Blogs from Zanzibar City, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa - page 5

One more early start, hopefully this is the last one. Joined the crush to get aboard the 7.00am ferry and 2 hours later I'm fighting my way through the touts on the Zanzibar wharf. The Princess Salme Inn is only 100 metres from the port, built in the old Moorish style with an open courtyard interior and loads of stairs. Zanzibar is a lot more laid back than mainland Tanzania, even the touts don't push as hard, I think I'm going to like this place. Spent a couple of hours wandering around the narrow winding streets of the old town and found myself going past the same shops time after time, the place is like some sort of crazy maze. Took a $10 2 hour walking tour of the town in the afternoon so I'm slowly ... read more

I take back every bad word I ever said, and every bad thought I ever had, about Stone Town. Well, not every single one, but most of them. It's not a bad old place, really. We went back there today and we had a couple of hours to kill before catching the ferry to the mainland. I had resolutely decided to stay inside and catch up on some blogging and banking, more to avoid being assaulted/groped/offered drugs than because my to-do list was particularly urgent. But in the end I headed out with Sarah and Rebecca to explore the Stone Town labyrinth some more and give it a second chance. We found ourselves in the shopping district, where men and women wove at looms inside dimly lit rooms, and the shop doorways were awash with colourful ... read more

It takes less than three minutes to form an opinion about someone you have just met. I believe that something similar must be true for places as well, because it didn't take long for me to decide that I didn't like Stone Town. I'm not sure what, exactly, made me decide this. It might have been the anti-tourist man who shouldered into me so violently, and deliberately, that at home he'd be arrested for common assault. It might have been the eight year old girl who ran up to me and Rebecca and groped us. It might have been the cockroach in our room. It might have been the smell of old fish and sewage that roiled through the streets and choked me when the breeze picked up. Or, I don't know, but it might even ... read more

Stone Town is one of the most amazing places and we couldn’t get enough of it. The old town takes you back in history at least a few hundred years. Nothing has changed since it is now a world heritage site and for good reason. Stone Town is the heart of Zanzibar and is surrounded by the clear blue/green sea, narrow streets, high buildings and multicultural people which gives it an own charm to this place. We were walking through a maze to find the right exit and every wrong turn is leading to something fantastic – awesome spices paradise, colorful cloths’ shop, tasty restaurants, an interesting and crowded night food market and absolutely amazing view towards the crystal clear sea. Of course it is quite touristic and especially around Christmas but it is possible to ... read more

Turquoise waters and fine white sand, historical buildings and narrow alleyways, busy markets and friendly people, this is the colorful spice islands. This is Zanzibar. On arriving in Stone Town you are met with a maze of winding alleyways and narrow streets, full of color and laughter. As you pass ancient buildings its easy to imagine a time of pirates and traders. A time when the Spice Islands were the ancient trading route to the world. A time when Royal Britannia ruled the seas. Being welcomed into the slums by the local Muslims and seeing how they live with religious dedication an honesty is an eye opening experience. Being woken up at 5am with a call to prayer an unwanted reminder to explore this colorful and fascinating island. As you weave in and out of the ... read more