Spice Tour - Zanzibar - December 2004

This Dalla-Dalla was our transport for the spice tour. Normally it is used as a public taxi, cheap transport. Passengers squeeze around the bench on all three sides and the conductor hangs off the door. There was a dozen of us but on the streets it would be nearly twenty squeezed in. But no one gets angry or jostles or is rude as on a London bus!

Fanasi = Jack Fruit grows on tree trunk. Tasty yellow pouches with large seed. Spiky exterior.
The white milky paste inside can be cleaned off the hands with paraffin or vegetable oil.
Please send me corrections and further info to make the narrative more interesting to read.



Lemon Grass


Mimosa plant - sensitive to touch


Banana plant with a bunch of nearly ripe bananas (Keda in Gujarati)


Ginger (Soonthh in Gujarati)



Turmeric (Haldi in Gujarati)


Our guide Ali showing us cocoa pod at a cocoa tree. The white flesh was very tasty.


These seeds make red colour for cosmetics e.g. red spot adorned by Hindus on forehead





Kapok Tree - Silky hairs that surround the seeds of certain trees, particularly the kapok tree (Bombax ceiba) of India and Malaysia and the silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) of tropical America. Kapok is used for stuffing cushions and mattresses and for sound insulation; oil obtained from the seeds is used in food and soap.

Kapok Tree





Duriyani tree - do not walk under as it can drop on you. It is spiky and heavy

Duriyani fruit, stinky but tasty - that is what they say but I have not yet tried it





Cassava sticks in the ground. Like potatoes, they will grow tubers (Mohogo in Swahili)



Is this pepper or cardamom vine? Can anyone clarify?


Cinnamon (Tujj in Gujarati) The tree bark is cut gently and dried in the sun


Pawpaw tree with pawpaw fruit hanging from the trunk (Papadi in Gujarati)


The cow was sitting chewing but got up; a mark of respect for the visitors?


Cardamom? (Airaachi in Gujarati)


Cloves trees (Lawing in Gujarati)


Which is this?


Our driver takes a drink of water from the mains tap - underground fresh water supply


Nutmeg in its pod (Jaifur in Gujarati)


Nutmeg pods


School children on the way to school teasing us in the Dalla-Dalla


Sultan's bath house - decaying and dilapidated


Not sure what tree this is - can anyone clarify?


Pomegranate bush with fruit hanging (Darum in Gujarati)


Vanilla vine cuddling up a small tree for support


Had lunch there sitting on the floor. Vegetarian peellow in metal plates and spoons.


Drying some spice under the tree


Pink Frangipani flowers. can also be white flowers (champa in Gujarati)

Anyone who can clarify what plant/tree is which?
Grateful for all information and clarification received.