The Swahili Experience

The Swahili Experience

The More You Learn… The Greater The Fascination

We've noticed that once our guests have sampled the charismatic charm of the island, they want to know more. So, we’ve put together a visitor library that’s brimming with books on the island. Our range also includes a comprehensive selection of books on flora and fauna, ornithology and marine biology. You’ll also find information on the island’s spice trade, cuisine and folk lore.

School Swahili-Style

School Swahili-Style

Once you’ve sampled the Swahili cuisine – you may want to know how to recreate it at home. So why not join one of our chef’s masterclasses and learn
about all things spice, seafood and coconut? Alternatively, you could join our Swahili School. As tradition dictates, lessons are held in the shade of our palm
trees and led by a local Mwalimu (teacher) who can teach you how to speak Swahili … or all about Zanzibar’s history. Finally, to take home an authentic
Zanzibar cultural skill, why not pitch up for the beach-class on palm weaving – and weave yourself a sun hat.

Cooking classes are organized regularly where guests learn to prepare some classical Swahili dishes with our excellent chefs who talk about the local spices
and their use and importance.

Spice Isle Remembered

Spice Isle Remembered

If you’d like to create some vibrant memories of your stay on the magical Spice Isle there’s a whole range of tours and day trips on offer at our Guest
Relations Desk. But we’d also like to suggest some of our own family favourites. Unique and personalized, they’ll provide you, not only with some great
photo-opportunities, but also a chance to authentically interact with the locals and learn more about the Zanzibar heritage.

The Zanzibar Experience

The Zanzibar Experience

Go Local, Learn About Authentic Zanzibar Life
Go Local, Learn About Authentic
Zanzibar Life

This unique experience delivers an authentic and rarely-experienced glimpse into the Zanzibari way of life. Join with us on a visit to the local visit of Bwejuu where we visit the school and mosque and we also enjoy a welcome into a typical Swahili home; and a stroll to sample the produce of the local stalls. Great news also, that the proceeds of this tour go direct to the village fund enabling the community to create their own health, educational and financial facilities.

Spice Island Master Class
Spice Island Master Class

Join our chef as he presents a master class on Swahili cuisine and Zanzibari spices. Put together your own menu of Swahili dishes using the traditional blend of African, Indian, Arabian and Persian influences together with a colourful fusion of sea-fresh fish, tree-picked coconuts and fresh limes. A great diversion for couples and families alike.

Be a Bao Master
Be a Bao Master

If you’d like to add to your skills while on vacation, then why not learn the ancient game of Bao? Bao originated in East Africa and you can see it being played in town squares all over the archipelago. A complex and intellectually challenging game, Bao is based on a mancala board comprising four rows of eight pits each—in Swahili, pits are termed mashimo, meaning ‘holes’. Zanzibar is famous for its ‘bao bingwas’ (masters), one of whom will be delighted to teach you the game. Speak to our Guest Relations Desk for more information.

Coral Reef Exploration
Coral Reef Exploration

If you’d like to learn more about our pristine coral reef, why not join our reef safari? Headed by a professional guide whose knowledge of coral formations and marine life is unrivaled, the walk sets off at low-tide and promises exercise, spectacular views, photo opportunities and an unrivaled close encounter with the marine world.

Drift Down the Coast on a Dhow
Drift Down the Coast on a Dhow

The ultimate day of Zanzibari pleasure – board our beautiful Swahili dhow and take off for a gentle sail down the spectacular coastline and into the mangrove swamps that are so characteristic of the island. Serene yet alive with birds, the mangroves are a source of food and timber for the traditional Swahili homes. Carry out some traditional hand-line fishing. Back at the hotel, you can also discuss with Chef just how you’d like the fish to be presented for your dinner. Our guides, meanwhile, will be pleased to impart their knowledge on the marine and wildlife of these special wilderness places.

Go Climb a Palm
Watch the experts climb a Palm tree

Our gardeners do it all the time!!
Watch as they expertly scale these narrow trees with nothing more than their own bare feet and a simple length of rope. They can also help you weave your own sun-hat, a great take-home memory of your Zanzibar sojourn.

The Rising Sun – A Dive School With a Difference
The Rising Sun – A Dive School With a Difference

We are proud to offer the only PADI five-star Gold Palm and RAID diving certified Dive Centre in Zanzibar. Also to have been the first dive professionals to have discovered the pristine treasures of the unexplored south-eastern coastline. Bringing 19 years of experience to our Rising Sun Center we can promise you, not only committed professionalism, but also a dedication to preserving the pristine ecology of this supremely colourful marine environment.
Learn more www.risingsun-zanzibar.com

Unmissable Stone Town
Unmissable Stone Town

It is a UNESCO World Heritage, it’s unrivaled as the world’s most enduring example of Swahili Culture at its finest. A magical mélange of Sultan’s palaces, winding streets, markets, antique emporiums and ancient forts, this is a cultural wonderland that has to be seen to be believed.

Our Zanzibar Collection
Our Zanzibar Collection

Our close-knit family, now in its third generation, has developed The Zanzibar Collection over a 25-year love affair with Zanzibar. And it’s our proud belief that they epitomize the essentially authentic Zanzibar experience.

Exquisitely designed yet subtly differentiated in character, so as to appeal to families and couples alike, the Collection offers a price range and ambience for everyone. It represents the benchmark for excellence while our green credentials are of the finest.

Red Colobus Monkeys & Forest Trails
Red Colobus Monkeys & Forest Trails

Visit to one of the last remaining tropical forests on the planet. The Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park is the island’s only national park (soon to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It is simply boardwalks lead through forests and mangrove swamps alike.

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