Week 11 - Zanzibar

Arriving in Stone Town on Zanzibar Island, we walk through the centuries-old white-washed stone buildings with narrow European-like alleyways that lead through a maze of artisan and gift shops, lodges and restaurants. Doors are both open and closed.  One can feel the history and cultural significance of the region; mosques, crumbling Arab fortress walls, slave trade buildings, and colonial architecture within a 360 degree view.  The central plaza along the waterfront unfolds in front of us, as does the feeling of beach life in paradise.

We are invited by the turquoise blue waters, the white sandy beaches, and even the hustlers exclaiming “hakuna matata… you can look for free”. We watch hundreds of Tanzanian boys (hmm, where are the girls?) under the sunset light as they dive, flip, and jump their way across the beach and into the water. Ending at an outdoor market, dinner booths hosts fresh seafood, indian breads, and Zanzibarian pizzas (chipatis loaded with fruit and Nutella). We feast while people watching, as the boardwalk lights up for the evening hours. 

Note: Our cab driver told us that 90% of Zanzibarians are of strict Muslim faith. One thing we notice is the evident separation of men/boys and women/girls. Early the next morning from our hotel room we can see women and children splashing in the ocean- it is obvious that evening play is for boys, and morning hours are set aside for girls. 

There are a few tourist adventures that Zanzibar is well-known for: swimming with dolphins, snorkeling and diving, and spice farm tours, just to name a few.  We of course will take advantage of all of these. Heading to the south end of the island, we join a dolphin safari- chasing dolphins by boat and jumping into the water to try swim with them.  We are put off by the craze of it all, but still admire the majestic creatures and their tolerance. We spend the

afternoon at Jozani National Park, a small but significant part of the islands’ natural areas.  Mangroves, mohagany trees, and palms are all protected under the Park’s umbrella, as well as a few species of monkeys.  The red colobus monkeys perform quite the acrobatic jester-like act for us.

Spices are a main export here on Zanzibar Island, both now and historically. It makes us think of the origin of our chai tea and regularly used spices at home: vanilla bean vines, turmeric root, the cinnamon tree’s bark, peppercorn shrubs, cardamom seeds growing from the roots on the ground. We tour a local demonstration garden that tours us through the farm to describe each spice plant/tree, its uses and tastes. It is very informative and entertaining- even the kids love it (they were dubious and complaining before starting). After an hour and a half, we’ve been fed amazing array of fresh fruit from the trees, are introduced us to the native trees and flower scents of the region, and conclude our tour introduced to a throng of packaged spices we can purchase. And as a special touch, they adorn us with palm leaf crowns, ties, and handbags! What fun!

dhow stranded at low tide

Mnembe Island

Heading to the north end of the island for a few days, we have read about Zanzibar’s coral reef shoals and Mnembe Island is visible and inviting from our beach bungalow. We collect seashell treasures during the succession of high and low tides as we walk the endless beaches. We find a well-respected SCUBA dive shop and literally dive into a package deal that includes a boat ride, 2 dives, another couple of snorkeling locations, and a two day Discover Diving course for Amelia! At the reef, we see an amazing array of fish in all colors and sizes, as well as the typical but amazing assembly of sea stars, cucumbers, anemones, lobsters and stingrays.  The water was incredibly clear (turquoise blue) with visibility at 20-30 meters. While we are diving, Emmet is watching us from above in his snorkeling gear with one of our boat guides. Pretty awesome for all of us!  Amelia’s strength and comfort in the water shines bright as she calmly follows the dive guide and gives frequent thumbs up of approval to her mom and dad!

After a few days of solitude and sunrise on the north-eastern side of the island, we head to watch the sunsets and the hoppin’ beach scene on the north and western side of the island. The water is still perfect, the seafood dinners are still cheap and fresh off the boat, and the people watching only gets better here. European, Middle eastern, and Indian families gather along this more tourist destination beach; all sorts of accents are audible, except American.  We wonder if there is anywhere farther away from the influence of the good ol’ USA, and find this quite pleasing!

We hear about the Baraka Sea Turtle Aquarium, a 20-minute beach walk from our bungalow. This natural lagoon is used to house green sea turtles that are caught by fisherman in their nets in the surrounding area. The tourism dollars pay the fisherman to bring in the captures turtles, inspiring the fisherman to keep them alive and not kill them for meat. Close to the breeding season, the turtles are released back into the ocean, close to the protected islands where they will breed and lay their eggs on the beaches. We were unsure if the turtles migrate from this area, so still more research to be done… Swimming with the turtles in the lagoon is encouraged, and the docile nature of these animals make it tons of fun. We spend at least two hours snorkeling alongside to watch their movements, feel their leathery skin and watch them feeding on handpicked seaweed they are provided daily. 

Long and full days of beach, salt, sun and sea give us a true sense of holiday relaxation.  Its hard to believe we only have a week left til our time in Tanzania is over.  We have one more coastal safari north of Dar es Salaam to go… and a ferry ride to get there.  

Love and missing everyone.  See you soon though!