Zanzibar is AMAZING. The northern beaches, in particular, are breathtaking and I was so so sad to leave. In case anyone is wondering, Zanzibar is technically part of Tanzania, but for some reason we had to show our yellow fever vaccinations and get stamped in. One of the guys got stamped in on his Ethiopian visa. Oof.
Kendwa: After the first night in Stone Town, I spent the majority of my time on the northern beaches in Kendwa; it really was a version of paradise. I think the beaches of Zanzibar are some of the prettiest beaches I’ve ever seen! The blues and greens that color the ocean are seriously unreal. I took hundreds of pictures, none of which do it justice. Even when it was pouring rain, the sun would sometimes peek through the clouds and shine pretty spectacularly on the water. The food in Kendwa was also amazing! For example, I had dinner of rice, chips, grilled steak, and grilled prawns for about $6 on the beach. In the village nearby, you could get seafood curry for a whopping $2.50. I will admit to having had two lunches one day (seafood curry/grilled fish and chips) that, with a coke, cost about $5. It was cheap and delicious – key to my heart!!
If you are ever in Zanzibar and are in Kendwa, go to the Kijiji Café! In all honesty though, I loved Kendwa and probably had some of the best days there in the last six months of traveling. If I had to pick, it’d be the first place I want to come back to in all of South America and Africa :)
Full Moon Party (in Kendwa): The first night in Kendwa was the Full Moon Party. This sounds more exciting than it actually was. One of the bars on the beach hosts a big party that pretty much everyone on the beach goes to. It’s owned by an American I think and he’s pretty much a genius. He throws this “Full Moon Party” and no other bar on the beach thinks to do the same. People pay admission to get in, stay at his bar the whole night, and buy drinks pretty much exclusively at his bar since they are already there.
Snorkeling/Scuba Diving (in Kendwa): Seven of us booked a Dhow trip to the Mnemba Atoll Reserve – a privately owned island that we were allowed to snorkel around, but not set foot on. Only six of us made it, however, as one guy was busy with a local girl and missed the boat. The snorkeling was some of the best I’d ever done – I think I counted about 90 different fish! The water was warm, corals were bright and beautiful, and the fish were just everywhere! Before snorkeling, we had dropped off the chef at a nearby beach and by the time we were done, lunch of grilled kingfish, vegetable stew, rice, and fresh cut mango and watermelon was ready. Delicious! It was easily one of the best days that most of us have had on the trip so far. Diving the next day on the Hunga and Mbwangawa Reefs was also amazing and quite possibly the best diving I’ve ever done! I had picked the reefs and the Scuba Do Dive Shop was incredibly professional and really accommodating with my choices. We saw lobsters, eels, crocodile fish, scorpion fish, trumpet fish, sea cucumbers, squid, tons of fish, and three sea turtles! One of the divers even brought mid-dive snacks! Win!
Stone Town: So Stone Town is nice enough, but I pretty much wouldn’t go back if I didn’t have to (to get to the northern and eastern beaches). Stone Town has some moderately interesting Indian and Arab-influenced architecture, famous doors, and a lot of winding alleyways wrought with people ready to sell you something for “cheaper price.” Stone Town is famous for its spices and after a tour of a spice plantation, I think I ended up buying spice mixes for about eight different curries + ginger tea and lemongrass tea for mom :)
Forodhani Gardens: After watching an unbelievably beautiful sunset over the water, you can wander over to Forodhani Gardens which basically hosts a nightly meat and seafood market. I went three times when I was there and it’s one of my Stone Town highlights. All of the vendors are eager to explain to you what is on offer (pretty much an unvaried selection of shrimp, fish, calamari, octopus, meat skewers, breads, etc) and then you pick one and pile your plate as full as you want. Each skewer/item has a different price but you end up trying to negotiate a price for the plate. After reheating everything on the grill, a plate of happiness is brought to you! There are also people selling Zanzibar Pizza and fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice. A Zanzibar Pizza can come in savory or sweet forms and both are awesome! For a beef and vegetable pizza, the chef mixed ground beef, cheese, veggies, mayo, and an egg on top of a chapatti-like bread that is then cooked over a pan. I kept going back to the same chef – he knew his stuff.
So there’s good and bad about Forodhani Gardens: The good is that there is a huge selection of meat and seafood and all at very reasonable prices. I had a plate with lobster, crab, and shrimp for about $9! The other nights I’d start with a calamari steak, a shrimp skewer, and two fish skewers ($6). The bad is that if you arrive too soon after sunset, the food does not look as fresh or appetizing in the light of day. Some vendors are also shady and change the price on you. And, while you are seated, you are harassed to buy a host of goods you probably have no interest in. One of my friends refused to buy something and was called a “Skinnyhead.” He’s white and bald – I think it was a mispronunciation of another word…
So the truck arrived in Dar Es Salaam on a Friday afternoon and after two hours there, I was on a ferry to Zanzibar without having to return to truck life for almost an entire week! The days I spent there were a true vacation, even though I’m technically on an 18 month holiday already =)
Next up: Arusha, Lake Manyara, and the Ngorogoro Crater!!!
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