CardamomOpens with
GingerHeart
VetiverDries down to
Alberto Morillas479 fragrancesPortrait →
Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud228 fragrancesPortrait →Will you like it? Mark a few fragrances you own or love and we'll tell you.
Van Cleef & Arpels · Sold as masculine
Zanzibar
The bustling energy of an old spice bazaar, where the sharp aromas of cardamom and coriander mingle with earthy vetiver and warm sandalwood.
Full bottle: Premium tier, typically $100–250. Links open each seller's own page. We may earn a commission; it never changes the order.
ZanzibarPremium · $100–250
45%Similar accords, often for lessContradiction · Calvin KleinMid-range tier, $40–100 · shares 5 of its 13 notes8 matches →How it wears
From community votes · bars are each option's shareComposition & Character
Notes Pyramid
BaseFoundation
Main Accords
When to Wear
Who Wears It
The story behind the bottle.
Launched in 2001, Zanzibar by Van Cleef & Arpels is a Woody Spicy fragrance for men created by the renowned perfumers Alberto Morillas and Jacques Cavallier Belletrud. This composition begins with a fresh spicy blend of cardamom, citron, coriander, ginger, pepper, and cloves that creates an invigorating opening. As it settles into its woody base of vetiver, sandalwood, and ambrette (musk mallow), the warmth from these spices intermingles beautifully with earthy tones, making Zanzibar a dynamic journey through aromatic layers.
Apply Zanzibar with a light hand; its top notes are particularly vibrant and can be intense in larger quantities. The fragrance develops best close to the skin, so focus on pulse points for a more intimate experience.
Fig. 01 — Zanzibar, Van Cleef & Arpels
Where to buy.
Wear it for a week first
A decant costs a fraction of a bottle and tells you how it lasts on your skin.
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Alberto Morillas
The invisible architectAlberto Morillas is one of the most prolific and celebrated perfumers of the modern era. Born in Seville and trained in Geneva at Firmenich, he possesses an extraordinary gift for constructing fragrances that feel simultaneously complex and effortless.
“Technique is important, but it's the perfumer's soul that makes the difference.”
Alberto Morillas · Mizensir journal ('Nose-to-nose with founder Alberto Morillas'), July 2025
Co-created with Jacques Cavallier Belletrud
Designer Van Cleef & Arpels
More from the house · France
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Chosen from what wearers say it smells like, what its fans also love, and its notes
Love it, not the $100–250 price?
Matched by accords and notes. Sample first, then decide.
The originalZanzibarVan Cleef & Arpels · Premium · $100–250Calvin Klein · 1999ContradictionShares 5 of its 13 notes$40–100★ 3.82 (1,033)45%Match
Ajmal · 2014Ghair 5Shares 4 of its 7 notesunder $40★ 3.67 (3)
With French Avenue Aether
Adds fruity, powdery and green; shares five accords.
Suggested from accords and notes · not yet tried by wearers
What people
are saying.
Well loved by wearers: loved by 45%, disliked or hated by 5%.