A paradise called Zanzibar

So being born and raised in Tanzania mainland for over 20 years, my sister and i had never been to the 'soul' of Tanzania, i.e Zanzibar. on July 2010 my sister and her husband went to Zanzibar for their honeymoon. My friend Jose and I crashed the honeymoon ( i know what you are thinking, but we can't be blamed for being adventurous). The four of us took a Dar express morning bus (6:30 a.m) from Arusha to Dar es salaam. On reaching Ubungo bus terminal we had to rush to the Ferry so that we could catch the 4p.m ferry to Zanzibar, so we got in the first taxi we saw and we went to Posta Ferry. We boarded a Kilimanjaro Boat / Ferry and it took us almost 2 and a half hours to reach Zanzibar (Unguja). The sun was setting by the time we reached Zanzibar but even in the dark i could feel and see the beauty of the historical place. For some reason i like the narrow roads even though they can easily get you lost if your geography is not that good.

 We lodged in a hotel in Stone Town and that night we went to the night market where i was astonished at what i saw. The variety of sea foods got my mouth watery and the only thing running through my mind at that moment was I GOTTA HAVE IT ALL..the shark meat, octopus, crab, etc etc etc..but i ended up having an entire octopus for old times sake..YEEEEEEEY. The view of the ocean from Forodhani (night market) was very calming..i enjoyed the night, the view but most of all the seafood.Apart from touring around Stone Town, which was a very healthy walk by the way, but i enjoyed the quietness of south Unguja - Kizimkazi. We lodged in a really nice Villa for two days and i wished we didn't have to leave. We took a boat ride to see the dolphins in the Indian ocean, i must admit i fell in love with the dolphins the minute i got to see them "live". Thing is, i think am hydrophobic...but the thought of me being in the ocean surrounded by those beautiful mammals, i just let go of my fears and dived in...then it suddenly clicked 'I CAN'T SWIM'..well, the rest is history..am alive aren't I? lol.

the old fort

Zanzibar has so much to offer. Who would have thought such a small island that united with Tanganyika to form Tanzania would have such an amazing beauty that would leave you in awe of what God has done for this magnificent country.

If you ever find yourself in Zanzibar, please please please, i beg you....DO GO SEE THE DOLPHINS, wake up with the sun and stay by the sea to watch the sunset. You will not regret those moments..i promise you! For those many who love their meals tasty and with mouth watering aroma, do make an effort to visit the spice market..you'll find all the spices you could ever need, starting from Tea Masala to cloves that will leave your meals/tea smelling like an Indian professional cuisine.

I promise myself to go visit Zanzibar once again. If not with a bunch of friends for a wild weekend then maybe with my fun crew "NOORIE JANE, TAYLOR, JOSE" or just for my 'REAL HONEYMOON'  ;-)

God bless Tanzania.

(For my friends who plan to visit Zanzibar, call me on +255 782 44 77 77 for more details n contacts of persons there)