Zanzibar, Tanzania- Africa
View from Villa 1, Villa Serenity
Zanzibar is the main island off Tanzania, surrounded by the Indian Ocean. It lies off the coast of East Central- Africa and the population is approximately 1.3 million people. The main languages in Zanzibar are Swahili, Arabic and English, there are two religions, Islam which makes up most of the population and Christianity in the minority (1%). Zanzibar's economy relies on spices, raffia (a type of palm tree) and tourism.
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| View from villa |
At the beginning of the Ramadan month, I was made aware that we were having a break off work for Eid-Al-Fitr (festival of breaking the fast). Our break was scheduled to be almost one week long including the weekend. My friend was eagerly discussing trips and one of them which came up was Zanzibar. She messaged me at night time with all the prices and to be honest I had never heard of Zanzibar. I did a quick google search, the pictures that came up were white sandy beaches, clear blue water, great food and full of colour. After making all attempts in the space of five minutes of trying to convince myself of all the reasons it wasn't a good idea, I responded and said, "yes I'm going."
I rarely ever make rash decision, I am an over thinker, I think things through even after I have make a decision. In honesty it has led me this far but also I've missed out on many great experiences, I knew at a later time I would have enjoyed. I believe being exposed to all different cultures and ways of life has allowed me to have a more open mind towards decisions like these.
The next day I booked my tickets and by the end of the week, I had fully paid for my accommodation with four other teachers at (Villa Serenity) found on the East coast region of Zanzibar. For my four night and five day trip, including flights and breakfast, I paid a total of $2375 AED (approx. $650 us). Including the tours, food, taxis I paid approximately $600 AED (approx. $160us).
A need to know guide on Zanzibar:
Our Accommodation
Villa 1 at Villa Serenity was remarkable. A four bedroom villa, private pool and direct access to the beach and the restaurant right next door. The villa was clean on arrival and everyday someone came and cleaned the rooms. The staff was very attentive, kind, friendly and extremely helpful. The chef was amazing, he once came over to take our order and in minutes we had food on our table. The views from the villa are gorgeous,the sunsets are every more beautiful, the location of the villa is very central to that area (Paje) so everything is twenty minutes away. The drive from the airport is the only exception which was one hour away. Worthy of mention is Kilopi (meaning hard worker in Swahili) an extraordinary, very kind and helpful young man working at Villa Serenity. If ever you do get the chance to stay there I hope you have an encounter with him and the other great members of staff.The service at Villa Serenity was phenomenal.
Currency
Zanzibar's currency is the Tanzanian shilling, $1 US dollar is approximately $2300 TZS (Tanzanian shilling). All places we visited took US dollars which is incredibly great but different places charge different rates. One establishment's rate was $1800 TZS for $1 US where some places were giving $2500 TZS for $1 US. Therefore, I recommend changing some of your money into the Tanzanian shilling for these instances.
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| View from Teddy's on the Beach |
Visa
Trinidad and Tobago nationals do not need a visa to enter into Zanzibar. However, UK and US nationals do need a visa. A quick search on google can confirm based on your nationality if a visa is needed. There are two options if you do need a visa, online and visa on arrival. The price for the visa is based on your nationality, i.e. American citizens pay $100 US.
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| Zanzibar Airport |
Food
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| Lobster special at The Rock restaurant |
- New Teddy's on the Beach - located in Jambiani just 10 minutes from our villa, the food was so good and the aesthetic was excellent. You can also book a bed in a dorm at New Teddy's Place which is cozy home for travellers. The price for a night runs as low as $20 US per night. You can get to either place by a short shuttle ride provided by New Teddy's. However, other guests from surrounding areas are welcomed to come eat and lounge at New Teddy's on the Beach. I would recommend if you're a creative looking for a quiet place to write etc.
The Rock restaurant - The Rock Restaurant - A magical restaurant perching on a meter-high rock in the clear blue ocean. It is located on Michanwi Pingwe beach which was 30 minutes away from our villa. The food is extremely delicious but expect to pay a bit more because of its' exclusivity. It's a 14 table restaurant and you book in advance for a two hour slot. Honestly, the restaurant is something you'd only see in movies or be described in books. The wait and the price is worth it because the ambiance is really well thought of and the flavours in the food are exceptional.
View from The Rock Restaurant - Smoothies Juice Bar- Not a place you'd usually go to when there is an island full of spices and flavours, but their coconut ice-cream is note worthy. You taste the freshness of the coconut, even some grains of the coconut are still in the ice cream. It was five minutes walking distance from our accommodation (just outside SupaDuka Supermarket and Kijiji restaurant in Paje).
Walking with our guide Ramadan to Ma Shaa Allah Cafe - Ma Shaa Allah Cafe- located in Stone Town, Mkunazini Street. I guarantee if you ask anyone where to go to get good food in the city, they will direct you to here. We wanted local cuisine, street food, authentic Zanzibar. The cafe has a range of different foods, you can order a plate with just a bit of everything or you can order everything in a form of a buffet, which is what we did because we wanted to try everything. We treated our tour guide to lunch as well and the total bill for each of us was $7 US.
The food in Zanzibar was fresh, no preservatives, you tasted the difference, the food was tasty and there are a range of options for every diet.
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| Fresh fruit for breakfast every morning at the Villa |
There were many tours to choose from; Safari tour, Prison Island tour, Stone Town tour, Dolphin tour and Spice tour. We did the Prison Island tour and a mini Stone Town tour. You can book the tour through your accommodation which I definitely advise. A lot of Zanzibar/Tanzania economy focuses on tourism and there are a lot of locals around who can provide the same service which you see online on TripAdvisor etc. I suggest getting there and speaking to the locals before booking the tours online.
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| Prison Island |
- Prison Island Tour- our guide was quite knowledgeable about Zanzibar's history and his English was really good. His name was Ramadan Mubarak, he was extremely helpful and made the tour much more exciting than reading online. It focused on the history of the mini island and the greatest part , there were 100 year old tortoises walking around on a section of the island.
100 year old tortoise at Prison Island 
On route to Prison Island - Mini Stone Town Tour- The day we did this was the day before Eid which is a huge celebration, so the streets were packed with people but the experience of walking through the streets, speaking to the locals, was truly memorable.
Walking through Stone Town 
The people and culture
A quick google search led me to the crime rate in Zanzibar and there are many negative articles, I did the same quick google search when coming to the UAE and psyched myself out. But the people of Zanzibar are the most comfortable and happiest people I've ever encountered, their simple life excites me when compared to the hustle and bustle I'm accustomed to. The country is full of colour and exudes vibrancy. Everyone is so open, friendly and welcoming. Fortunately for them you also hear it, because at the end of every one of their sentences you hear the words, "Hakuna Matata".
Flights
Our flights from Dubai to Zanzibar was 14 hours and 15 minutes with a stop over in Kenya for 7 hours. The Flight back was meant to be 11 hours and 15 minutes but our flight was delayed by two hours. Ideally, if you are not in for the long layovers, there are flights directly or with less layover time but obviously it is more expensive. The stop in Kenya did allow for some exploring but we weren't willing to risk it. From the UK I suggest coming through Paris as the tickets are less. From Trinidad, the cheapest month to fly is in September around $1600 US however, fly time is like 58 hours. I suggest using Skyscanner, clear trip and even CheapOair. CheapOair can be dodgy at times but for US citizens now there is the option of paying for your vacation in installments which is a plus.
The flight back to Kenya though was well worth the delay we had after. The pilot on the flight back announced that he had a surprise for the occupants, he circle Mount Kilimanjaro which was an unforgettable experience by itself. Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest free standing mountain in the world.
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| Mount Kilimanjaro |
I've not had many impulsive decision of this sort to reflect on, but being surrounded by a different culture, wonderful teachers from different backgrounds at different stages of their life, those who share a love for God but also can have a good time was an amazing experience. My fly buddies, the culture, the scenery, the people, the beaches, the food can only lead me to say, impulsive decisions can sometimes lead to beautiful destinations.
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