I went to Zanzibar!
Why you may ask?
Well, because I wanted to go to Morocco and then I booked flights to Zanzibar.
Look, don’t ask me why.
I don’t know why.
One minute I’m on Kayak looking up destinations and the next I’m picking out safaris.
Can I say though? Absolutely no regrets. Not even the 9 hour layover in Doha.
Also can I just say though? Doha Airport? It kind of slaps. (Did I use that right? Can the youth let me know?)
I bought a pass to the gym/ pool, worked out and swam for two hours. AND. There was a fully stocked shower. Can you imagine how amazing that shower was after all that? It was amazing.
Day one (officially):
I arrive at the hotel and this is the first thing I see
That, by the way, is an unedited photo. It’s super cheesy to say, but I instantly felt at peace. So what did I do next? Well, what any person would do in this situation.
I slept.
I took a two hour nap.
Yeah… I know.
(By the way, it seems that the bewilderment people have regarding my bedtime transcends continents. I like sleeping and waking up early okay, so I need to sleep early. I’m normal okay. It’s all of you that aren’t normal).
But then! Then I went to the beach.
So a few things:
- There are Maasai everywhere
- They look just as intimidating as you’d think
- Everyone says ‘hakuna matata’
I went on a beach walk and a Maasai came up to me and started talking. I noticed some things: he has a brand new iPhone, he has incredibly expensive sunglasses and he carries a stick.
Turns out, he works at a bank on the mainland. It’s only when he’s on the island that they wear traditional clothing.
He told me all about the Maasai, how they go to college and travel abroad. There are two types of Maasai: the ones in town (his family for example) and the ones in the forest. The stick he carries is actually also for protection against wild animals (read: lions on the mainland).
By the way, as far as this Maasai is concerned, I’m completely off the grid: no WhatsApp, no social media, nothing. Don’t tell him please.
That night I managed to stay awake until 7pm. I consider it an accomplishment.
Day two: Selous National Park safari
I got up bright and early at 4:30am to go on safari.
But my god. So worth it.
We get to the airport and my fear manifested itself: it’s a propeller plane.
So I’m not afraid of the planes, it’s more like this: the last time I flew in something of this size I got horribly sick and.. It was… bad.
Anywho. I walk up to the plane.
Pilot: hello! You’re sitting next to me. You’re the copilot.
Me:
Pilot:
Me:… what
The flight itself was actually really okay. Well, except during turbulence when the pilot was reading WhatsApp messages (mind you, it was super safe, just surreal).
A short hour late and we’re in the Jeep. We hadn’t even driven 10 min when we saw the antelopes and the giraffes.
Actually, we saw so many giraffes (Tanzania’s national animal) that we said “alright they’re cool but it’s enough.”
We ended up seeing all animals in less than 2 hours. Apparently this is unheard of. We were incredibly lucky.
A few unsettling things did happen:
- A big bull elephant started storming towards us (but I mean just look at that face. He was adorable).
- The lioness woke up and stared at us a little too intently
- A hippo started doing summersaults in the water
Okay so that last one isn’t scary or anything but just. I didn’t knew they did that?
Of course we also saw baboons but my time in India taught me that monkeys are just not to be trusted.
Oh and hyenas! They are adorable fluffy meat eating carnivores (I realize those are synonyms). They look a lot like bears, especially their round ears.
Our lovely tour group (and the pilot jumped in there too).
When we flew back I again sat in front and I saw this— the shadow of the airplane on a cloud, encircled by a rainbow
Day three: beach day
This was a beach and snorkeling day.
This was my sunrise (and why I love waking up early)
And here’s a beach pup for good measure too:
I went walking on the beach and I saw a sea cucumber for the first time ever. They are… weird.
I have no better word for them other than… weird.
Just… just look them up okay.
Day four: prison island and Nakupenda sandbank
Tortoises! Boats! Sandbanks!
Big day.
First things first. Anyone who knows me knows I’m terrified of boats because I get horribly sick (yes I get sick on every mode of transport except planes). But alright I really wanted to see these tortoises and the sandbank.
We get to Stone Town and there it is. The tiny electric boat that’s supposed to take me to the islands. So I’m waiting around for the other tourists when the captain says “so we’ll go now, you have a private tour.” Uh. Okay. Unexpected. But coolcoolcool.
First stop: prison island. About 300 years ago this island was used to keep slaves for the Sultan of Zanzibar. I’m not going to relay the stories the guide told me, but they were harrowing. You could still see shackles.
A couple hundred years later it became a quarantine island: anyone with yellow fever, malaria etc. They were all sent there.
And then a few years after that, the Seychelles decided to gift Zanzibar these giant land tortoises. One of the original tortoises was still there: a young grandmother of 196 years old.
Just look at her face! She’s got teeth that’ll rip off your fingers but just look at her!
After Prison Island we took the boat again to the Nakupenda sandbank.
Honestly? I don’t have all that much to say about it. I swam, I tanned, I ate. What can I say, a pretty standard day in my life these days.
No but for real I ate about 6 lobsters. I will never go back to eating not fresh grilled lobster on a beach with blue water surrounding me.
Those pictures aren’t of lobsters. I ate them before I could take a picture.
I love lobster.
(Does that make me sound entitled?)
Day five: beach day (part two)
Yeah. Look. I enjoy my days at the beach doing nothing.
I mean this guide is called “the lazy persons guide to traveling” so it’s only fair I make sure to also be lazy.
I’m stayed hotel side. I ate. I swam. And. I napped.
Okay to be fair I woke up at 5:40 and went for a run. Here is another sunrise:
Oh right. Some kid did steal my hat. Super cute little 1.5 year old.
But he stole my hat.
(His mom brought it back to me later).
Day six: spice tour
I went on a spice tour! In all honesty I was a bit skeptical about this tour simply because of the fact that many Zanzibari foods have the same basic ingredients as Indian food. The spice trade between India and Zanzibar is legendary. So, I thought, what more could they teach me?
Turns out. A lot.
I knew all the spices, that wasn’t it. But I had no idea what they looked like prior to being the spices I know. A cinnamon tree? Uh. Did you know it’s roots smell like ginger? See — go figure. Same with grapefruit? Or durian? Or cloves? It seems obvious now.
Mind blown.
I got a crown while I was there to truly define the queen that I am.
Note: to all first time readers, please understand that I do not mean any of that last part. At all.
I even got a little ring, bracelet and handbag!
Then, we got to try all the fruit and have all the fresh coconut. My god. Coconut literally just brought down from the tree. Custard apple just picked.
Makes me miss India. Maybe I should move back.
Anywho.
Day seven: From Stone Town to Brussels city
So the title is misleading because I’m first headed to Hoegaarden.
But Stone Town first— the birthplace of Freddy Mercury. Whaaaaat!
So I walked past the house, and then backtracked because I realized I missed it. It sounds cooler than it actually is. But hey still. Queen you know.
Stone Town is a UNESCO world heritage site and rightly so. The buildings are incredibly intricate. It’s a beautiful town with a lot of history.
I walked the city on my own for two hours, trying to kill time between my rapid test (negative!) and my flight. It’s a very doable walk.
And with that my little tropical holiday was over.
If you’re going to Zanzibar here’s what I recommend.
Suggested Lazy itinerary:
Either start or end your stay in Stone Town. It’s worth spending a few hours (or, depending, on your arrival time a night).
If you do stay the night, then you’re perfectly placed to do the tours in the area.
- The Nakupenda Sandbank and Prison island tour — it leaves from Stone Town, so you wouldn’t be paying the extra driver fee
- And the safari on the mainland. Again, because of proximity. The airport is a stones throw away so it’s worth staying. You decide which safari you want to do. If you want the one I did, shoot me a message and I’ll give you the details.
After these trips you’ll be tired. I suggest taking the next day to relax at the beach.
I recommend taking every other day as a beach day. You’ll be surprised by how tired you are each evening so it’s worth taking a break.
I highly recommend the spice tour. However. And a big however. If it’s not your thing, then don’t do it. Do the Jozani forest instead. I didn’t do it, but I’ve heard great things. The same is applicable for Mnemba Island.
That should cover about a week of Zanzibar.
Where to stay? I mentioned Stone Town. Walking through I saw loads of quaint hotels.
I stayed in Kiwengwa, more specifically the Simba Beach Restaurant and Lodge. I loved it. No joke. It was great.
And that’s Zanzibar for ya! If you want links, shoot me a message and I’ll get back to you.
