Zanzibar Part 2 – Spice Tour and Prison Island

We head into the center of the island for a tour around a huge spice plantation. Over an entire morning we see, cut open and sample more different spices and tropical fruits than I even knew existed! Each is unique in the way it is grown, harvested and eventually used for cooking. At the end of the tour we sample all the fruits, all of which are super fresh and downright delicious!

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Aptly named star fruit

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I like this spikey ball fruit

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This red stuff was used for lipstick and makeup

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This is pepper!

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All the spices are bursting with flavor

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Inside one of the large fruits

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Cutting the bark off a tree to sample

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Another something

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Something tropical

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These are cloves – I had no idea they grow like this on a big tree

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Our guide made as some presents. This is the first time I have worn a tie in longer than I care to remember!

In the afternoon we hop aboard a small boat and cruise out to Slave Island, not far from the big island. The highlight here is the giant tortoises, which defy belief. They are absolutely enormous, and very passive. Our guide shows us just how they like to be rubbed, and we feed them many green leaves.

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He has some teeth!

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Em feeding the tortoise

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Rubbing the tortoise just the right way makes them stand up

Before heading back we wander the island, then jump in the water for a snorkel on top of the nearby reef. There are a huge amount of coral and tropical fish on display, and with the water temperate right near body temperature, there can be no mistaking we’re in paradise!

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The boat ride to Prison Island

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The view from the dock at Slave Island

-Dan

All photos in this post taken by Emily – www.emilysheff.com

4 Responses

  1. Wesley says:

    Wow, amazing photos, it looks so beautiful! For the spices, do they export them or primarily use them in their community? How’s the local cuisine affected by the diversity and availability of these spices?

    • Dan Grec says:

      Hi Wesley,

      Zanzibar is a massive exporter of all kinds of spices – it’s a big business.
      The local cuisine is simply delicious – absolutely bursting with flavor and subtle spices. I could live here eating street food for a very long time and be a happy person!

      -Dan

  2. Leo says:

    Hi Dan,

    The fruit that is cut into two and captioned ‘another something’ are the same, its cocoa. The whole world needs them to produce chocolate. Spiky big fruit captioned ‘something tropical’ is Jak, delicious when ripe or can be cooked in raw form..one of our favourites in Sri Lanka.

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