Zanzibar is just a hop skip and jumps away from the mainland that is Tanzania. This relationship allows for Zanzibar to operate in a semi-autonomous manner and what makes this even more special is that despite being a part of Tanzania, the two do not share a lot in common in terms of politics, religion, culture and even food.
If you were to visit Zanzibar from Tanzania, you must prepare yourself to be a part of a new nation. With a long history as a hub for all the traders during the slave and spice trade, Zanzibar has felt the influences of the world on its shores.
The separation between Tanzania and Zanzibar is so much so that locals refer to themselves as 'Zanzibari' as opposed to 'Tanzanian'.