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The English word monsoon came from the Portuguese moncao, ultimately from Arabic mawsim ("season"), and perhaps partly via the early modern Dutch, monsun. (Wikipedia). This derivation captures the diverse influences that have shaped the empires of the Indian Ocean for over one thousand years.

The monsoon winds off the East coast of Africa blow from the southeast between April and October (the Kusi) and from the northeast between November and March (the Kaskazi). The direction and timing of these winds have formed the basis for the ancient seafaring traditions that survive today amongst the fishermen in their wooden dhows and the Swahili and Arab traders shipping goods around the Indian Ocean.

Archaeological investigations at Mapungubwe Hill in South Africa and the magnificent stone buildings of Great Zimbabwe provide conclusive proof that these inland city states and their coastal counterparts at Sofala in Mozambique, Kilwa in Tanzania and Mombasa in Kenya were part of a trading network that covered the whole Indian Ocean region. Gold and ivory were exchanged for glass beads, known as 'trade wind beads'; and the fragments of Chinese celadon ware found at Mapungubwe are from the Sung dynasty (AD960 -1279) and show the extent of the contact with the peoples of East Africa years before the arrival of the European colonialists.

If you have dreamt of sailing in the Indian Ocean or want to discover the fascinating history of the Monsoon Empires; or if you ar looking for an adventurous holiday in one of the most awe-inspiring and unspoilt parts of the world, Monsoon Safaris is for you...