Zanzibar: a beach lover’s DREAM!!
i left a little piece of my heart in Rwanda and on an impulse came to Zanzibar, Tanzania, in search of white sand beaches, turquoise bathtub-warm water, and some more peace.
immediate thoughts in the taxi from the airpirt: Rwanda is way prettier. no offence Tanzania. it’s hard to beat those lush, green rolling hills with cute little villages with cute pastel-coloured shops, and i was getting a lot of dusty clay and garbage in their place. in Rwanda all locals are required to do community service on the last Saturday of the month including maintenance and cleaning the streets. you will be hard pressed to find any litter in Rwanda. also Tanzania is a Muslim country so the ladies (and even young girls like they literally just learned to walk) are covered up in headscarves instead of the vibrant Rwandan patterns called kitenge with fruit baskets on their heads. different vibes.anywho. the beaches are INCREDIBLE. here’s a lil summary:- British fam adopts me for Tanzanian visa gongshow at Dar es Salaam airport- arrive in Nungwi, the northern tip of Zanzibar - Kipepeo hostel owner Shadrock is amazing, Rastafarian, always smiling and saying “pretty cool”. but toilet is a hole in the ground, door is made of straw and held together with a bike lock, and ground is sand/ants so switched to Akii Garden hotel (probably a bit of a budge leap but at least my door locks :D)
- dinner at Highland with German friends Lea and Max. $3 ugali - you dip your whole fingers in the beef sauce, as demonstrated to me by Vicky. not my type of finger food.- snorkelling tour to Mnemba Island - omg everyone needs to come to Zanzibar for this alone!!! BEST snorkelling i have ever done - tons of colourful fish, crystal clear water, white sand and gorg coral reef. i am about to post this from Thailand and these beaches are meh in comparison!! on the Mnemba tour, lunch was included on a private island aka paradise. saw dolphins twice on the ride over!! i came with Lea and Max and made friends with Pippa and Josep from Lisbon and Barcelona, and Becky and friends from Dubai. travelling alone ain’t so bad :) had a lol on the ride home where all 6 workers were snoozin on the boat
- met a fam from Dar es Salaam at dinner, met up with Dubai friends for drinks at Z Rooftop- beach day with Lea and Max and Vicky comes through with a free kayak and paddleboard sesh. bless her.
- African dance party at GuruGuru for Vicky’s friends’ goodbye party. girls are on their shins humping the ground. guys are running around with their hands waving in the air. there is an impromptu dance performance by some young dancer dudes (i died). Lea and i think a huge brawl is going to break out but then they hug and laugh. so expressive. so energetic. that night was CRAZY.
- Stone Town, UNESCO heritage site - winding alleyways, slave market, many mainy tourist shops with the exact same goods for sale: “Zanzibar” tanks, sarongs, African art and household items like spoons and bowls. the stuff is actually pretty cool but not cool enough to backpack it around for the next 5 months. took a boat to Prison Island and saw 192 year old turtle and his friends
- beach day with Max and Lea, they go swimming with turtles and get bitten while feeding them. i do not regret opting out. drank some coconuts at sunset.
the one standout thing i’ll picture from Zanzibar (aside from freakishly perfect beaches) is, amongst ALL the locals working out on the beach at sunset, the Maasai people walking the beach with their sticks and chanting/jumping. the Maasai tribe is nomadic, moving through Tanzania and i think Kenya with their goats and cows. it was kind of eerie to me. i kept thinking mom wouldn’t like this lol. these people on the beach are just tourist attractions - the authentic Maasai have stretched earlobes and scars on their cheeks. also a bit sad but Zanzy is so tourist tainted. you cant build authentic connections when everyone is trying to scam you.
the best thing by far is the beaches!!! i dont know what will beat them. if you’re looking for perfection on a beach. Zanzy is calling your name!!
