Zanzibar | Tanzania
Zanzibar is an incredibly beautiful island off the coast of Tanzania.
While most go for the sandy beaches and sunsets over the ocean, it’s the experience of Zanzibar that makes it so special; riding the ferry with the salty air surrounding you and whipping your hair, walking by yourself through narrow alleys to catch a snippet of life through an open window, learning about the pride and history of the island through marketplace conversations.
I was a high school biology teacher in Southern Tanzania for two years. During school breaks, I would meet up with friends or family who had come to visit and we would always go to Zanzibar. We’d navigate our way through the busy ferry terminal in Dar Es Salaam, filled with noise and heat and commotion, to buy our tickets. Once onboard the ferry, the stress of the city would fall away, replaced with rocking waves, ocean breeze, and thoughts of quietly exploring Stone Town’s streets in the early morning light.
Stone Town
I always loved watching Stone Town come into view as the ferry pulls into the harbor. You turn a corner and there it is, stone towers and corrugated roofs peaking over bight green treetops, framed by a sand beach and a gaggle of fishing boats.
Stay
After the craziness that is deboarding the ferry and getting through immigration, I’d always make my way down the busy streets past taxi drivers and entrepreneurial tour guides to the peaceful Zenji Hotel. I’ve stayed here almost every time I come to Stone Town. As a Peace Corps volunteer, I was initially drawn to it for the price and promise of hot showers and a cappuccino, but I’ve kept coming back because of the simple beauty and stillness of the rooms. My favorite thing to do is wake up early and sit on their rooftop cafe, watching the city come alive over a cup of strong black Arabic coffee and a bowl bursting with passion fruit, mango, and papaya.
Explore
One of my other favorite places to drink coffee in Stone Town is Jaws Corner.
At an intersection of alleys, men gather along a series of steps and sip ginger coffee from tiny cups poured from huge steaming pots by street vendors. One of my favorite memories from Tanzania is a conversation I had on that corner, sipping a tea and chatting in Swahili with an elder man for almost an hour. We wandered through the common conversation topics of strangers who’ve just met: why I spoke Swahili, how long he had lived in Zanzibar, what I was doing in Tanzania, how many people were in our families. In the middle of this conversation, a group of tourists walked by, and I asked a harder question to my new friend: how do you keep the unique culture and values of Zanzibar while creating an open, welcoming place for tourists? For the next hour, we chatted on global influences and education, respect for others beliefs and ways of life, mixed with lots of analogies and laughter.
While several years have passed since then, I hope Jaws Corner continues to be a place where locals and visitors can share a cup of coffee and culture together.
Eat
I’ve always enjoyed really delicious food in Zanzibar: fresh fish, crispy samosas, spicy curries. But I usually ate in small cafes or from street vendors, which neither my memory or the internet can now recall the names.
But I will always remember having a drink at Africa House as the sun sets, as I do it every time I visit Stone Town. Around 4 pm, I’d start walking south through town, weaving my way through little alleys, past densely packed tourists shops, to the old, grand staircase of the Africa House. Walking up its many steps and passing through the hotel lobby, I’d come to the patio and find a seat just as the sun starts to lower in the sky. I’d lounge in one of the couches under the awning for the next two hours, watching the sun dip into the ocean and trying to pick up bits of conversation from the international crowd surrounding me.
I’ve never had the luxury of a kitchen when visiting Zanzibar, but I wish I did so I could have taken advantage of the market’s diverse provisions. It has an incredible mix of spices, colors, and sounds. I’d walk through the stalls, canopied in plastics tarps, and take it all in. Like when I chatted with a stall vendor for hours to admire the rainbow of spices that used to be traded through this island. Or the time a vendor covered my hands in oil so I could sample big slices of jackfruit without having its sticky sap cling to my fingers all day. I’d also go to the market to explore the rest of the island, as it is the main bus station.
Nungwi
While I love the alleys and energy of Stone Town, I am ultimately drawn to the waves and white sand of the beaches.
My favorite beaches are up North, in a town called Nungwi. Unlike the West, which has great snorkeling but rocky shores, or the South which has sand beaches but mostly high-end resorts, the North has long, white sand beaches and a mix of backpackers and locals who are looking for good food, music, and drinks while they take in the amazing shoreline.
While you can catch a cab, I would recommend instead that you take a bus. I loved climbing into the back of a converted pickup truck, feeling the wind whip through my hair, and listening to snippets of strangers’ conversations while looking up at the canopied roads.
Stay
Once in Nungwi, we would try to find an affordable “guesti” that was within walking distance to the beach. Mama Fatuma’s was a favorite of Peace Corps volunteers, although it was always booked when we tried to get a room.
We stayed at Kajibange Guest House and Nungwi Saturn Bungalows the few times I visited, splitting a room with friends and living in our bathing suits and sarongs for the next three days.
Explore
We’d start the day with coffee and fresh fruit while watching the sun come up and then end the evenings with a drink and the sunset. In between, we’d wander along the beach, visit a local spice farm (which while touristy, is very fun), or spend the day on a locally hired sailboat exploring the shore, snorkeling, and snacking on fruit and freshly caught fish.
Even after several visits and several years, I feel a constant pull to go back to Zanzibar again and again.
