about zanzibar
Zanzibar is an autonomous region of Tanzania which is located off the coast of mainland Tanzania in the Indian Ocean. The capital is Zanzibar City located on the main island of Unguja. The historic center, called Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site. Zanzibar is known for its beautiful beaches, incredible spices and its history.
8 Unforgettable experiences on zanzibar
Sleeping on a floating boat.
After scouring Air B&B for some potential options to stay within Stone Town, I discovered this incredible floating bow accommodation within the Harbor. The experience included a small boat over to and back from the anchored boat and breakfast in the morning. From here we were able to watch the Sunset and to enjoy a peaceful evening alone and sleep amongst the calm waves. The center of the boat was open, and you could see colorful fish swimming beneath. The bathroom was quite rustic with a large can of water to use for washing and bathing as needed. It was a very unique experience.
An authentic cooking class experience.
Zanzibar is well known as a unique culinary experience. The island’s history includes effusion of cultures including Portuguese, African, Indian, etc.. Given it is an island seafood is at the center of many dishes. We met up with a local woman who brought us to the market where we bought our food and then we prepared and made a delicious meal. As we had been living and shopping for own in Uganda prior to Tanzania, the market was significantly larger and impressive while I suppose if you have never been to an African marked this would be an eye-opening experience. It is always amazing to me to see where the food comes from and learn the spices and recipes of each individual culture.
Public transport from Stone Town to Jambiani.
You can take a taxi over to the beaches from Stone Town in Zanzibar but the cost was about $40 USD and we had read you could take local public transportation for a fraction of the cost. It seemed relatively straightforward urge just go to one square where a number of public transport vehicles would be around. The only difficult part is that where exactly we were going was not as commonly sought after and we were unsure if we would be required to transfer. We started asking around and the driver seemed confused about where we were heading. At one point a gentleman stated he knew exactly where we needed to go and helped us board onto a vehicle after us asking the cost and being told $2 (which is what our local Air B&B host stated it would be). Once on, the driver started driving around in circles and demanding a much higher cost to get us where we were going. After much negotiation and basically us refusing to pay and demanding to be let off we were dropped off in the same location we started. It was a very traumatizing experience as it seemed to be escalating and we were very much debating paying just to not get in a fight or worse. Luckily after that we were directed to the correct vehicle and demanded to know the cost and exactly where we were going before boarding. A good lesson learned going forward in our travels.
Mailing postcards.
One of the projects I really wished to do on this year off journey was to mail a postcard from each country. There was a teen see post office in the small beach down we were staying that was only open for a couple of hours a day. We went to get post cart to the U.S. and were given stamps that distinctly said to the UK. When we went back to ask they said all with no problem it or get the U.S.. We dropped them in the box pretty sure that they would never make it but alas they did. Check this link about mailing postcards around the world.
The walk from Jambiani to Paje.
Paje is known for it’s kite surfing and laid back vibes. We decided that we would take a walk along the beach all the way there and back within a day. This was approximately 12 kms or 7-1/2 miles in total. The beach is stunning Lea beautiful and the stretch between is more isolated. We stopped at cliff side place to have lunch along the way. As we were walking back we realized that we were fighting the sun and had to pick up the pace but we made it back before it was pitch black.
Eating at Hassan’s Restaurant.
How could you not want to eat at this restaurant after passing by this incredible sign? As we are passing by Hassan himself came out and tried to sell us on some local home cooked meals. He reported he was ready preparing a meal for later that day for 2 other customers and we were enticed to join. I understand why he wished us to join given the quantity of food that was prepared for only 2 people. We sat inside on tiny stools in a very small room and had some of the most wonderful and tasty food we experienced on the island. If you make it to Jambiani it is worth it for the experience. You won’t leave hungry.
Flying to and from Zanzibar.
There are 2 options to get to the island: one is a ferry from Dar es Salaam and the other is by a small plane. We elected to do the plane out of convenience. With early, as we were heading to the airport to take are small puddle jumper plane back to the Dar es Salaam airport we received a message that are flight from Dar es Salaam to Lusaka was not only canceled but rescheduled for 5 days later. The flights from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam are separate from typical airline tickets. At this point, we were about to join and over land safari tour starting around Victoria Falls Zimbabwe thus we knew we had to take this flight and figure out our options when she we landed on the mainland airport.
Enjoying the beautiful beaches.
After having traveled to a number of places around the world the beaches here rank among the top beaches I have ever visited. If you want crystal clear waters and picturesque boats this place is for you. It is well worth the trip and is definitely on my list of places to go back to (and there aren’t that many).
