WARM WATERS | FRIENDLY | HEAT
Our second stop in Africa was Tanzania and unfortunately while we did not get to experience the legendary safari regions, we did spend a month on the tiny island of Zanzibar, which is pretty much exactly what we expected it to be. The beaches are among the best in the world, the people are friendly and life in the villages is as different as anything the typical westerner can imagine.
Kiwengwa Beach, Zanzibar
We were in Zanzibar during February and March, which are their summer months (perhaps not the best idea to go to Africa in the summer). It is incredibly hot from sunrise to sunset and air conditioning is a rare luxury. Kimili View, where we lived for the month, in had multiple fans in every room and we had to make do with that. The wifi was spotty at best. Foreigners cannot drink the water. The nearest “grocery store,” a place from which most Americans would never buy dairy or meat products, was a 15 minute walk in the sweltering heat. We loved every minute of it!
Because we were staying so long, we made several sets of new friends who were staying in the same complex as us for a few days up to a week. We ate many meals at The White Dream Lodge right on the beach. We attended a “full moon party” at Kendwa Rocks. We spent an unexpected night dancing with locals at Papaya while the power repeatedly went out and they powered the sound system with a generator. We snorkeled, swam and went to the beach every day. And of course, at 5PM every day, we went to work and prayed that the wifi wouldn’t fail us.
We have been to over 30 gyms in the past year and a half and this one easily had the best view of any of them. We paid around $15 to some guys who built this gym next to their kite surfing shop to be able to use the “gym” for the month. I was almost always the only person there, sweat pouring down my face while the locals looked at me like I had lost my mind.
Stone Town, Zanzibar
I would consider Stone Town in Zanzibar one of the most overwhelming places I have ever been. Winding narrow streets crowded with more people than you can imagine, selling everything from food to spices to trinkets of all shapes and sizes. Heat that seems almost physical in how strong it is. Historic and sobering monuments from the island’s days as a major marketplace for the African slave trade. The Forodhani Gardens night market was a 5 minute walk from our Airbnb and I ate Zanzibar “pizza” for dinner four nights in a row (we were advised to avoid the seafood options). The stall owners will be aggressive in trying to lure you in but as long as you are firm they will leave you alone. Our Airbnb was easily the smelliest place I have ever stayed but for 5 euros per day we had unlimited AC, which I had never been so happy to have. Overall, I wouldn’t spend more than a few days to a week in Stone Town but a trip to Zanzibar without experiencing it would definitely be incomplete.