IMAGES: GETTY; AKU/CHRISTOPHER WILTON-STEERFROM LEFT: Ylang-ylang flowers
growing on the cananga tree,
Madagascar; Street vendors in front
of a traditional Stone Town doorway
selling papaya, oranges, bananas and
jack fruit to passersby
ylang-ylang
flowers
Marilyn Monroe would’ve
felt perfectly at home on the
island of Nosy Be, in northwest
Madagascar. It’s one of the world’s
biggest producers of ylang-ylang,
whose sweet, exotic fragrance
adds a tropical frisson to
Chanel No 5, Monroe’s favourite
perfume. With glamorous resort
hotels and direct flights from
Rome and Milan with Neos, Nosy
Be is popular with beach-loving
Italians, and others are catching
on, too. neosair.it
This year, Stone Town, the historic quarter of Zanzibar City, celebrates its 20th
year as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As ever, a cultural tour is the perfect
complement to any time spent lazing on Zanzibar’s shoresIf, after a safari in Tanzania, the ocean is
calling, a trip to the pale, palm-fringed
beaches of Zanzibar is the answer. As a bonus,
Stone Town, the historic capital of Unguja,
the main island in the Zanzibar archipelago,
is fascinating to explore. For much of the past
two millennia, the sheltered bay on Unguja’s
western shore was the Indian Ocean’s most
treasured harbour. From as early as the first
century, merchants from Yemen, Iran and
west India were anchoring here to strike deals
with the spice, ivory and slave traders based
along the Swahili Coast. By the 10th century,
Stone Town was beginning to take shape.
With Portugal, Oman and Britain taking
turns to preside over it between the 16th and
20th centuries, it absorbed influences from all
three, as well as from Arabia and India.
Present-day Stone Town is an intriguing
jumble of narrow streets and alleys, shaded
from the tropical sun by coral stone mansions
with heavy wooden doors. Many have vine
leaves and flowers carved into their frame,
an indication that the house was built for a
spice merchant — there’s a good example
at EMERSON ON HURUMZI, a boutique hotel.
Other doors feature geometric patterns,tradesmen’s symbols or passages from the
Koran. Some are studded with brass spikes,
an 18th-century fashion imported from
India, where doors were heavily reinforced to
withstand charging elephants.
In 2020, Stone Town celebrates the 20th
anniversary of its inscription as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Wander the alleys on
foot, and you’ll discover shops and galleries
stuffed with African antiques, fabrics and
tinga tingas, brightly coloured paintings
that are distinctively Tanzanian. MEMORIES
OF ZANZIBAR has a large selection, and you
can sometimes watch local artists at work at
the CULTURAL ARTS CENTRE. To take in the
cityscape over cocktails and lunch, head to
the rooftop TEA HOUSE AT EMERSON SPICE.
emersononhurumzi.com emersonspice.com
memories-zanzibar.com
HOW TO DO IT: Audley Travel typically offers
a 12-day trip to Tanzania, with four nights on
safari at Selous Game Reserve and five nights
in Zanzibar, from £3,810 per person, sharing.
Includes accommodation, flights from
London and all domestic transport. For more
information on Audley’s flexible bookings
promise, visit audleytravel.comZANZIBAR
106 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
INDIAN OCEAN