The lovely and cozy village of Kizimkazi, formerly the capital of the island of Zanzibar , today still attracts tourists from all over the world, thanks to its unique color, originality and the availability of excellent beaches and hotels for recreation.
The fishing village of Kizimkazi is located in the south-eastern part of the island of Zanzibar , about an hour's drive from Stone Town . Before the appearance of the city of Zanzibar, it was Kizimkazi who was the capital of the island, but later lost its influence.
Attractions in Kizimkazi
The main sights in Kizimkazi are the ruins of the Persian palace and the oldest mosque of the 12th century, which indicates the first appearance of Islam not only in Tanzania , but throughout Eastern Africa.
The Shirazi Mosque is operational. In it, the Kufic inscription of 1107 was preserved. By the 12th century there were also richly decorated columns and some other details of the mosque. However, most of it was erected in the XVIII century. The construction of this mosque is traditional for East Africa. Around Shirazi you can see several mausoleums of the XVII century, which are decorated with columns.
The popularity of Kizimkazi on the island of Zanzibar is due to the bay, a luxurious beach with snow-white sand and, of course, dolphins. There are plenty of them in the Kizimkazi Bay, moreover, they are already so accustomed to the attention of tourists that sometimes they pose for a long time and even swim next to people. Therefore, while walking on a boat, you can not only observe the dolphins as close as possible, but also swim with them and make shots for a long memory.
In the bay of Kizimkazi the purest emerald waters of the Indian Ocean, and on the shore a soft white sand. Kizimkazi Beach in Zanzibar is one of the best in Tanzania and serves as an excellent alternative to the Maldives and Seychelles. It is located in the southern part of the island, there are often enough waves, so those who are insecure on the water, you must be extremely cautious.
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Accommodation and meals in Kizimkazi
In Kizimkazi, as on the entire island of Zanzibar, you can find hotels for every taste and budget. There are also luxury hotels that provide, in addition to chic rooms and VIP-services, also spa services. These include, for example, The Residence Zanzibar and Fruit & Spice Wellness Resort Zanzibar. Of the more modest options, we will mention guest houses, lodges and bungalows, for example, Twiga Beach Bungalows, Promised Land Lodge, Dolphin View Lodge, Kizi Dolphin Lodge.
With meals in Kizimkazi, there are also no problems. In addition to restaurants of national cuisine in hotels, in the village there are many small cafes where you can always have a snack. Since the village is a fishing village, of course, the menu always has a variety of dishes from fresh fish and seafood, for example, a traditional local dish - seafood with mango and bananas.
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How to get there?
In order to get to Kizimkazi, it is necessary to fly to Zanzibar Airport , and then take a taxi. We recommend to come to Kizimkazi at any time of year, except for the Great and Small rainy seasons . The big rainy season usually happens in the period from April to May, and the small one - in November-December.