Escape to Zanzibar

Youth Challenge International currently has volunteers working in three different regions in Tanzania: Arusha, Morogoro and Zanzibar. As you probably read in my previous post, we all traveled to Tanzania together and spent a few days getting to know each other before we split up and traveled to the three very different and equally unique project locations. On our last night in Dar es Salaam, we agreed that we would try our best to meet up half way in Zanzibar to reunite and spend a day or two on the Indian Ocean.

From Left to Right: Makho (Manager in Morogoro), Duncan, Julie, Shaib (Manager in Zanzibar), Avishka, Adriana, Christine, Tasha, Me, Nicole, and Linda (Manager in Arusha) - Taken our second day in Tanzania before we split up

The girls in Zanzibar (Christine, Adriana, and Tasha) were able to set everything up for a great weekend on the north coast for us, as team Morogoro and Arusha took care of our own travel and transportation to the island.

Our journey started by wrapping up programming last Thursday afternoon and catching a three hour bus ride from Morogoro to Dar es Salaam. Julie, Duncan and I landed in Dar at about 7pm and caught a taxi to our hotel, the Jambo Inn. By Canadian standards it would probably be considered a really nice hostel but either way it was cheap and exactly what we needed (three beds and great Indian food).

Our three beds and mural covered room at the Jambo Inn

I awoke to the call of prayer at about 4:30am, as Duncan and Julie slept right through. We all had breakfast and left for the ferry by 7:30am. This past weekend was the Muslim holiday/celebration of Eib, and because 95% of the population in Zanzibar follow Islamic law, we were advised to get an early ferry over to the island. The ferry was a gorgeous boat and there was no question as to whether or not we were going to sit on the upper-deck. We left the port of Dar es Salaam, one of the busiest ports in the world, and set sail for Stonetown/Zanzibar City.

Julie and I on the top deck of the ferry

The Tanzanian Flag

For those of you who don’t know:

Zanzibar is one of three islands off the coast of Tanzania, in the Indian Ocean. Zanzibar (Unguja) is the largest of the three and has a rich but dark history as a central location for the slave trade. Zanzibar was one of the main exporters of spices and slaves from Africa. At the peak of the slave trade there was more than 50,000 African slaves traded out of the island every year through the different slave markets. Now Zanzibar is a World Heritage Site and known best still for its exports of spices but also for its amazing white sand beaches and crystal clear waters.

Coming in to Stonetown

The view of the city from the water was mesmerizing.

We made it through customs and set out to meet up with the girls. From my experience, Stonetown reminded me of an old European city, with its tall buildings, all connected and you have little sense of direction once you venture into the maze of narrow streets. We met an older gentleman who offered his assistance to guide us to the House of Wonders, which was our rendezvous point.

Duncan and I walking the streets, every street quickly looking like the last.

One of the world famous, hand-carved, Indian inspired doors of Stonetown

The architecture was gorgeous.

 Reunited with team Zanzibar, we spent an amazing afternoon exploring Stonetown and had an excellent lunch on a rooftop restaurant called the House of Spices. The Arusha girls (Avi and Nicole), having been the farthest away had to fly in for the weekend and landed at around five o’clock. Once we were all together again we had a daladala drive us to the north coast of the island, destination Nungwi Beach.

Lunch at the House of Spices - Christine, Adriana, Duncan and Myself

Our appetizer was a nice touch and had awesome presentation, definitely picture worthy.

Adriana, Nicole and Myself - Reunited and it feels so good...haha

Arriving after sunset and in the middle of a power outage, the driveway to our hotel/resort was lined with palm trees lit up by torches hanging from the walls. It looked like a movie set or an episode of Survivor. We were escorted by torch light to our thatch-roofed bungalows and then taken to the beach for dinner on the sand!

We slept two to a thatch-roofed bungalow - they were simple, cheap, yet luxurious and exotic!

Myself, Nicole, Tasha, and Julie at the beach-side restaurant

Day two on the island was a lot less activity as we all pretty much headed for the sand (lathered up) and attempted our very best to get rid of our farmers’ tan lines we had accrued over the past five weeks. This being a tourist destination, and not one of our local program locations we were able to show more than our arms and face to the sun.

Nicole and I taking a stroll along Nungwi Beach

Adriana, Myself, Nicole, Christine, Duncan's towel, Julie, and Avi trying to get rid of tan lines.

To the right, the locals call the "really expensive mzungu hotel" and to the left, paradise.

The sand was like baby powder, or possibly whiter and softer; the water, I can’t even describe; the sun was hot and the heat was dry; and the people were more than welcoming and friendly. We spent the day in the sun, and Nicole and I met a friendly tour guide on the beach named Captain Iceman. We talked politics, history, sociology and eventually we talked about his boat. He ran a sunset cruise down the coast in a traditional Zanzibar Dhow boat that would take us out for an unreasonably cheap price by Canadian standards. Instead of taking a taxi to dinner and drinks down the beach we chose to support Captain Iceman and had him cruise us down the coast, at sunset to our destination for the evening. We had dinner, drinks and definitely a lot of dancing to both Bongo Flava and Top 40 hits from back home.

Boat ride in the Dhow on the way to Kendwa (best "taxi" ride ever).

My buddy Nicole and I posing for the camera.

Our sunset and our boat leaving after dropping us off at the beach.

Our daladala picked us up in the morning and on our way back to Stonetown, the rain clouds moved in out of nowhere and we were met with flooded roads and streets at every corner. From the daladala to the awning of a local shop, maybe five feet, we were drenched from head to toe, inside and out. We said our goodbyes as we caught our ferry and the girls headed off to the homestay and the airport. 

After a two hour ferry boat ride from Stonetown back to the mainland, a taxi to the bus in Dar es Salaam, a four and half hour bus ride to Morogoro and one last taxi home, we were still damp from the morning's downpour, tired and ready for bed.

Such a great weekend for the memory books and I am definitely sharing this experience with some amazing individuals.

Avishka, Adriana, Nicole, Christine, Myself and Julie - And Duncan behind the lens again