Letters From Zanzibar

Fierce Omani traders, mysterious 19th century explorers, scarves with hidden messages, markets at sunset with Indians, Arabs, and Masai milling them; ornate wooden doors, narrow maze-like alleys that give you sudden glimpses of a turquoise ocean… Ruchira Bose discovers a vivid past and present in Zanzibar.

AS THE AIRBUS A320 CROSSES OVER PEMBA ISLAND, below, I start to see languorously long dhows with billowy ivory sails treading cobalt blue waters. The Indian ocean here is gorgeous. Inky blues fade to turquoise and eventually pale away as they reach the white sand shores of the islands. The islands are white or golden ringed emerald dots dense with spice and coconut plantations. The colours are so intense, that it feels like I’ve gate crashed an Irma Stern painting. Coming to the archipelago of Zanzibar is like awakening to a beautifully different side of Africa. It’s a destination laced with a rich, spicy history, set within a vivid ocean and land scape, and promising a new stylish take on imperial heritage. 

Before I came here, all I knew of Zanzibar was from descriptions I had read in letters and journals written by ancient explorers, and blog posts from modern travellers. Frankly, the blog posts were not very inspiring. The letters, on the other hand, spoke of dramatic times of slave and spice trade, a golden age of exploration, adventure, political intrigue, unique cultural practices, and a fascinating melding of Arab and African lifestyle.

In 1866, the British missionary and explorer, Dr David Livingstone went in search of the answer to an age-old geographical riddle: where was the source of the Nile? Livingstone believed the answer will give him leverage over slave traders and help him put an end to the Arab-East African human trafficking business.