Meet Said Khamis Bakar, a Tour Leader in Zanzibar.

Here’s his story:

“My name is Said Khamis Bakar, and I am from Tanzania. I was born in Pemba, the second biggest island of the Zanzibar archipelago which is about 40 miles long by 14 miles wide, and equal to 380 square miles.

Professionally, I am a tour guide in Zanzibar dealing with all activities and tours we have available on the island.

I have been tour guiding since 2011 after finishing my studies in Tourism Business from The Zanzibar Institute of Tourism Developments (ZITODs), which is now a part of The State University of Zanzibar (SUZA).

I also received tour guide training from the Zenith Tour Company for six months.”

Diving Deeper

How long have you worked in the tourism industry? Have you had other jobs before? 

Before entering the tourism sector, I was a spice farmer and grew some crops on a small scale for food and sold the crops to earn for my family’s needs.

I started as a tour guide in 2011 and was working with different tour operators each year as a private guide until 2015 when I got a job as a sales officer with ZanTours and Safari. This job took me to the North Coast of Unguja Island in Zanzibar. This made me happy not only because I could make some money for my family but I could share my ideas about my country with people from different corners of the world.

Tell us a little bit about your friends and family. What do they do? Where do they live? Describe their personalities.

I am from a poor family so I played my part as much as I could to make us happy and united throughout challenges in life. We lived in the countryside in a good environment and had access to enough organic food, however, we faced other challenges. For example, poor infrastructure of the roads, no schools nearby, no health care centers, no electricity, etc. Our life was good and people in our area lived happily and kindly, helping each other in any way they could.

I’m the second born of a six-member family. This is neither too big nor small a family according to our culture.

Tell us a little bit about what your country means to you.

Zanzibar is a beautiful country! It is a very small archipelago in the Indian Ocean, filled with a rich history, wonderful and courteous people, sparkling white beaches, clear blue water, varieties of seafood, colorful coral reefs, and aromatic spices. These are just a few of the remarkable things that make Zanzibar a paradise.

What is your personal favorite place to visit or activity to do in your country?

My homeland is called “The Green Spice Island” and is covered by vegetation and full of fruit and spice trees. Some of these include jack fruits, over fifteen different types of mangoes, oranges, over 28 different types of bananas, leches, pomelos, durians (the king of tropical fruits), lime, coconut palms, paper plants, lemon, cardamom, ginger, vanilla, and thousands of clove trees. This makes the archipelago one of the top producers of rich spices in the East African region.

What is the best thing about your country?

Zanzibar provides a memorable experience for its guests who visit. It is neither too hot nor cold throughout the year, it is always blessed with moderate temperature. The people are kind and selfless and enjoy having visitors to their country. 

People of Zanzibar speak only one language-Swahili and no ethnic group or tribe concerned is dominant and superior over the other. All people live united and peacefully. 

One of the most beautiful attractions in Zanzibar is to experience and learn how people with different beliefs live in peace, solidarity, love, and harmony.