Summer Paradise

Especially during the studies for my A-levels I regularly wished to be at a place far away. Preferably at a place which is warm and has beautiful beaches fort he perfect relaxation. The gentle noises of the waves, delicious cocktails and a hammock under the palmtrees… does this not sound like paradise to you? I had to find that I must have been dreaming of Zanzibar without me knowing.

After Anna finally packed her bags and handed over the keys for her little room in Morogoro we took the bus to Dar es Salaam on Friday. Nadja and Anna were already expecting us there and greeted us heartily as we arrived. Although we were knackered because of the bus ride and the suffocating heat of the city we could not miss out on our routine. Anya and Lisa got back from Zanzibar in the afternoon and afterwards we all jumped on a Bajaji to drive to the Slipway. There, we drank an ice-cold Frapuccino and spend some time in the midst of the touristic hotspot. In the evening all of us girls went partying in the Trinity-Club. After we stayed in Morogoro for a while now I really enjoyed to be back in the big city. There were so many smells, bustling traffic and there were just so many places to go to in the evening.

On Monday we eventually went on holiday! We took the ferry and drove about an hour and a half to the island. Considering that most of the tanzanian public transport was far off from reliable these ferries were completely different. Compared to dalladallas with holes in the floor and cars which speedometres normally did not work these ferries gave you the impression you found the eighth worldwonder. Modern technology, cleanliness and comfort were attributes that I had already abolished from my vocabulary for travelling. Finally, we arrived at the port of Zanzibar. So this was meant to be the island of spices! We successfully passed the security control where my rucksack was merely checked once. Afterwards we looked for a taxi driver who could bring us to our hotel. Because the streets in Stonetown are mostly extremely narrow he drove us as far as he could to our location. Anna and I simply dropped off our bags in our room and went straight out again to explore the streets. Without a plan we started heading in a directions where we thought to find a place to eat. We passed houses which are high built the alleys are very narrow and everything looks a little bit shabby. Nevertheless, this is why the town is so unique. We found plenty of small shops selling touristic souveniers but there were also shops selling antiques from all over the world or even a workshop where men carved wooden frames and boxes typical for Zanzibar. We were even allowed to watch them working. I quickly noticed that the people here are used to tourists. We were rarely called mzungu (white person) and people were giving us good advice and directions without asking for money.

Our plan was to visit the Lukmaans which is a local kitchen for curry dishes where people can eat great food for small money. But still, I was not only hungry but also thirsty for coffee. Luckily, we did not need to search for too long as Stonetown is not that large. We found a small and nicely furnished café where real coffee was sold. I nearly hugged the waitress as she passed me a huge mug of hot milk froth. For the rest oft he day we kept exploring the city by wandering around the alleys. We must have been in every single shop for souveniers, we walked down the street for kangas and of course we visited the market to buy spices.

As the sun was slipping towards the horizon we quickly made our way to a nice rooftopbar. There, we watched the sun sink behind the rooftops while sipping mojitos.

On our way to the hotel we were still a little bit hungry. Fortunately, we passed the promenade where the Forodhani Gardens open every evening. The Forodhani Gardens is a food market where people cook food on mobile grills and cookshops. The small stands are illuminated only by oil lamps and the aroma of zanzibarian food lingers in the air. The variety of the dishes was huge: baked bananas, crispy coconut bread, shrimps or meat balls. Although our hunger was small compared tot he food available we tried a little bit here and there. The atmosphere of the market is unique as soon as it gets dark. There are shimmering lights everywhere, people brushing past the stands and salesmen are shouting their bargains. This is a great place to end the first day at Zanzibar.

We had planned a spicetour for the next day. Like real tourist we squeezed in a taxi with four other Germans. With them we drove to a plantation for spices and there we walked through the lush undergrowth. Occasionally, we stopped to look at a particular spice plant, to smell or taste it and document everything in photographs. Our group even got something to eat after making it through the jungle: spiced rice with a vegetable soup. Admittedly, I expected a little bit more of this tour but still we went tot he beach afterwards. There I witnessed a zanzibarian beach fort he first time. Speechless, Anna and I stumbled through the sand delighted about the blueness of the water. The sand was absolutely white and it feels like walking on flour. The water actually beams in a nearly chemical turquoise colour and the red blooming christmas tree framed the whole scenery.

Nevertheless, we still had lot to do in the afternoon. We wanted to get some more souveniers and this meant another tour through Stonetown. At the end of the day our rucksacks were filled to the brim and our money somehow evaporated. Thus, we collected our last coins and settled down in a bar the sea front. From there we had a perfect view on the sun which disappeard beyond the Indian Ocean.

Some people might say that we are cruel and selfish tourists but we definitely had to do a dolphin tour. Really early the next day we took a taxi heading to the south of the island. There we hoped to swim with wild dolphins. First, we sailed out to the open sea until our guide spotted some of the grey animals. Then everything happened in a rush. We sailed towards the dolphins and then we had to quickly jump in the water. I was so excited because directly underneath of me I could make out the shape of three dolphins. But those animals are very fast and so we had to climb back onto the boat to follow the dolphins. At one time I was in the water the dolphins appeared right in front of me. One of them even turned around and did a sommersault. Another time I looked straight in the eye of a mother dolphin and her baby. I was purely fascinated so all I could do was stay stockstill and stare at the two. The two grey animals stared back with the same fascination before vanishing in the depth of the ocean. That was an unique experience! It is an unbelievable feeling to be near those dolphins and to watch their playful behaviour. Overwhelmed and euphoric Anna and I returned to our new hotel at Paje. The hotel is located directly on the beach and is known for its German management and its neighbouring parties. We were totally exhausted after a whole day swimming, climbing in and out of the boat and trying to catch up with the speed of the dolphins. Luckily, this was not too bad as we got everything we could think of at our place: good food, cocktails and a beach you could find in a travelling catalogue.

Up to this point I have never seen anything I would have called paradise except for this beach at Zanzibar. It was relatively quiet here with hardly any people except for a few kitesurfers or salesmen.

The sun was shining bright, the water was refreshing and the scenery gorgeous. This is how a holiday should be like!

Here, Anna and I enjoyed our last few days on the island. During the day we layed at the beach listening to relaxing music and reading good books. For the last day we treated ourselves to something special. We had a reservation at “the Rock“ which is a restaurant in the middle of the sea. Obviously, it is built on a rock and people can only walk there at low tide. At other days there is a small boat to transport customers. The tiny restaurant offered a perfect view on the coast and the ocean. Also, the food was perfect. I ordered gnocchi with scampi and vanilla gravy…

I could have stayed way longer on this island but sadly everything comes to an end at some time. Especially for Anna this trip was a perfect ending for her time in Tanzania!