Fantastic Trip to Zanzibar's Sauti za Busara Music Festival <br/> (2/10

Fantastic Trip to Zanzibar's Sauti za Busara Music Festival
(2/10 - 2/20). Book NOW to get 10% off!

You have the opportunity to join an intrepid group going to the amazing Zanzibar Sauti za Busara Festival from February 10 - February 20, 2010 (more information below). Book through Afropop and part of your fee will go towards supporting our great organization!

Early Booking Discount of 10% OFF new lower price, as long as you book on or before December 20, 2009.

BOOK TODAY!!! Safari package add-on also available (See bottom for details).

" I was very pleased with my experience on your Zanzibar tour. We stayed in a charming hotel - our guides were knowledgeable, resourceful and reliable. Took the opportunity to do what turned out to be a great safari in Tanzania that was an experience of a lifetime. Tour company provided excellent guides and wonderful accommodations. Don't pass this opportunity by! "
- Devitt Elverson, N.Y. (Afropop Member)

Zanzibar is amazingly stimulating—the people; the colors and tastes of the food; the aquamarine sea; the twists and turns of the medina modeled on ancient Arab urban design. The capital, Stone Town, where the festival is held, can feel touristy at times but it’s not overwhelming. Planeloads of Italian and German tourists land in Stonetown and go directly to the eastern end of the island to toast their winter-ravaged bodies. But cultural travelers to the International Film Festival get the satisfaction of going deeper. And I’m told you can still find stunning beaches not overrun by Europeans to chill at after the Festival. The whole experience is highly recommended.

A bit of history—Zanzibar was the center of the little known Arab slave trade, witnessed by the beautiful faces of locals that show a combination of Arab, African, and Indian heritage. The original taarab musicians were sent by Zanzibar’s sultan to Egypt to study in Cairo. They brought back new instruments and a new orchestral sensibility. Some of these musicians eventually made partnerships with local ngoma (drum music) artists.

An added advantage of joining our colleagues’ tour is that a portion of your fee will go towards supporting Afropop. Email or call us and we will forward you to the tour operator for further details: 718-398-2733 or info@afropop.org (subject: Zanzibar)

--Sean Barlow, Executive Producer, Afropop Worldwide

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Report and Photo Essay of Afropop’s Trip to the 2004 Sauti za Busara Festival

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More Information and Itinerary
From the Travel Brochure

*SAUTI ZA BUSARA FESTIVAL TOUR: February 10 - 20, 2010*

Early Booking Discount of 10% OFF new lower price, as long as you book on or before December 20, 2009. (see below).

If you love African music and have always been meaning to see Africa one day - then this is a great opportunity. Widely known as the ' . . . friendliest festival on the planet '. this is a chance to hear some of the top African artists but also to experience the magic of Zanzibar. We take you to some special outings during the day such as Jozani Forest where the red colobus monkeys live and visit some of Stonetown's best restaurants. 7 nights in historic Stonetown and then 3 nights out on Zanzibar's stunning East Coast for some chill time at a lovely resort there we have used before that includes a dive centre and of course, an idyllic white sand beach. We offer add-on mainland safaris in both Kenya and in Tanzania as well. So join us - for the trip of a life time at new reduced prices!

Day 1 (Feb. 10, 2010) Meet and greet at Zanzibar International Airport. Coach transfer to hotel in Stonetown.

Day 2 Breakfast. Meet in lobby as tour group: 9 a.m. following breakfast. Walking tour of this fascinating Swahili town includes: House of Wonders ( Naitonal Museum ), the old Fort ( Ngome Kongwe ) as well as the Anglican Cathedral which now occupies the site of Africa's last slave market - closed down in 1873 by a reluctant Sultan at the insistence of the British. Lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon, there is the Carnival street parade that gets the Festival started - featuring a beni brass band, drummers, wanandege ( umbrella women ), dancers, stilt walkers and acrobats. Dinner at hotel. After dinner Festival performance.

Day 3 Breakfast. Zanzibar's climate has always been ideal for the cultivation of spices - cinnamon,cardamom, nutmeg and cloves to name a few. This morning, we go on a tour of a local spice farm or shamba. Useful medicinal/culinary information plus the chance to taste and smell each spice. Afterwards, a real "spice of life" lunch. After lunch we are back to the hotel and free time and/or Festival event or performance. Each guest will have a VIP pass to all Festival events/performances. Dinner at a local restaurant featuring Swahili cuisine which might include for example: fresh fish in coconut sauce, a tamarind casserole or perhaps some spicy prawn soup! After dinner - Festival performance/event.

Day 4 Breakfast. This morning we visit the music school in Stonetown and learn more about educational opportunities for local young people and what they teach, etc.
Afterwards, we are in for a real treat and exclusive for our tour: a private visit to the Zanzibar Culture Club and a special live concert by the renowned Zanzibar Taarab Orchestra. Lunch on own today and rest of afternoon free. Dinner at local restaurant.
Festival event/concert in evening.

Day 5 Breakfast. On the coach for a visit to the Jozani Forest which is the largest remaining piece of indigenous forest located in the island's first national park. The nature reserve is home to varied wildlife including red colubus monkeys, Syke's blue monkeys, antelopes and varied birdlife. Next we head for the famous Mbweni ruins, south of Stonetown. The Anglican Mission School, built in 1875, educated girls freed from slavery. The school's first headmistress was Caroline Thackeray - cousin to novelist William Thackeray. Sir John Kirk was Britain's first Consul General to Zanzibar and had accompanied Livingstone ( who spent some time in Zanzibar ) up the Zambesi as chief botanist. Kirk built a botanical gardens full of exotic palms, sausage trees and flowers. Lunch at the nearby clifftop restaurant at the Mbweni Ruins Hotel. Return to hotel with rest of afternoon free. Dinner on own tonight.

Day 6 Breakfast. Free day today. Lunch on your own. Dinner at local restaurant. After dinner: Festival performance/event and/or some time to explore Stonetown's nightlife.

Day 7 Breakfast. We head out to nearby Prison Island for a day trip - good swimming/snorkeling apparently. Back to hotel by late afternoon. Dinner at local restaurant. Last night of Festival tonight.

Day 8 Breakfast Checkout. Transfer to the beach and check into the first rate Sultan Sands Resort. Time to chill at this lovely beach resort complete with Zanzibarian spa and PADI dive centre, with dive boat.

Day 9 B & D.

Day 10 B & D.

Day 11 Breakfast. Checkout and airport transfer via coach to Zanzibar International Airport for flights back home. End of services.

INCLUDED: Airport and resort transfers on Zanzibar, all breakfasts and most meals (except where indicated on itinerary), hotel accommodations, V.I.P. Festival pass to all events/performances.

NOT INCLUDED: International Airfare, airport departure taxes, extra alcoholic drinks at lunch/dinner, tips for guide, driver and restaurant service. Tanzanian tourist visa.

COST: (LAND ONLY)
$2350 U.S. per person based on double occupancy
$2950 per person based on single occupancy

*Early Booking Discount of 10% OFF new lower price, as long as you book on or before December 20, 2009.

At least 50% deposit payable at time of booking. Balance in full must be paid at least 30 days prior to departure.

ADD-ON SAFARI: Our tour operator offers a range of safaris on the mainland, both in Kenya and in Tanzania. To experience the African wilderness can be life-changing and this is an outstanding opportunity to do so in style, following the tour - or before if you wish. Our operator uses only the comfortable and photo-friendly 4 X 4 Land Rovers or Toyota Land Cruisers. And their guides are among the best in East Africa.

In Tanzania, you are in the land of Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti.

Climb up Kili with your choice of routes led by some of the mountain's most experience guides.

Or book a safari that can include Africa's very own Garden of Eden, the Ngorongoro Crater; visiting the birthplace of mankind at Olduvai Gorge and of course Serengeti National Park, home to the largest concentration of plains game in the world.

In Kenya, our operator chooses to work mainly with the environmental award-winning Porini safari camps which are located in the Maasai Mara, Amboseli and in the Aberdares. These are small, intimate camps operated in conjunction with the local Maasai communities.

Complete with safari showers, delicious meals and complimentary drinks.

After a day walking through the African wilderness alongside Maasai warriors, you will know why you came on safari .

A safari tailor-made for you and the perfect add-on to a terrific tour.

Email or call Afropop and we will forward you to the tour operator for further details: 718-398-2733 or info@afropop.org (subject: Zanzibar).