Zanzibar Warning

Hello, even if I do not want to speak about it too much today it is of my duty to warn all the travelers and the tourists. While we had chosen to make our honeymoon in Tanzania + Zanzibar, we were a victim of a holdup on September 17th, 2008 at 8 pm. This took place in the hotel crystal resort in Zanzibar (towards Paje village). The hotel as many of the others is situated on the beach with bungalow. Thus it is not closed. We were in the dining restaurant, a man appeared from the beach equipped with a very big rifle. He assaulted a lady who ate and try to steal her bag. Then certainly to show that his weapon was a real one he fires a bullet on the ground, and it is my husband who sat in front of me who received the bullet into its intestines. It entered by the back some centimetres of his column and went out on left of its body. It rose while howling and fell down by ground. The man continued to attack other tourists, fired once again but directed on the swimming pool this time without wounding anybody. Then that lasted a half hour, me lying close to my husband trying to speak to him and all the other tourists on the ground, without knowing if the men were still there. We were then attacked by a man with a knife. The police force although being prevented 5 min after the shooting, condescended to be shown only 40 minutes after. The owners of the hotel and me then evacuated my husband using a pick up because neither helicopter nor ambulances are available on this island. Then always thanks to the hotel which has a private partnership with an airline company of safety/repatriation, we could go in Dar Es salem. Even if Nairobi would have be the best, the internal bleeding did not allow a transport to Nairobi. Indeed it took the bullet at 8:15pm and could only be in the hospital at 12:15pm … He was operated during 4 hours, the bullete had divided into 2 the small intestine and damaged the large intestine. Fortunately the surgeon was very qualified and bent all. Fortunately the bullet had touched only the intestines what is almost a miracle. He had lost so many blood that he has being transfused with 3 pockets, and the hospital did not have enough blood. Fortunately I was compatible, fortunately Tanzanians helped me and one man gave its blood this night for my husband. The embassy was prevented very quickly but during the night helped me neither psychologically nor to find blood because according to the consul “but everyone sleeps Madam”. She did not move until 8:30am, hour of the beginning of daily work I imagine. Then the nightmare continued 7 days before we are repatriated in France. The hospital in Dar Es Salaam (the aga khan) is certainly the best of Tanzania but contrary as what it is written on the pages of the ministries for the foreign affairs, it is far from being close to the European standards. The doctors were qualified, but they did not have money for the minimal hygiene, not the means of changing cloths enough, not the means of having air-conditioning and a generator when electricity braoke down, not the means of being correctly trained on the material…. The insurance (Europe assistance) paid the expenses of the hospital but wanted to pay me only the hotel and not my food, neither my taxis, nor my telephone…. They did not send an European doctor to see how was really the hospital, they made confidence with the doctors on the spot who told them that the hospital was very nice and competent…. I lived a nightmare waked up during 7 days. Fortunately my husband is well today, he is always in hospital, he has a stomy (pocket and artificial anus) but which is only provisional and in few months all of it will be almost as if nothing had occurred.
if you visit zanzibar TAKE CARE
Reply to this

Hi,

I was in Tanzania in August. I met divers who were attack at gun point in the Maniara reserve not far away from Ngoro Ngoro....and it seems it happen more often than not.

I was in Zanzibar for few days, and felt really safe...but at the same time, I'm always careful of where and how I wonder around.

Happy to read that your husband is better, and a small reminder that not travel insurance deal the same way with same issues. As for the French embassy...well, I'm not french, but have a lot of french friends who live all around the world, and the embassy is never of great help...seems the best one when it comes to help are the germans on that ground....I've heard amazing stories about them!


So keep travelling, Tanzania is very very nice, just make sure you know where you are staying.

Peter Reply to this

Hi. I am glad that your husband is recovering.

Tanzania has been experiencing such violent robberies. However, it is not such a common ocurance fortunately. Most beautiful beaches are near the poor villages and there is a lot of poverty, unemployment and drug problems amongst the youths. I would be careful not to venture in quiet areas to find your paradise and peace of mind away from the crowd. Most 3-5 star resorts have good armed security and secure their property 24/7. It is the small cheap resorts, mainly run by the locals which experience these attacks.

Tanzania is a peaceful and beautiful country to visit, but also a POOR country. Roxyfoxy, you will have a great time in Zanzibar, they have renovated forodhani beach area in downtown (if you are using a boat from the mainland, you get off from the harbour here). It is trully a beautiful island to visit. Reply to this