After my Christmas stay in Kenya, I journeyed to the island of Zanzibar. Many people mistakenly believe it’s a separate country, but it’s actually part of Tanzania. A short 40-minute flight from Mombasa brought me to Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar.
Unlike my experience in Kenya, I didn’t encounter the same level of daily racism and discrimination in Zanzibar. There seemed to be a lot of mutual respect. Tourists were treated well, and there was a positive relationship between the locals and those who had relocated to the island for business. It was refreshing to witness such a harmonious coexistence.
During my time on the island, I chose to stay in two locations: Nungwi in the north and Paje in the middle east.
Nungwi is a popular scuba diving destination, renowned for its crystal-clear water.
Although I don’t scuba dive, I still enjoyed my time there. I spent my days relaxing on the beach, soaking up the sun, and indulging in a massage at one of the luxurious resorts. However, I was a bit disappointed by the amount of seaweed and algae on the beach, which detracted from its natural beauty.
I relocated to Paje after four days to celebrate the new year. I had a bungalow right on the beach; it was the good life. Each morning, I would sit in my beach chair in front of my house with a cup of coffee, and before I knew it, two hours had passed. That’s my definition of a good life!
After Paje I spent two nights in Stone Town before my flight back. I had planned to go on a flight safari at the Serengeti, but it was canceled due to strong winds. Although I missed out on the safari, I saved $500 and had extra time to enjoy the beach and the gym before returning to cold Germany. Stone Town itself wasn’t a highlight of the trip; it was overcrowded, noisy, and polluted with a lot of tourist traffic.
Important to know, that the tourist world is beautiful, with stunning beaches, hotels, and restaurants. However, just a few steps away from all this beauty, you’ll find a different reality.
In addition power outages were common. For instance, during my time in Nungwi, I once went 28 hours without electricity. As the shower relied on an electric pump, I couldn’t even shower during these outages. Coupled with no air conditioning at night and the fact that I just came back from the beach wanting a shower, it was quite uncomfortable – but a normal experience on Zanzibar.
And also pretty shocking for me was the level of education. During a cooking class, the following conversation happened between the local cook and on other participant:
The local cook: “Where are you from?”
Participant: “I am from the US”
C: “Oh interesting, did you walk here?”
P: “No, I used the airplane to come here”
C: “Oh, what’s an airplane?”
P: “It’s like a big car, but flying, like a bird”
C: “Oh never heard that, did you fly it?”
A friend of mine is opening a Crossfit box on Zanzibar, so I will be definitely back to enjoy that island!
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