Monday, April 29, 2013

Zanzibar: The Spice Island

Zanzibar

Just off the coast of Tanzania (Dar es Salaam) You will find Zanzibar one of my favorite spots to hang out in. You have the resorts in the North (Nungwi) or you can stay in Stone Town, where ever you end up staying, swap around so you experience both places. You can catch the ferry from Dar es Salaam and enjoy an 1 1/2 ride across, inside with Air/con or outside on a bean bag, once you get there fill out the paper work, stamp the passport and you are in. To fly over it takes around 40 min great views of the islands, when we landed on this occasion they never looked at our Passports.
Resort on Zanzibar near Nungwi
One of the Resorts Near Nungwi, Zanzibar


If you are going to be going to one of the Resorts in the north of the island you can catch a taxi van just out the front of the ferry terminal ask around, prices can very.
Once there you have beaches, diving, swimming Cold beer and great food, dinning next to the ocean you can look down and see lion fish in the clear water below. When you are tired of doing that GO AND DO a spice tour which I would recommend as this what Zanzibar is know for.





Stone Town

Staying only 10 min from the ferry Terminal at the Safari Lodge the place was clean handy to every thing and they do breakfast, With a Labyrinth of walk/bike ways, Stone Town was a great place to get lost in (in a good way) from the Spice market to the Fish and Meat markets too the Tinga Tinga paintings that can be found down every street.
local street in stone town Zanzibar
Streets of Stone Town, Zanzibar

In the evenings you can find locals cooking seafood on the waterfront (try the octopus) cooked as you wait and watch, as you walk along the waterfront you will come across the road tunnel once through, there is a ATM to your left that can be used, take the next street to the right and walk down to the beach and you can find them making boats by hand, taking the street to the left, you will pass Freddy Mercury's birth place and some bigger shops (little park on you right has a ATM in it also) at the end of the street there is Africa House great place to watch the Sunset and have a cold one, check out the smoking room.
feeding Tortoises in Zanzibar

Catching a boat next to Mercury's Bar out to one of the local islands (Bawe Island) were you can feed some of the Tortoises they have there, ranging from the young and small to the big and old.




local boy on the beach in Zanzibar
local Boy, Zanzibar
Things to Remember
Ladies look at what the local woman are wearing before you go out in your little shorts and tops it's ok in the resorts but when in the towns cover up a little and you wont get the funny looks.
Carry water.
Enjoy the Local People their culture and the great food.