Voodoo, full-moon beach parties, and the historical Spice Island are just some of Zanzibar's renowned contributions to the backpacking world. A ferry from Dar-es-Salaam brings one to Zanzibar and its heart, Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its picturesque harbor, labyrinthine alleys, and classical architecture like the House of Wonders and the Arab Fort.
Zanzibar is a Tanzanian state, composed of the islands of Zanzibar or Unguja and Penba, the former land of Zanzibar's sultans, now the center stage of voodoo and faith healing in the state. All activities in the islands usually start and culminate with shopping, from the handspun knick-knacks and textiles of Chake Chake in Penba, to the Elephant garlic and Goliath avocadoes of Stone Town Market. Long before products were sold in Stone Town, African slaves became the first commodities in the Slave Markets, now just shambles of dungeon-type chambers.
Another historical foothold is the Spice Island, the center of the centuries-long spice trades between Africa and the West. The island remains one of the world's few places where saffron is produced. A tour to its plantations includes a savor of its exotic fruits and spices such as cardamom and kukurma. Some visitors do not forget to buy cookbooks and spices as souvenir.
Motorized canoes with sails or dhows bring one to ecotourism communes like Ngungwi, with boat yards and a lighthouse for picture-takers, and a nearby aquarium where baby turtles are nurtured until they can be freed to the sea. Jozani Forest shelters the nearly-extinct red Colobus monkeys, while Mafia Island and Coral Gardens are dwellings for whale sharks and dolphins. In Zanzibar Butterfly Center, farmers grow butterflies as an added income for feeding their families, while in Kendwa Beach, revelers celebrate the famous Full Moon Party on a Saturday before or after a full moon.