Zanzibar - Island and Beaches

Hi Bloggers,

The Stone Town was obviously one of the highlights of Zanzibar, but equally impressive was the island's interior and its famous beaches. The East African coast is genuinely blessed with the kind of white caster sugar sand associated with tropical paradises.
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I rented a motobike (see pic), but frankly I don't recommend this, as it was definitely faulty and broke down a couple of times. Once in a village, in fact, which could have been a scary experience for a more paranoid person. But instead of seizing this golden opportunity to rob and loot a helpless tourist, the locals were actually really helpful, and got me up and running again. Before coming to Africa I had been warned of the crime rate, but once again I experienced nothing but warmth and hospitality. In fact, if I have learnt anything from all my travel experience, it is that man's nature is fundamentally good and that the criminal is reviled in all societies, even the poorest and most primitive.
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Anyway, I certainly enjoyed riding through the lush tropical fields and forests, passing by and occasionally stopping in incredibly quaint villages. The most interesting ones were probably the fishing ones. As for the beaches, they were just awesome, and happily with hardly anyone there. Mind you, it was low season. Rainy season, in fact, which I discovered the hard way.

So, all in all, I'd thoroughly recommend a trip to the fabled spice island of Zanzibar!

Cheers,
Rob

Zanzibar - Stone Town

Hi Bloggers,

Just got back from a great week in Kenya! Visited both Nairobi and Mombasa, though had to cancel the safari because of a severe attack of the runs! But I'll cover this highly memorable journey in my next blog, as somehow I've managed to get seriously behind schedule, mentioning nothing about my trips to Zanzibar in March and then Istanbul in June since I lasted posted!

So Zanzibar - that's Tanzania, by the way (see previous blog for Dar es Salaam). What a place! It must be one of the top exotic destinations anywhere in the world, as combines both culture and natural beauty. The Stone Town dates back several hundred years as a centre for the spice trade and has elements of Arab, Indian and Portuguese architecture in it. Its heyday, though, was probably from the 18th Century onward, when the Omani Arabs took control of it and added the slave trade to it (nice one, chaps). There's also a buzzing market here too.

Zanzibar is worth visiting for the Stone Town alone, but it also blessed with magnificent white sands beaches, particularly on the east coast. There's a reef about a mile out too, which means that the water remains very shallow near the shore.












Myself, I stayed in the Stone Town and made excursions out to the beaches, as, to be honest, I'm not really a beach person. I love to be near the sea, but find I get bored pretty quickly if I just sit on the beach, and I gave up sunbathing years ago! The only drawback in the Stone Town is the presence of persistent touts. I found the best way was to make friends with a couple of them, because actually they gave useful insights into the place and were often interesting characters in their own right. And, poor guys, they're just trying to make a living like anyone else!












The east coast of Africa is the Swahili speaking area, whether it be Kenya or Tanzania. It evolved as a result of Afrian Bantu meeting Arabic. Swahili doesn't refer to just the language but also the coastal people as a whole. And I'm pleased to say I learnt a few basic phrases! Jambo - hello!

But enough of my blurb. Judge for yourself by the pictures!

Cheers,
Robert