Zanzibar Spice Farms

Cloves were introduced to Zanzibar in the early nineteenth century and became the island's economy for over a century, and although the trade has declined the spice farms inland from Stone Town still grow clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, vanilla and turmeric alongside fruit. Tours walk between the trees while a guide cuts, crushes and hands round leaves, bark and pods, so the identification is done by smell and taste rather than from a label.

What you actually see

• The clove trees - the crop that dominated the island's economy for over a century.
• The identification walk - bark, leaves and pods cut and passed round to smell and taste.
• The nutmeg and mace - the fruit opened to show the seed and its red covering.
• The fruit trees - jackfruit, breadfruit and others grown alongside the spices.

When to go

Year round; the clove harvest falls roughly between July and December. Mornings are cooler for the walk. The long rains from March to May make the paths muddy.

Honest expectations

Tours are heavily commercialised and end with a sales pitch. Quality varies enormously between operators and the cheapest are perfunctory. The farms are smallholdings, not plantations, and are smaller than most visitors expect.

Nearby

Zanzibar City is west, and Jozani is southeast.