The beauty of Zanzibar Island stands unrivaled among most holiday destinations in the world. Zanzibar actually consists of two Islands - Pemba and Unguja - which lie in the Indian ocean 36 km off the Tanzania coast. Unguja is the more developed of the two and is what many people refer to as Zanzibar.

Beautiful white beaches along Zanzibar's east coast are some of the Island's most famous attractions. These are found near the Northern tip of Zanzibar - whose name means "Land of the blacks" in Arabic. A number of fishing villages also dot the Zanzibar beach landscape.

There are more than 30 pristine beaches in Zanzibar. Most of Zanzibar beaches are quiet and unspoilt that the only noise breaking the silence is likely to be the ocean. At the northern end of the island is Nungwi, arguably the best beach in Zanzibar and the island's dhow building capital. Nungwi is accessed by a road lined by banana palms, mangroves and coconut trees and it is a good spot to see traditional craftsmen at work.

The other beaches worth visiting in Zanzibar include Mangapwani beach on the west coast, and Matemwe, Pwani Mchangani, Bwejuu, Jambianito, Uroa, and Kiwengwa beaches on the east coast. These have wide stretches of beautiful uncrowded sands, some of the highlights of a Zanzibar beach holiday.

Zanzibar has a number of smaller offshore islands with several attractions in addition to the pristine beaches. The most popular of these small islands is Prison island, which is situated just a short distance from Zanzibar's capital town of Stone Town. The island's giant tortoises are its major attraction. However, the clear waters surrounding Prison island provide ideal conditions for snorkeling, which attracts many visitors there annually.

A majority of people of Zanzibar (95%) are Muslim, while the remaining percentage consists of Christians, Hindus and followers of various other religions. The friendly population comprises Africans, Persians, Arabs and Asians. Swahili is the official and national language of Zanzibar although English is also spoken in the country. A small percentage of the population also has a working knowledge of Arabic. The economy of Zanzibar is based on agriculture and fishing.

Zanzibar is not so big an island and you can explore the entire Island in a day. Moreover the map of Zanzibar is self-explanatory so you do not necessarily need a tour guide to move around. July through March are best months for visiting Zanzibar, when the average temperature is 25 degrees Celsius. During this period the air is dry and breezy and there is little rainfall. Zanzibar experiences heavy rainfall in April and May and this is not a good time to visit.

Zanzibar can be reached by air, as well as the sea. Gulf Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Mauritius and KLM (in conjunction with Kenya Airways) are presently offering international scheduled flights to Zanzibar. Transport can also be arranged from Dar es salaam which is only a short trip by sea or by air from Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam has regular scheduled flights, small charters and fast boats to Zanzibar.