Where to start is very difficult as the island stole my heart! We decided to take a trip to Zanzibar after reading much about the island and deciding it would definetly be a good singles vacation. We booked a great package deal 7 nights in Paje by night (which is east of the island)and one night in Stone Town, breakfast included.
We arrived at Zanzibar airport which I must say was quite a unique experience in itself as there is not much to it! Baggage is passed through a hole in the wall, and as we found out not all of it comes back in one piece (although nothing was missing from us or anyone around us). As we were waiting for the rest of our hotels guests to arrive we were approached by a child begging, he was rather persistent and kept coming back until we had left, but this was the only time we saw begging at all. The transfer took roughly an hour but the drive was spectacular though and we realised we had arrived in a small paradise.
On arriving at Paje by night we were greeted enthusiastically by the staff who made us feel very welcome. Marco the owner is generally around, make sure you catch him he is an absolute ball to be around and always the comedian! Now I think a good description of Paje by night is needed as it is not everyones cup of tea. The hotel is very rustic and rastafarian, (but in a very good way in that it keeps to the authentic experience). It has an open air restaurant under a thatched roof and a thatched bar as you walk in. There is also hammocks to lie in around the central part where the locals join you as they play drums and dance in the evening. It is possibly the only 24hr resort on the island!
The rooms are basic and all different. Our room had a massive king sized bed and a single bed, unfortunatley the fan did not really work well over the single and we all three of us ended up sleeping on the main bed. There is no carpeting the rooms are sponge painted with mosquito netting at the windows and around the bed. For a little extra money you can have a room with hot water, but trust me we never ever touched the hot water, you would be mad if you did! A bit of advice always spray your room when you leave to go to dinner, and keep your mosquito net down there is a mass of the little buggers! It really was a very authentic experience rustic experience. This is not really a kids atmosphere or for honeymooners, its great for those who want to do it a bit rustic and who love to party the night away! Puji by night is made by there staff who keep you entertained all the time. Mr Nice is great to arrange any activity you would like, Baboo zyon pours drinks like no other ( we even had a boxing match with giant gloves!). A stack of funny glasses, hats and other crazy stuff is kept behind the bar, and after a few drinks you might find yourself dressed up and dancing on tables! I made the mistake of going to bed too early one evening to end up with a water pistol fight with one of the staff who was shooting it at me through the mosquito netting on the window! They have the Masaai warriors at the hotel as security and if you are really nice they will do their jump for you. I must say they are immaculate in the way the men keep themselves dress, hair, makeup they really upstaged us! Paje by night is situated a few 100 metres to possibly one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. The white sands are like clay and very hard (which is so much better than the average sand you get at beaches). Along the beach you will find sun beds to lie in and the locals come around to do henna tattoos and coconut massages, you can also buy sarongs and jewellery ( I don't recommend the sarongs as they are not colour fast and will run everywhere the instant they hit water). The waters are clear and very warm. It is amazing to watch the tide go out in the afternoon as it is for miles! One of the best parts about the east side of the island is that there are far fewer spikey sea urchins in the water, apparently these are pretty bad on the north side.
We took a snorkelling trip where we went out to one of the little reefs about 40 minutes boat ride from the shore. It was fantastic and we spotted many little clown fish and spotted stingrays. Unfortunatley on the way back the tide went out and we had quite a long walk back to shore. It was fasinating to watch the locals farming seaweed on the way back.
I decided to try out the diving. A word of warning look into the dive clubs that you choose as many are not up to health and safety standards, the one on Paje beach was not recommended to me. I chose to go to Breezers dive club as they came well recommended. On a side note Breezers is a beautiful five star hotel ( I can promise you they had aircon),with a swimming pool and a choice of restaurants as well as a private beach. Definetly worth it for those who want to spend the money. Anyway back to diving, it was roughly around $30 a dive and extra for hiring out equipment. The reefs are a short boat ride away but dives can be called off if the breakers are too rough to get passed. The dives I had there were the best dives that I have ever had, we saw a surreal amount of reef life and marine life, from lobsters to turtles. Definetly a recommend for all divers (although was told the neighbouring pemba island has the better dives!). Please note that the nearest recompression chamber is in Kenya so be smart don't do deep dives unless you know what you are doing.
Other tours we decided to do were the Spice tour which took us to a plantation were you are guided through a variety of fruits and spices from Jack fruits to cinnamon, very interesting for those keen on a bit of learning, afterwards you are taken for lunch at a locals house where you eat a paella type dish in a traditional way on the floor. We also went on the dolphin trip, this I found sad as there were about ten boats chasing two dolphins and it just didn't feel right at all. There are other tours offered too and my advice is do as many as you can, they are reasonably priced some as low as $12.
After our stay in Paje we spent two days and a night up in Stonetown. We tralled the town during the day looking for shopping bargains and visiting museums, and spent a fantastic night in our air conditioned rooms appreciating what we had! The hotel Mtoni Marine that we stayed in was spectacular. They have a lot of entertainment at the hotel including African Jazz in the evening, as well as a small pool and alot of activities on offer during the day. They are a five minute drive from the main town. Unfortunatley we were not there long enought to really get the feel for the hotel, but if staying in Stone Town it is definetly one that I would recommend, it is priced roughly at $100 per night. We had dinner on our last night at their beach restaurant under the stars with our feet in the sand, and the most beautifully lit tables, with a traditional African band what an experience, and what amazing food a bit pricier but considering the quality and taste worth it. Apparently though Malaria is a lot higher in the stone town region so don't forget the protection.
Some advice and tips for Zanzibar:
healthwise:
Malaria tablets are a vital part of your trip as the island is a breeding ground for Malaria mosquitos, especially during the rainy seasons.
yellow fever injections are essential, and can be done at your local travel centre and certain GPS.
Note: WOMAN BEFORE BOOKING YOUR TRIP please be aware that recent studies have shown that yellow fever injections can cause deformities in babies, especially if given in the early stages of pregnancy, this is not a very well known study and GPs neglect to tell you this. I am aware of the fact due to a friends child having birth defects, which have finally been attributed to her having the injection within close proximity to falling pregnant ;and recently a friend fell pregnant in the same week as having the injection, after further investigations with her GP (who was not aware of this at first), he informed her that this was a fact. There is no choice when it comes to having a yellow fever though, and if this is your situation then rather choose a destination where a yellow fever injections is unneccessary.
Please bring two types of mosquito creams as we found some of the stuff we purchased useless. One of those little buzzers that sound like a male mosquito really works well at bed time and can be purchased at camping shops.
It is very hot and humid in Zanzibar, and we tended to spend most afternoons in the shade. Be prepared cover your shoulders and wear a hat. Bring a strong factor. This is hardcore African sun!
Travel:
Visas are required and should be purchased before as not available at the airport.
Rember this is a Muslim country so be respectful and cover yourself when not on the beach.
Taxis are cheap but please find out the fairs when you arrive as the hotels tend to cheat you a bit here.
Food:
The food is cheap and great. If you would like to try lobster make sure you inform the restaurant you are going to that afternoon, as they catch it fresh for you. A whole lobster will only cost you about $12!
Be warned forget bacon and eggs for breakfast unless you are staying in a very upmarket or foreign owned hotel. Breakfast consists of sweet rolls and spanish omlettes everyday, which can get a bit boring.
Money:
Other than the local currency you can use American Dollars, the great thing is that everything tends to be well priced or very cheap. Except through the big hotels. For example I paid $4 for a henna tattoo on the beach, at the bigger hotels they were charging over $10
Locals:
The locals are fantastic and very friendly especially if you are willing to try a few words in swahili (please not there are two types of Swahilli one spoken in Tanzinia and one in Kenya). Even just a greeting of Jambo - hello or Mambo- hello how are you? will make a world of difference to your trip.
Nightlife:
Well this one is hard, there are no night clubs and entertainment is dictated by what your hotel or the hotels around you provide, don't expect much. We were lucky as the hotel next door had a few nights of traditional dancing, and Paje by night in itself is very lively. If this is a big thing for you please make sure you research your hotel as best as possible.
All in all its an amazing experience and worth the flight and every penny ! I will definatley be going back to try out Pemba island, hopefully in the near future. I was amazed by its beauty and its people and how untouched it is from the usual commerical holidays. A bit of Africa is what everyone needs as it opens your mind and soul. I could probably write a whole book about those eight days! Hopefully what I have written will give you a good idea what it is about.
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