A spice tour is a unique opportunity to go through small villages and visit farms on Zanzibar to see spices in their unprocessed form. The aroma of vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, pepper and cardamom are intoxicating. Many of the spices do not resemble anything of the form that you see in the grocery store. You will also get a chance to see a variety of the fruits grown on the island.
The economy of Zanzibar used to be almost solely based on spice trading. At one time it grew up to three-quarters of the worlds clove supply, it is still a very prominent spice growing region today.
Another bonus of going on a spice tour is getting to visit small villages and getting to see how the locals live their daily lives. Everywhere we went small children would follow us with curiosity.
Lunch was included on our tour, it was prepared using spices from the farm we visited. We chatted with a couple who were driving all the way from France to South Africa! This is not the first time they have done the journey. They had lots of interesting stories to tell us.
Before returning back to Stonetown we were taken to a nearby beach for a little relaxation and beach combing. Several fishing boats were sitting at the shoreline and a large amount of netting sprawled across the sand.
Kidichi Persian Baths
A common stop on the spice tours is to the Kidichi Persian Baths. They were built in 1850 for Sultan Said, the first sultan of Zanzibar. Because his wife Princess Schesade was Persian they were built in typical persian style. They have beautiful domed ceilings where there used to be stained glass and detailed stucco work. During our visit it was apparent that the bath has been allowed to fall into a sad state of disrepair.
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