Zanzibar - The Spice Islands

Zanzibar is a unique place that draws you back. 

An immense sense of history pervades the main Island Unguja, from the first Portuguese explorers  through to the rule of the Omani Arabs and  Livingstone’s last lodging before he left for the interior.

The magical Stone Town is now a UNESCO world heritage site, and the cathedral of Christ Church  built on the site of one of Africa’s biggest slave markets with the altar sited over the location of the main whipping post.  The Cathedral also holds a wooden cross made from the tree under which Livingstone’s heart was buried at Chitambo.

It is also as everyone keeps reminding you  the birthplace of the Parsi - Farrokh Bulsara whose family practised the Zoroastrian religion first brought to these Island's by Persian traders around the time of the decline of the Roman Empire. Farrokh was better known to the wider world as Freddie Mercury – lead singer of Queen.

On the beach

Zanzibar also comprises the smaller island of Pemba to the north of the main Island.  Here there are far fewer visitors, but many who do come, often across vast distances are there as students. Pemba remains an important centre of learning for voodoo and traditional healers.

Stone Town remains a must see and my favourite place to stay is the great Emersons House, a restored Omani Palace. 

The east coast beaches border crystal clear waters and the smell of cloves drifts across the Islands from the plantations.

seaweed farming

   

 

There are many layers to the history and culture of this place including a volatile political record since independence from Britain in 1963.

When you scratch the surface, there is a great deal more to these islands than most travellers will ever see.


Sunset

Haiti - a very different Caribbean

Haiti  has taken a battering down the years; dictators, the catastrophic earthquake, a cholera epidemic Hurricane Matthew and now in 2025 another cycle of gangs and intervention missions.

Yet cruise liners still stop on day trips to stunning beaches and the Oloffson Hotel - (Petit Trianon in 'The Comedians') has rooms  named for all the stars that stayed in better times. The house Band RAM fronted by the hotels owner as lead singer, are not to be missed.

Voodoo remains a powerful force in this culture.

I was based at Port Salut in the south west for a while. It may have now been improved, but the road from Port au Prince to Port Salut stopped me complaining about African roads ever again - ever.

Port Salut is a reminder of what much of the rest of the county may have looked like before deforestation and overgrazing.

Despite all its setbacks, Haiti remains a unique culture.