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Zanzibar, Tanzania
Sailing the Spice Islands
Traditional sailing boats called dhows ply Zanzibar's azure seas, adding a dash of accent colour to this wash of blue-green. The small dhows seen here are for fishing or leisure, but larger ones once shipped goods all over the Indian Ocean. With their sleek, sturdy hulls, shipping heavy goods – from fresh fruit to solid gold – became a breeze. What coveted commodity made Zanzibar a heavyweight exporter? Spices. Cultivating cloves, cinnamon and other seasonings, this island group in Tanzania has been a titan of trade for over a millennium.
Sailing the Spice Islands
Traditional sailing boats called dhows ply Zanzibar's azure seas, adding a dash of accent colour to this wash of blue-green. The small dhows seen here are for fishing or leisure, but larger ones once shipped goods all over the Indian Ocean. With their sleek, sturdy hulls, shipping heavy goods – from fresh fruit to solid gold – became a breeze. What coveted commodity made Zanzibar a heavyweight exporter? Spices. Cultivating cloves, cinnamon and other seasonings, this island group in Tanzania has been a titan of trade for over a millennium.
To remix a sci-fi-proverb, this land that controls the spice controls the flavour universe. Well, a lot of it.
© guvendemir / E+ / Getty Images 2026-09-11 08:45:51 :