Marloes & Jennifer on study trip to Zanzibar
‘After such a beautiful safari in the wilderness, we don’t necessarily need to go to Zanzibar. We don’t like lying on the beach and it is so touristy there.’
We regularly hear this during the first conversation with our clients. But… Zanzibar is not just sun, sea, beach and tourists. It is an authentic, cultural destination with a rich history, an impressive past, idyllic locations, small-scale accommodations and beautiful nature.
Our travel consultants Marloes and Jennifer travelled there in September and visited lots of locations. With this blog, they hope to give a good answer to the above ‘statement’.
We start our tour on Zanzibar in the atmospheric old town of Stone Town. A maze of narrow streets, Arabic architecture, ornate Indian doors, mosques, cyclists, mopeds, enthusiastic schoolchildren, fantastic shops, fun restaurants and atmospheric rooftop terraces… We love Stone Town!
During the city tour (with a guide – highly recommended) we learn more about the history, the interesting mix of Eastern, European and African influences and the impressive slavery past, among other things. At the monument where the slave market used to be, we are silent. Who comes up with something like this? But this too is the story of Zanzibar and has shaped the island into what it is today.
On the way to the northeast coast, we stop at an amazing women’s project, where you can do a cooking course with the ladies from the village. Before getting into the kitchen, you’ll join them at the market to do some shopping: a great excursion!
We also discover (hidden in a jungle-like garden, next to a fishing workshop, near a ruin of an old Sultans’ palace) a great accommodation for those who love silence and nature. What a find! Our trip succeeded on day 1! 😊
We settle down that day at our accommodation near the laid-back, authentic fishing village of Matemwe. This part of the island is wonderfully quiet and you can take endless walks on the snow-white sandy beaches. Here and there a local shop (‘beach banda’) and a handful of restaurants. Otherwise, there is a relaxed island feeling with fine, personal, small-scale accommodation.
Those who want a bit more rush, but also still want an authentic island feel, should head to the south-east coast. That is because there, on a beautiful blue lagoon, you have the cosy kitesurfing villages of Paje and Jambiani. You can sleep on the amazingly beautiful beach within walking distance of the villages. But if you are looking for more peace and quiet, there are also some very nice accommodations / villas not far from the villages (short taxi ride of about 10 minutes). Then you can easily combine peace and bustle.
The south-east coast is a great place to relax, but you can also go kitesurfing, supping, snorkelling, diving, kayaking, cooking, mountain biking and swimming in freshwater caves.
In Jambiani, we were introduced to a great new initiative, run entirely by people from the village. Here you can learn about local traditions in a very pleasant, low-threshold way. During this ‘coconut workshop’ we learned how the islanders make full use of the coconut palm. Nothing goes to waste! We made coconut oil and rope and braided baskets. Super fun and interesting!
We left the long white sandy beaches of the east coast and travelled on to Zanzibar’s south coast. Nature gets more prevalent here and along the way we see birds, monkeys, giant baobab trees and authentic villages made of red clay. Sometimes we forget for a moment that we are on a tropical island and it feels like we are driving on mainland Tanzania. The coastline gets rougher here with rocks, beautiful blue lagoons and bays.
The next morning, we are picked up by guide Rama, who takes us to his village. He proudly talks about village life as we walk to the mangroves. Once there, we board his traditional canoe, made of mango wood. Apart from a single fisherman, we see no one at all in the canal. In silence, we sail through the mangroves, where we see fish, crabs and birds. He has been coming here all his life; as a child he used to swim here with his friends. What a childhood…
On the ground, in Rama’s house, we end the trip with a delicious local lunch – cooked by his mother.
During sunset on the Indian Ocean at our last, amazing ‘jungle-like’ accommodation, we bid farewell to Zanzibar full of inspiration. Jennifer has become a fan and Marloes has fallen in love again with this wonderful island….
And to return to the statement above:
Zanzibar is so much more than just relaxing on the snow-white beach. If you are looking for action, nature and culture, Zanzibar has a lot to offer.
And yes: Zanzibar is touristy. Especially at the all-inclusive resorts near Kendwa and Nungwi. But if you know the right spots and guides, you won’t notice.
Want to know more? Feel free to call or e-mail Jennifer or Marloes! They will be happy to advise you.
