From On Board Swan Hellenic Diana in the Indian Ocean: Zanzibar

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(c) Gennadiy Skorokhod/Swan Hellenic

Location: Stone Town, Zanzibar
Vessel: SH Diana IMO 9921740
Itinerary: Paradise Isles of the Indian Ocean

The very mention of Zanzibar is enough to conjure images of exotic scenarios replete with vibrant costumes, vivid spices and produce as well as age-old architecture and customs.

Well, that is mostly true, except that the beautifully attired men and women in their traditional khanga and kanzu garments are carrying cellphones and wearing smartwatches along with their ethnic jewellery of gold, seashells and gemstones.

For centuries, Zanzibar has been at the crossroads of African trade routes, exploited by Arab and European nations alike. Apart from spices, timber and foodstuffs, Zanzibar was also the centre of the East African slave trade, with the ghastly enterprise persisting from ancient times until the early 20th century.

My chosen excursion in UNESCO-listed Stone Town took us through the labyrinthine streets of the old city, knocking on the famous doors and squeezing through the pungent market, where various vendors enthusiastically peddled meats and spices of all descriptions.

Our group went silent at the slave museum which graphically recounts the plight of millions of East African people as they were herded through this horrific process. The British take credit for ending slavery during the 19th Century, but in truth, the deplorable trade continued well into the 20th century, with all nationalities having taken part to some extent. Some will tell you the trade exists to this very day, albeit in much more clandestine fashion.

Monument to the slave trade in Stone Town (RE)

Zanzibar is not, as some might mistakenly believe, simply a city or even an island. It is in fact an archipelago comprising two large islands (Unguja and Pemba) amid numerous smaller islands. Put the two together and they are slightly larger than the ACT in Australia or slightly smaller than Rhode Island in the USA. Stone Town, the birthplace of Freddie Mercury and part of the capital, is on the island of Unguja. and is emblematic of many of the ancient port towns around the Indian Ocean. I can see similarities with Moroni on the Comoros and Lamu in Kenya straight away.

Juvenile Zanzibar red colobus monkey (RE)

We had two full days ashore from SH Diana in Zanzibar. One day on each of the two main islands. On Pemba, guests explored markets, forests and towns comprising spice gardens and historic forts, as well as witnessed the day-to-day lives of the hospitable inhabitants. Schoolchildren in spotless uniforms interrupted their trek home to stop and wave excitedly at the buses full of foreign white faces smiling back at them and traders in the street markets posed patiently for our guests admiring their colourful wares and produce.

ExpeditionCruising.com editor and publisher, Roderick Eime., travelled with assistance from Swan Hellenic and Expedition Cruise Specialists. Go here for a ship review of SH Diana

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