Zanzibar is more than a tropical island of white sand beaches and water sports. It has a fascinating history, incorporating Swahili, Arab, Indian, Portuguese and British architecture and culture. The east coast was originally settled more than a thousand years ago.

The Anglican Cathedral in Stonetown is built on the site of the Slave market and is architecturally stunning. Also worth visiting is the Sultan's Palace and House of Wonders, where the Sultan of Oman made his capitol until Independence in the 1960s.

Zanzibar was also the starting point for David Livingstone, Morton Stanley and Speke for their expeditions into the depths of mainland Africa. Many of Livingstone's writings mention Zanzibar, some favourably and some less kind.

The result of the colonisation over the centuries is a very varied culture, and a degree of racial and religious tolerance, which is rare in the world today. The cuisine also reflects this; Swahili, Arabic spiced food and Indian curries are all well represented, cooked with the spices for which Zanzibar is famous.