Spice Island

Spice Island is the collective name of the main islands of Unguja, Pemba and several other smaller islands of Tumbatu, Uzi, Pungume, Kwale, Chumbe, Bawe, Mnemba and Vundwe. Lies about 40 and 50 km respectively from the coast of the Mainland Tanzania in the Indian Ocean.

History
The islands have been sourcing the world with spice for over 3 centuries. The islands are known as the Spice Islands due to the mace, nutmeg and cloves which are grown in the region.

The Spice Islands are home to the Bandanese people who used the spices to trade with other countries in the Asian region such as China as well as trading with the Middle East, and even traded with the Roman Empire until the 1600’s. During the 1600’s the Bandanese people started trade with the Portuguese, British and Dutch. Soon after beginning trade with these European countries the Spice Islands were colonized by the Dutch and soon aided the Dutch to be able to create a stranglehold over the spice trade creating many uprisings between the European countries.

Spice Island
Spice Island

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The Spice Wars

Because of the high value that the spices had in Europe and the large incomes that it produced the Dutch and British were soon involved in conflicts to try and gain a monopoly over the region. The fighting for control over these small islands became very intense with the Dutch even giving the island of Manhattan to the British in exchange for a small island that gave the Dutch full control over the Banda archipelago. The Bandanese people lost the most in the fighting with most of the people being either slaughtered or enslaved by the Dutch.

Over 6,000 were killed during the Spice Wars. The term Spice Islands has also been used in reference to other islands known for their spice production, notably the Zanzibar Archipelago off East Africa consisting of Unguja, Mafia and Pemba. These islands were formerly the independent state of Zanzibar but now form a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania.

A Bwindi safari will take you to see the gorillas in a beautiful location. There are three groups of habituated gorillas in Bwindi that can be visited on a gorilla track.
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