After a long tiresome journey I was finally on my last plane from Nairobi to Zanzibar. The views out of the plane window were absolutely fantastic as I got a good first impression of the island as we flew over it (I recommend sitting on the left hand-side of the plane to get the best views of the island when arriving).
Upon arrival at the Zanzibar airport I got my visa and jumped straight into a cab which took me through a sight seeing tour of Zanzibar from Stone Town all the way to Nungwi. I couldn’t believe the things I was seeing; the sky was so bright and the foliage on either road side was vibrantly green! There were carts being pulled by donkeys, people riding bikes, cattle on the road side and tropical smells wafting in the air.
Soon enough I arrived at the the hotel I was going to be staying at for the next week – it was great! The rooms were en-suite with a sea view of the Indian Ocean from the balconies and there was a nice sized swimming pool which I jumped into to cool off right after checking in. I spent the rest of that first evening at the hotel drinking local brewery Kilimanjaro beers and eating king fish in the hotels restaurant which was crafted from a traditional wooden Dhow boat. I went to bed early so that I would ware off any jet-lag and be fresh for day two.
I woke up feeling refreshed after my flight into Zanzibar the day before, my plan for today was to visit Prison Island. I got a cab back the same route I had taken yesterday,which took me into Stone Town. When I arrived in Stone Town I couldn’t believe how narrow the alley ways where and how tall the buildings shot up into the sky – it was magical. I made my way down towards the beach area and asked one of the people selling Prison Island trips to take me over.
I spent my day on Prison island snorkeling, swimming and sun bathing on the beautiful white sand beach and also visited the tortoise sanctuary, where I was able to feed a hundred year old tortoise some greens. I got my boat back to Stone town and went for an Indian meal before getting a cab back to the hotel and going to sleep after a nice relaxed day in the sun.
Day three in paradise… Time for some extreme water sports! I inquired at my hotel about water sports and it turned out they had their own sea kayaks! After a bit of practice on land, I took to the sea and spent several hours riding the waves out in the sun.
Just a tip; wear a hat that covers your head and face and polarized if you are doing water sports in bright sun. I got to watch the sunset from my kayak which was amazing and then headed back to shore. That night I ate at the hotel restaurant and then went for a swim in the pool and gazed at the stars – such an experience that I can’t describe it in words.
My final day… I wish I was staying longer! I decided to spend the day in Nungwi and see what happens as I go along. I made a start by walking along the stretch of beach and eventually came to a natural aquarium by a lighthouse where there were baby sea turtles in rock pools that had been taken in for sanctuary until they were big enough to have a better survival rate. I ended the night having a beach BBQ and some beers at a local restaurant bar, it was fantastic.
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
