Spice Farms (Kizimbani)
Kizimbani
The signature experience of the 'Spice Island': walk through plantations to smell, taste, and identify cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and pepper, and sample tropical fruit.
In the 19th century, Sultan Sayyid Said of Oman expanded clove cultivation on Zanzibar on a large scale. The island briefly became the world's largest clove producer, which gave rise to its nickname, the 'Spice Island.' Several spice farms in Kizimbani and Kidichi, about 20 to 30 minutes' drive north of Stone Town, are open to visitors. A typical spice tour takes about 2 to 3 hours. A guide leads you through the grounds, picking leaves, fruit, and bark for you to smell and taste. You will learn to identify cloves, nutmeg (the red outer aril is mace), cinnamon, vanilla pods, black pepper, turmeric, lemongrass, cocoa, and annatto, which is used to make lipstick. Staff climb coconut palms to demonstrate harvesting, and weave palm-leaf hats and jewelry. The tour ends with seasonal fruit such as jackfruit, rambutan, and mangosteen, followed by a Swahili spice lunch. Tours cost about USD 25 to 40 per person, including transport, and can be booked through your hotel or a Stone Town travel agency, or you can hire a car to go yourself. The shop at the end of the farm sells spices, essential oils, and soap, so compare prices before buying. The grounds are hot, humid, and mosquito-prone, so wear light trousers and apply insect repellent. It is customary to tip the guide and the performers at the end.
Opening hours
About 08:30–16:00
Nearby sights
- Maruhubi Palace Ruins
- Stone Town
- Darajani Market
- Prison Island (Changuu)
- Christ Church Cathedral & Old Slave Market
- Palace Museum (Beit al-Sahel)
- Hamamni Persian Baths
- House of Wonders