I was lucky enough to travel away from the hustle and bustle of Nairobi and spend Easter at Zanzibar with my friend Grace!
Small details of the trip:
Nairobi - Zanzibar City with Precision Air, 1h 50 min.
Two nights and one day in the lovely capital Zanzibar city, exploring the lovely old town of Stonetown by foot.
Three days and four nights in the north coast town of Nungwi, which was basically a little shack town next to a row of budget or luxurious resorts on the white, sandy beaches (the contrast between the little village and our Doubletree by Hilton-resort was a bit painful...).
Zanzibar City - Nairobi with Kenya Airways, 50 min.
Flights were 330 €, and we got a good deal on the hotels since it was low-season.
The top 5 things about this trip:
- Zanzibar is LOVELY. It is so beautiful, small, not as busy as Nairobi and a lot more quiet. It is also the most romantic place I've been to (mind you, I haven't traveled that much) - I wish L could have been there with me.
- Despite the rainy season having started, it only rained for a while on our first day in Nungwi. Other than that the weather was perfect: 25-30 degrees Celsius and sunny. :)
- Compared to Nairobi, Zanzibar is very safe. We were actually able to walk in the streets after dark and, for example, enjoy some tasty street food at the market in Stonetown. It wasn't until I was walking on the beach barefoot, looking at the starry sky, that I realized how much I had missed the freedom of walking outside after dark.
- After awhile I got over my white man's guilt of staying at a quality hotel next to the village, where people clearly lived in poverty. I actually managed to relax on the beaches and get a proper tan!
- I went snorkeling and I saw coral reefs for the first time in my life! It was a lot more scarier that I thought it would be, and when Grace decided to go diving at Nungwi, I opted out (also for budgetary reasons).
When I was researching the destination, I came across a
wonderful blog and we pretty much did everything that was mentioned there! Okay, we didn't go on a Spice Tour, since I had heard they're not that informative or interesting. Then again we met a couple of people who had been on a tour and loved it, so I don't know.
But anyway, here are some pictures! :)
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| House of Wonders. The first building in Zanzibar to have electricity, running water and an elevator. |
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| At the tortoise sanctuary. |
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| Almost like Monopoly-money! |
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| Stonetown is famous for the wonderfully odd and beautiful doors. |
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| Our guide at Slave market. Here's what the blog I was talking about says about the Zanzibari slave trade: "Zanzibar has a more sinister claim to fame: the archipelago was a main slave-trading port in East Africa. For a deeper understanding of this dark chapter in its history, don’t miss the location of the world’s last open slave market, a deeply significant site where the Anglican Cathedral now stands as a symbolic triumph over inhumanity. Started by the Portuguese, the slave trade in Zanzibar reached its zenith with the Omani sultanate until it was outlawed by the British in 1873, thanks to the anti-slavery campaign led by the famous Scottish explorer, David Livingstone, who stayed in Zanzibar before his final expedition. Slaves from the African interior were transported here, where they were whipped and sold, then shipped off to the Middle East and as far as North America." |
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| This is the most moving memorial I've ever been to. If I remember it correctly, it was made by a Swede. The chains are supposedly original. |
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| At the Darajani market. |
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| Street food market! |
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| At Nungwi. Low tide. |
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| Village of Nungwi. |
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| Yes, I'm THAT cheesy. |
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| Grace got us upgraded - free breakfast! |
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| Last sunrise |
