Zanzibar – A Perfect Island Paradise

After spending 4 days in Malawi on a 27-day camping tour with G Adventures, it was time for us to make our way through Tanzania to the island paradise of Zanzibar, where we would be getting a much-needed break from our tents.

Two Long Travel Days

Before arriving in Zanzibar, we had two full travel days to look forward to. On the first morning we had to wake up at 2:30 AM so that we could leave by 4! We were all extremely tired, so thankfully the visa on arrival at the Tanzania border went quickly. I noticed several differences between Malawi and Tanzania soon after we crossed the border. The roads were in much better condition and things were cleaner and more modern. There was also a lot of security; we had to stop at several police checkpoints along the way and had to stop and weigh our vehicle at one point as well.

The day’s drive was bumpy but otherwise uneventful. I could tell that our campsite would be cold when pine trees started appearing on the side of the road! The site was nice and had a bar that was decorated like a cozy chalet. I spent the evening socializing and trying to stay warm.

A very cozy campsite

The next day, we had another early morning so that we could make it to Dar es Salaam. We stopped along the way to look at a bunch of huge baobab trees which were really cool. At one point we had to drive through a “truck graveyard” where there were tons of semis and potholes. We saw a few trucks on the side of the road during this part of the drive, but thankfully there were no serious accidents. As we passed through Mikumi National Park we saw signs showing fines if you hit an animal; the highest one was $15,000 USD for a giraffe! We saw large herds of giraffes and other animals as we passed through, but photos weren’t allowed unless you opted to pay the park fee.

Amazing baobab trees on our way to Dar es Salaam

As we approached Dar es Salaam we hit our first traffic jam of the trip. People were walking through the traffic selling food and other items which I thought was smart. We arrived at our campsite really late but thankfully didn’t have to wake up as early the next morning. The most interesting part of the day was our guide teaching us that “hakuna matata” actually means “no problem” and not “no worries”; not quite as catchy!

R&R in Zanzibar

We started the next morning with a short tuk tuk ride to the main square, where we boarded a ferry across the harbor. From there we had to walk 20 minutes to another ferry, which was then a 90 minute ride to the island. I was really glad I took Dramamine since the waves were pretty rough. The water kept getting more and more beautiful along the way, and I couldn’t wait to arrive at our resort. Once we got to Zanzibar, we had yet another 90 minute drive to get to Fun Beach Hotel in the Jambiani district, our home for the next two nights.

Thankfully it was worth all the travel time! The resort was beautiful, and we were right next to the beach. We had lunch as a group and then spent the day by the pool. The rest of the evening was spent with a nice dinner at the resort and a lot of fun games and laughs with each other. It was also nice to sleep in an actual bed for the first time in a few weeks!

Our beautiful hotel

An incredible island paradise

On our second day in Jambiani, I went with a group of friends to explore the north part of the island near Nungwi. First we went to a sea turtle “sanctuary,” and afterwards we headed to the beach and got lunch. The sand was the softest, most beautiful sand I had ever felt in my life! My mood was dampened a bit by people constantly trying to sell things, but thankfully they left me alone after awhile.

Later, we went on a sunset “cruise” which was really just an old-school manual sailboat that looked a bit like a pirate ship. I thought the ride was pretty boring and was glad we got dropped off early. Nungwi was a really fun and lively part of the island, and it would have been nice to stay at one of the resorts in this area. Instead, our driver picked us up and we headed back to our hotel, stopping along the way for some “beef” skewers (which we later found out were liver). We ended the night meeting up with the rest of the group at a Scooby-Doo themed bar. It was another fun, relaxing day!

Zoinks! The gang at a Scooby-Doo bar

Stone Town

We had to get up relatively early to head to our next hotel in Stone Town, a city on the western coast of Zanzibar. We stopped at a spice plantation on the way and learned some interesting facts. Zanzibar food is influenced by Indian and Arab flavors because many sultans used to live on the island; indeed, there were many of these types of spices on our tour. At one point we walked past some cinnamon branches and I was surprised that they smelled like Vick’s VapoRub. It was also weird seeing pineapples growing in bushes – I’d never really thought about how they grew before.

Did you know that pineapples grow on bushes?

After the tour we drove 30 more minutes to our hotel, where I had a really good chicken masala for lunch. We then had an afternoon walking tour of the city, which included stops at the old slave market, the fish market, and the house where Freddie Mercury was born.

During the tour we learned a lot of horrifying things about the island’s slave trade. Most of the slaves were either men from West Africa (because they are tall and strong) or women from Ethiopia (because of their beauty; some tribes used to cut their lips to avoid being sold, and the ritual still occurs in some places today). At one point we toured two of the slave chambers. Both were very small, and many slaves suffocated while they were kept here. It was a very dark part of the tour, but it was important to learn about all of these atrocities. We ended the evening at a restaurant with a view of the water.

The streets of Stone Town

Stone Town

The next morning, most of us headed to the ferry to go back to the mainland (a few group members had purchased the Zanzibar express package which allowed them to spend an extra day in paradise). The ferry terminal was packed, and we only got on the boat because our guide took us through the first-class boarding lanes. The water on the way to the mainland was super rough and I felt sick even with Dramamine; I highly recommend flying to Zanzibar if you can.

Once we arrived on the mainland, it was a short walk back to our Lando. We drove about an hour and then stopped for lunch at a mall. The mall had airport-style security at the entrance, and then I had to check-in my small tote bag with a guard at the grocery store before I could enter. We later learned that this type of security is very normal in Tanzania due to terrorism, but it felt very strange at the time.

Before too long we arrived at our campsite in Bagamoyo where we were acquainted with our tents once again. A few people wandered to the nearby markets, but the rest of us spent the evening relaxing by the campground pool. We finally had fast WiFi, and then there was a power outage… so disappointing. It was a very hot and humid night and there were huge snails allll over the grass and sidewalks which was a nightmare for me. I was missing Zanzibar already!