For over two thousand years the East African coast has lured travellers and traders alike from many distant shores. Zanzibar became the most powerful centre of a rich and lucrative trade route with Asia supplying gold, ivory and slaves, serving as the main power base for the Sultans of Oman and a gateway to the African continent for a number of European explorers such as Speke, Burton and Livingstone. Now offering visitors idyllic white sandy beaches and a wealth of historical and cultural interest, Zanzibar is the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the East African coast.