Travel Zanzibar has recently joined my collection. the Kilimanjaro (now you know, we are not two beach types) but not having days enough to acclimatize to altitude, we opted for a more relaxing destination.
I admit: since I travel, rather I would say for quite a while now, some of the destinations that are sold on the tourism market as the most exotic, I totally eliminated them from the list. Why?
Because after visiting Ibiza with advice from a friend who had lived there, and having experienced being overwhelmed by traffic, pollution, cocktails for 25 euros and public transportation that oblige you to leave the beach at 5pm because that is the last race, I told myself that there is better to do than going on a honeymoon to the Seychelles-alike spots.
Well, maybe I was wrong.
Zanzibar was one of those set in my ‘blacklist’. There are countless flights departing to various cities in Tanzania and also to the island of Zanzibar. Don’t let you down by the timetables.
One of the flights arrives at Zanzibar island in the middle of the night, but there is no danger. You will surely find the hotel driver or a ‘random’ taxi that takes you to the city.
The name of the Zanzibar archipelago comes from Persian. Zanzibar, to go further in time, before being part of the Republic of Tanzania was a British protectorate and I think it has maintained a certain heterogeneity allover the land.
It’s one o’clock at night when we get there. Ali waits for us at the airport among thousands of signposts with the name of tourists coming from all over the world.
He will take us to Stone Town, Zanzibar’s oldest town (also known just as Zanzibar), about 10 km from the airport. It’s a hot night, it’s too humid and we can not figure out if we are approaching the setting of ‘The Arabian Nights’ or a dangerous periphery, but we hear the waves of the sea and we rejoice.
Ali opens a high door of antique wood, nicely decorated. A young boy sleeps on a mat placed on the floor, he is the guardian. It makes us a bit sad.
The room is so spacious. A colonial style apartment with high ceilings, a four square bed and natural soap in the bathroom that smells lemon and cinnamon. It’s really hot, the dampness makes the air heavy. We gobble a bottle of frozen water and postpone the decisions on the itinerary til tomorrow.
The hotel owns the city’s most popular bar. The Stone Town Café is in fact a meeting point for tourists and locals here. They serve a hearty breakfast (I can not forget the spicy avocado toast and the superb spicy coffee, the best on the island) which for hotel guests is included in the price. They also have lots of snacks and treats for coffee breaks (have you ever tasted the hot coconut toast with home made butter?
A delight).
It’s low season, the rainy season, and we remember it right away. The first day is in fact a succession of rays of sun and water splashing on our heads. Nevertheless, it is so hot that we move to the old town, with or without umbrella.
Everything here reminds me very much of Havana, the palaces that seem to collapse or the stairs kept by wooden scaffolding, the cobbled streets where only a bicycle can pass, the colorful shops selling everything from bags to healthcare products. There is a difference with Cuba though, Havana does not have 146 mosques! In Zanzibar you can hear them all immediately as they spread prayer at full blast five times a day.
When I travel I tend to associate memories of other trips, for me it is a constant deja vu! Here flies my mind to Kandy, Sri Lanka, where mosques and Hindu temples live happily together and the speakers mix bells and songs. In Zanzibar, the majority of mosques crush the sound of churches and temples, but still they live peacefully despite of the differences between Shiites and Sunni being an issue.
Scrutinised every detail of Stone Town – its narrow streets on the sea, the jewelries that want to make you believe they sell real gemstones, Freddie Mercury’s home, yes, Freddie was born here! The vegetable market, which we visited without the camera and the famous driveways similar to the Moroccan souks – we are now moving to the next destination. Ali is not available to take us to Bweju, but he calls a friend, Thani, who comes to pick us up with his taxi and who will become our driver, friend and Aladdin for the rest of the trip.
Like many others, and like so many other times it happened during our trips around the world, he tells us about his children, the cost of their school uniforms, the sacrifices he and his wife make to pay for their studies hoping they would one day go to work in Kenya.
The trip is also made of this. Emotions are not only those transmitted by a sunset. Feelings of bitterness and impotence at times. Gratitude for what life has gave us. Awareness that the difference between me and Thani is that I come from the other side of the world to discover his territory. He aspires at paying a one-way flight to Kenya for his children. And for that purpose it will work all his life.
We arrive at Bweju via a rather busy road. Not the coastal one, which apparently during rainy season is not recommended. This is the inner road that goes from the far South to the far North of the island.
The hotel we booked, upon advice of a friend who lives in Nairobi and who often goes to Zanzibar, is a little paradise. If you like luxury it’s not ideal, but if you are looking for a simple place to relax, to lot of talks with the staff, to be in 2 minutes on a white and deserted beach, or relax in an unexpected beautiful pool surrounded by succulent plants, Mustapha’s Place is a must! Remember that you don’t need any shoes here, no asphalt or tiles, only sand. The bungalows are set on very fine white sand.
The slowness of the place gives you time to chat with the locals, who in the evening light up a fire and sit all around.
Many of them are married to Europeans. In Zanzibar, the expat community seems to be very integrated, amalgamated I would say. A beautiful blend that gives dark skin kids with blond hair.
In the – long – wait for dinner we chat, look at the photos of the day before and we negotiate the bicycles rental price to go to the Blue Lagoon the next day. The name comes from the color of the sea. It’s not a proper lagoon, but part of the coast where you can take an old sailboat, headed by an old ex-sailor and get away in the hope of seeing little Nemo and Dory. I don’t know how many different snorkels I have chewed in recent years; I tell myself every time that I have to buy a mask, but then every time I reduce the baggage to the essentials. And one more time. Is the sea water disinfectant, right?
After diving into this clear waters feeding hundreds of fish with the remains of a quarter of watermelon (who knew that fish are gluttonous of fruit?) we have now to go back, off the beach, on a bike. Those few miles at 2 pm under the African sun and with a hot wind that looks like you have a hairdryer pointed in the face are atrocious, even for two as us who do so much sport.
Time to move to the North of the island. We came to Zanzibar without great expectations. And we are delighted with the discoveries we are making on the coast. After seeing the wild coasts of the Philippines or Brazil’s sand dunes, Zanzibar is gaining a good spot on the podium.
We arrive at Nungwi, the most famous beach in the archipelago.
The road leading to the hotels runs into the village, dusty and dirty. It is sad to see how big multinationals have built colossus in areas that remain so poor.
Here many tourists arrive directly from the airport. Easy to understand why. The Nungwi beach is white and its thin sand mixes with the color of the sea. Just like in postcards, water changes color from a nearly light blue to a deep blue. Cherry on top of the cake the tourist facilities, many with a 24-hour pool and restaurants preparing ethnic food, organize excursions to explore the marine fauna. So, after doing it next to the whale sharks in Asia, we are now for the first time ready to swim next to a large family of wild dolphins. The show is spectacular. Getting on the high seas during a rainy storm and lightning and having to pull myself in the water made me very scared. As I have often noticed when traveling, organizers are never too aware of the dangers of nature. Or maybe we are the spoiled European …I never regret these wild experiences, but I always thank for being alive when I put my feet on the ground!
Last stop of this short but surprising vacation. We’re back for the last night in Stone Town, for a reason. This is called Emerson Spice.
It’s not a budget hotel. One of those destinations that if you put some money aside, merits one night. Its story tells it all. A couple buys this big house to give it life. Creating a hotel exactly similar to what was at the time of colonialism.
The furniture, doors and accessories, including an old black and white Zanzibar guide and a wooden cradle for the youngest, are original. What has not remained as before is however restored to perfection and with taste. One of the two lovers passes away. The other decides to move here from Europe to continue this dream, as this was the wish of his husband. Care for things, and for people, has been felt since I put my feet in. The smile of the staff and their kindness, impeccable. Cherry on the cake, their dinner on the terrace. A unique experience. In addition to a typical menu that smells of Maghreb and India, sat peacefully on comfortable carpets and cushions, we look at the whole city from the 6th floor. As during every trip, it’s people who makes the difference. I could potentially convince stones to talk to me, but here there is no need to ask. And so it begins a long, long lesson about Islam with one of the waiters who, to be with us, loses the prayer of 8. Between bells and prayers, sitting in front of a magnificent African sunset, we learn so many things about the coexistence between Shiites and Sunni on the island. Sipping jasmine tea, all three of a different religion, we exchange views and stories of lived life. The petals that garnish our dishes flutter in the wind. I feel catapulted into another world of peace, far from wars and speculations.
Karibu to Zanzibar.
