A Tropical Retreat to Zanzibar

on Feb 15, 2026

The exotic island of Zanzibar in Tanzania was our luxurious tropical reward after 10 days of game drives, bumpy treks and safari tents. An air-conditioned room, electricity at the flip of a switch and an endless hot shower felt like paradise.

This island of spices was once a separate nation from Tanganyika, its nearby neighbor. But in the 1960s, independence for Tanganyika from Britain and for Zanzibar from its sultans led the two nations to unite and form Tanzania. In many ways, however, they remain very different places. While the mainland is known for an arid climate, the vast Serengeti and dusty animal drives, Zanzibar is a lush, tropical island with pristine beaches, fresh exotic fruits and the bright turquoise Indian Ocean.

Once we had washed off and settled in, my husband and I went off to explore Jozani Forest, Zanzibar's only national park and the only place in the world where endangered Kirk's red colobus monkeys can be found. Our guide offered umbrellas along with vast knowledge as we walked through gently falling rain. In the groundwater forest we found Sykes' blue monkeys peeking through damp tree limbs, but it was after we had wandered through a mangrove boardwalk past skittering crabs and colorful birds that we finally came upon a tree full of the red colobus leaping branch to branch and putting on quite a show.

Back at our hotel, a crisp watermelon salad made a refreshing lunch, and I was encouraged to try the local masala tea. The woman who brewed it steeped cloves, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon with black tea, milk and sugar. Her fragrant brew became my favorite island beverage. British friends claim that a good hot cup of tea is the best thing on a scorching summer day, and it turns out they are right.

The following day found my husband relaxing in the sun by the pool while I headed out in a daladala for a scuba adventure. These glorified cargo trucks are enclosed and equipped with benches to be used as public transit by locals. Our multicultural group boarded a vessel just a few miles up the coast and motored out to find Konyagi, Glass Fish and Shindano reefs. I discovered a white eel and a ghost pipefish that looked like seaweed floating through the water. When I cupped my hands, he gently floated just above them for a while. With fresh fruit between dives, calm water and a beautiful view of the coast, it was the perfect day for diving. Back on shore, I found my husband at the pool just as my new friend appeared with a fresh pot of masala -- the perfect end, she promised, to a perfect dive.

Zanzibar's history is deeply entwined with opulent Omani sultans, fragrant tropical spices and the brutal slave trade that brought it all together. In Stone Town, the oldest part of Zanzibar City, are remnants of an old fort, a former sultan's residence and the ruins of a royal palace -- all made from coral stone. Studded doors harken back to an Indian tradition initially meant to prevent elephants from bashing into homes. Sultans brought the tradition to this elephant-free island as elaborate ornamentations that indicated wealth.

They also brought an increased interest in ivory, clove plantations and the slaves who worked them. Where the Anglican Cathedral of Christ Church now stands was once the largest slave-trading center in East Africa. A chilling monument to the slaves stands between the church and the nearby low-ceilinged, cramped basement chambers where they once waited before auction, packed tightly together in fear. Within the church is a monument to the whipping post where their strength would be tested before sale -- cries and blood would reduce a human's value. None of this is lost on the locals, who do all they can to educate visitors so that such atrocities might never happen again.

We celebrated our last night in Tanzania with dinner at The Rock, a tiny restaurant on what was once a fishermen's outpost -- a giant rock in the Indian Ocean. At low tide it is reached on a stone walkway, but when the tide is in, a small boat takes visitors to the restaurant that is known for exotic dishes and breathtaking views. Each bite of my spirulina ravioli was a delicious cloud melting in my mouth. And, of course, I topped it all off with one more pot of local masala tea.

----

WHEN YOU GO

Breezes Beach Club enables you to stay in style: breezes-zanzibar.com.

Find the monkeys at Jozani Forest: jozaniforest.com.

For diving: Rising Sun Dive Center at Breezes Beach Club: risingsun-zanzibar.com.

To learn about Stone Town: whc.unesco.org/en/list/173.

To dine in paradise, The Rock: therockrestaurantzanzibar.com.

========

Lesley Frederikson is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

----