Zanzibar Spice Tour

Zanzibar, an island brimming with spices and tropical fruits, offers visitors the opportunity to get up close with these natural treasures through spice tours. This activity is one of the most delightful ways to explore the island. You can find numerous farms around the famous Zanzibar National Masignini Forest, where you can partake in Zanzibar spice tour.

Zanzibar Spice Tour: Transportation

To explore Kizimbani Farm, located half an hour away from our Stone Town hotel, we arranged for a driver through our hotel. According to our agreement, after Stone Town, we would visit the spice farm along our route. After the spice farm, we would go to Matemwe, passing through villages on route. You can read more about Stone Town in my related article here.

Zanzibar Spice Tour: Cost

Kizimbani Farm is a private enterprise, and the tour cost is based on the tips. If you wish to arrange your tour online in advance, you can proceed with the half-day tour option available here or the spice tour options available here.

Two young women working on the farm guided us; there were no other female employees. They spoke about how happy they were to be working there. We also discussed the challenges women face when entering the workforce in this region.

Zanzibar Spice Tour: What We Learned

Our tour commenced with vanilla and cloves, followed by encounters with mango, cocoa, and red banana trees. We even witnessed the lipstick tree, where African women use fruit to color their lips. Additionally, we were introduced to many tropical fruits not found in our country, some of which we hadn’t even heard of before. We learned how the local people use plants from nature to protect themselves from mosquitoes. As well as how they find natural solutions to their problems.

During the tour, a farm worker ascended a very tall coconut tree, singing the “Jambo Bwana” song. He plucked fresh coconuts and descended in the same manner. After removing the tops of the coconuts, he offered them to us. We enjoyed them immensely! The most delightful part was saved for the end. We tasted all the fruits collected from the farm one by one. Everything was very natural and delicious!

Our tour guide asked if I’d like to see how local women cook with coconuts. Without hesitation, I agreed. After observing them for a bit, I joined them right away. Then, just like them, I grated coconuts and helped them with the cooking.

They make the most of every part of the coconut. It’s the most nutritious and affordable thing they have. They drink its water while it’s fresh and eat it when it ripens. No matter what, they don’t discard the shells. Instead, they collect them and use them as fuel to heat their homes during winter.

Zanzibar Spice Tour: Continuation of the Journey

After concluding the Zanzibar spice tour, we set out for Matemwe. This journey took about an hour, and we passed through numerous villages along the way. What we saw was so impactful and heartrending that it’s hard to put into words. The homes where the locals lived, the condition of the villages, the second-hand pots and pans sold by the roadside, the used denim trousers for sale and the vehicles used as minibuses… What we witnessed was a stark reality of high poverty. Pictures of the views from the villages…

As we left the villages, we found ourselves completely immersed in nature. Surrounded by lush greenery along this narrow road, palm tree fields accompanied us. We drove to Matemwe with windows open, feeling the wind, and gazing at palm trees.