number of days I was on the island, it never rained, but the weather patterns are always predictable throughout the year, which encourages the growth of cloves.
Zanzibar mainland is known as Unguja, and its union with Pemba Island led to the formation of the Zanzibar Republic, whose Head of State is President Omar Omwinyi.
The island has a population of 1,889,773 according to the 2022 census.
The surface area is approximately 2,462 square kilometres (951 square miles) of the total surface area of the Zanzibar Archipelago, which includes the main islands of Unguja (commonly referred to as Zanzibar) and Pemba, along with several smaller islets.
Unguja has a surface area of about 1,464 square kilometres, with the common language being Kiswahili, while the subsidiary ones are Arabic and English.
The weather is hot and humid, with two rainy seasons: the long one from March to May, and the shorter one from November to December. The dry season occurs from June to October, when CHAN matches were being hosted on the island. January and February are also relatively dry.
Temperatures are warm to hot all year round, averaging around 30°C (86°F).
A Moroccan referee known as A.A. Ali said he was happy to have been here for the first time.
“I’m happy to be here and for the big job of being an official to officiate in these CHAN matches,” he said at Sheikh Abeid Karume International Airport upon landing.
Photos: Courtesy/Tanzania Tourism