Publisher's Synopsis
This lavishly illustrated book documents a trip the writer made in 2008 to Zanzibar and Tanzania.
There were lots of challenges along the way and the "tour company" was a generous way of describing a loose and comical network of vague acquaintances, which somehow pulled together and, in the most primitive way possible, made sure the writer achieved his travel goals by hook or by crook during his visit.
The original purpose of the journey was to find out more about the small island of Zanzibar. Over the centuries, Zanzibar had had close links with Africa, Portugal, Oman, Yemen, the Indian Subcontinent and the British Missionaries, including David Livingstone. Parsis from India, Persians, Portuguese, Arabs, British, Germans and others had fought over its natural riches of spices and many had left their traces there. British and German battleships had clashed in a little known battle during the First World War and it had also been a key port in the slave and the ivory trades. The legacy of its wealth as a trading post and its many cosmopolitan influences could be seen in the architecture of Stonetown, with its decorative wooden doors and merchants' mansions.
This trip also included a classic "big five" African Safari in Tanzania, which is one of the best and most comprehensive safaris in Africa. The diverse landscapes ranging from the extinct and vast volcanic crater of Ngorongoro to Lake Manyara and the Serengeti Plains are all covered in this illustrated and practical edition.
