Explore the exciting past of Zanzibar, which is known as the spice island that once produced most of the world's cloves. The sultans of Oman ruled this ancient isle together with most of the East African Coast starting from Lamu island in the north, through Malindi and Mombasa to Shimoni on the Kenyan coastal strip and onwards through Pemba island and Dar-es-salaam in Tanzania.

It was on this island that great European explorers, like Burton, Speke, Grant and Livingstone, set out on their journeys of discovery. In the 18th century the island was a focus of the slave trade as well. The "stone town" is stepped in history and in the north of the island the beaches are pristine.

The island is still bathed in the rich aromas of cloves and cinnamon. The opulence of this period can still be sensed. Pirates and explorers considered it their stepping stone into the African interior.