Spices & Herbs Tour
Tour Overview
The history of Zanzibar would be incomplete without the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices which are an essential ingredient in a Zanzibari’s everyday life, it is the island’s connection to spices and herbs. Zanzibar and Spice is a romantic entanglement that dates back to the 16th century. Apart from being an important commodity on the trade routes. They can be seen in the plantations just outside Zanzibar town, this is also a fantastic opportunity to see the countryside and rural areas of Zanzibar and also connect with local people. Follow the scent of spices like vanilla, cloves, turmeric, nutmeg and cinnamon, as you drive through the lush greenery of the island’s spice growing areas. Thrown into this heady mix, are those areas where a variety of intriguing plants and shrubs including the iodine plant, henna bush, ylang ylang and the red fruit of the lipstick tree are grown for medicinal purposes and cosmetics. Your senses will be tantalised by the sight, smell, and taste of an exotic cocktail of tropical seasonal fruits, such as green coconut juice, jack fruit, pineapple, banana, and love apple. A walk through the farms as spice farms workers climb trees, seek out specific plants and cuts off various barks, letting you see, feel and taste everything. You will be decorated with palm-leaf accessories such as ties, rings, bracelets and glasses. At the Spice farms, you will have an opportunity to taste some of the exotic fruits of Zanzibar. At the Spice farms are the best place to buy fresh spices directly from the source.
Tour Highlights
- Kidichi Persian Baths - built in 1850 by Seyyid Said bin Sultan for his Persian wife Princess Sheherezade granddaughter of the Shah of Persia.
- • Dr Livingstone House - built in 1860 for Sultan Majid. Dr David Livingstone lived here before commencing on his last journey to the mainland interior.
- Walking tour through spice farms and plantations
- Get a glimpse of local life by exploring on foot
- See spice and fruit cultivation
- Tasty tropical fruits & spices
- Learn about Zanzibar history and culture
- Perfect time to shop for spices
What's included
Itinerary
Giving you a short briefing before we start the tour
Dr. Livingstone's House: Our first stop will be at Dr. Livingstone house. Livingston's so-called home is located north of Stonetown. Built in 1860, the house was home to many European missionaries and explorers. Here Livingston stayed before setting off on his last expedition. Later, the building became the property of the Hindu society. In 1947, the government bought out and remodeled the house to set up laboratories for scientific research.
Kidichi Persian Berths: Our next stop is Kidichi persian baths.This site was built on the highest point of Zanzibar Island by Sultan Seyyid Said , it was for his wife who was the grand-daughter of the Shah of Persia, Fatah Ali, it is decorated in ornamental Persian stucco work. The remarkably preserved baths have a series of domed bathhouses with deep stone baths and massive seats.
This is quite a contrast to the plain baths nearby at Kizimbani, which were built within Said’s clove tree and coconut plantation.
Kidichi Spice Farms: We shall proceed with our tour and drive through a profusion of greenery in the countryside seeing, smelling and tasting a variety of spices and mouthwatering tropical seasonal fruits such as jack fruit, pineapple, banana, green coconut juice, dourian, love apple, litche, soursop etc. Spices such as cloves, cardamon, cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, nutmeg - are as exotic as their flavours….etc.
A full tour involves much more than spices and you will also have a chance to see the iodine plant, heena bush, ylang-ylang, the lipstick tree, cocoa, and coffee bean trees.
End of the tour and back to the hotel
One day tour
One Day tour
Tour Map
FAQ
Adult rate
Instant confirmation
● 48 hours before: no fee ● Within 48 hours & no shows : 100% cost, no refund