Makunduchi
Makunduchi is a large village in the far south-east of Zanzibar famed for being the original birthplace of modern Kiswahili. This is still where the purest form of the language (itself a melting pot language) is supposed to be spoken. It is also where many of the island's ruling politicians come from traditionally.
Currently Makunduchi does not have a great deal specifically for visitors other than one large resort on the far beach side of the village, which is mainly along the main road inland. The village is known for its visually stunning rich red soil, which locals say is pretty fertile, but inadequate rain and irrigation systems can sometimes mean trouble growing things. The village does, however, have the main business in the archipelago for making the traditional embroidered 'kofia' (hats) that most older men wear.
Recently a cultural tour has been launched in the village, which allows visitors to sample some village life year-round. A local guide explains something about the village of Makunduchi. But the big event is if you are around during mid-July - Mwaka Kogwa is a festival originating from Shirazi traditions, in which villagers from the north and south of the road beat one another with banana sticks in order to settle grudges and create a clean slate for the new year. This festival is normally pretty good tempered, despite the theme, and also offers the spectacle of a house being burnt down - a practice that some say is connected to Zoroastrianism, but that others deny.
