As well as its white sandy beaches, Zanzibar is also famous for its cultivation of spices, fruit and vegetables.

There are a huge number of spice farms on the island. I visited a small local farm, Issa Spice Farm, in the north of the island between the resorts of Matemwe and Nungwi.

In the ‘Things to Do in Zanzibar’ section, we have a list of all the spice farms that offer tours for tourists.

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What will you see at a spice farm?

Issa Spice Farm is a small farm linked to a local primary school and is less frequented by tourists than the farms in southern Zanzibar.

A tour of the farm takes about 60 minutesand is always led by the farm’s owner, Mr Issa, himself.

You’ll see various types of spices such as cinnamon, black pepper and turmeric, as well as fruit trees, vanilla and many other plants.

Spice farms may not be as visually striking as, say, the rice terraces in Bali or the vanilla plantations in Mauritius, but the commentary was very interesting and, overall, I would definitely recommend a visit!

At the end, you can buy samples of spices from a small stall, with prices ranging from 3 usd to 6 usd.

Admission and opening hours

Issa Spice Farm is open daily from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm.

The admission fee is 10 usd or 25 000 tzs and can only be paid in cash.

How to get there

The farm is situated on the main road, about 20 km from Nungwi, 8 km from Matemwe and 40 km from Stone Town.

You can park your car for free in the makeshift car park right in front of the entrance.

You can also get here by taxi, but it’s a good idea to arrange a pick-up time with the taxi driver, as there are no taxis available in the area where Issa Spice Farm is situated.

What to see around

Discover all the places to see in Zanzibar.