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Published: December 5th 2008
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Dhow on Shore
Zanzibar - This photo needs no comment... After an amazing experience in Kenya, Tanzania had big shoes to fill, but it’s diversity from the dry plains of the Serengeti to the cool lush mountains of the south to the crystal clear waters on the coast, Tanzania is not a place to miss in this lifetime or the next.
With our new friends with us on the truck, totaling 15 people, we left Kenya and entered Tanzania and set up camp in Arusha, which acts as the main launching point for the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Kilimanjaro. Having done so much game driving and animal viewing in Kenya, we decided to skip the optional Serengeti trip and just spent some time in Arusha relaxing and checking out some of the local sights and seeing the Masai culture first hand - checking out the cattle & goat trading market, riding in local mini-vans next to “Masai Warriors” with their machetes and spears, roasting a side of goat that even our Kenyan driver approved of and protecting ourselves from rip-offs on every turn and transaction!
When the rest of the group returned from the Serengeti we said good-bye to our amazing driver Henry (with tears in
Snorkel Trip
Bill Gates bought himself one GORGEOUS Island! I want one too!!! our eyes and big smiles) and were introduced to our new driver Dale (an Aussie) and his truck which would be taking us further south. Then we packed up camp and made the trip for the coast. After two full-on days of driving and a night in a place with the biggest and most grasshoppers I have ever seen, we reached the ex-capital city of Dar Es Salam…infamously known for its all too frequent robbings and stabbings. Fortunately we just had to drive through “Dar” (through some of the most horrific, dusty, backed-up, sewer ridden, hot and chaotic traffic I have ever seen) and stayed outside the city on the beach.
The next day we locked up our truck at the campsite (which was guarded by Masai Warriors… no really, they make up a big chunk of the security in Kenya and Tanzania, with just the machete and spear, dressed in their traditional clothing…) and we made our way by foot to the Zanzibar ferry. With minimal incident the group made it on the ferry and crossed the Zanzibar straight and arrived in Stonetown, Zanzibar. Until the 1960’s Zanzibar was an independent state, and for most of its history
Traditional Fishing Boats
One day we counted 45 Dhows out fishing from one little village...and they're catching BIG fish too! (since the 8th century) it was governed by Arabs, from Oman. For this reason, Islam is the most practiced religion and the architecture is much more middle-eastern. Zanzibar was a key trading post for the Arabs exporting African slaves, gold, ivory and wood to the middle-east and importing spices, glassware and textiles. Today it is a part of Tanzania and is famous for its history, spices and beaches. We spent one night wondering the narrow streets of Stonetown, checking out the alleyways and old buildings and enjoying “Fresh! My cousin and my brother caught it this morning” grilled seafood at the market.
The following day we did a small city tour learning about the Arab slave markets, the stint of Portuguese occupation and their fort that still stands, as well as the birthplace of Freddy Mercury from “Queen” and experiencing the sights and smells of the Central Market - everything from 100lb tuna being dragged across the auction dirt floor, to wonderful packets of spices, to a guy using a hatchet to “break down” the skull of a cow! Then we travelled inland and walked through a spice farm learning about how each plant grows, how and when they
Posh Night - Look Out!
Happy Hour(s) on the beach! Great Food & Good Times! Kels and I with Stuart (his tie is made from a palm leaf...very posh!) are harvested, how the spices are prepared, as well as a few cooking suggestions! Some of the plants we saw were: cloves, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, turmeric, chilies, peppers, and coffee and we sampled fresh mango, pineapple, avocado, coconut, oranges, jackfruit, and starfruit. The tour finished off at the quaint house of our guides friend, whose wife prepared us a basic, traditional, and extremely flavourful meal using many of the spices we had just seen in the farm. It was a great trip and the perfect way to travel from Stonetown on the west coast of the island to Nungwi on the northern tip of the east coast.
Upon arrival we all stood open jawed at how beautiful the water and beach was! Although there was a lot of talk about how “built up” the beaches of Nungwi are getting, it’s nowhere near the effects of some places we have seen in Thailand or Rhodes for that matter - no high density accommodation and all very well maintained. The colour of the water and sand on the beach brought back memories of the Philippines and ranks very high for our “top beaches”. Our accommodation on Zanzibar was not included in
Spice Paradise
Stonetown - local spices at the central market, grown just around the corner! our trip so we checked out a few different places and Kels and I decided to treat our selves to an ocean view room with a massive four-post bed and AIRCON! Not bad for $60 a night!!! So we settled into our room (beds sure feel nice!) and went for a beautiful swim with the group as the sun was setting over the horizon. Then that night we organized a delicious seafood BBQ for the group including tuna, calamari, octopus, kingfish, and prawns, which we ate with our feet dug in the sand, the sound of the waves on the shore and cold cocktails in our hands. We called it posh night because we all pulled out our finest “attire” and tried to look like normal people, rather then manky overlanders! It was a great night that ended with a clothes optional swim at a really low tide…you can dress up the overlanders… but you can’t really take ‘em out!
The next few days on Zanzibar were very relaxing and simply beachy. We did a day trip sailing on a Dhow (traditional sail boat) and snorkeling the reefs around Mnemba Island (which is owned by everyone’s good friend Billy
Ancient Boabab Tree
Our truck is actually really big, but his tree is massive! Over 1000 years old! Gates) and had a great tuna BBQ right on the beach after the snorkeling. Zanzibar was such a treat and we treated ourselves to a few luxuries (after all we’ve been camping for over a month) and it set us up again to get back to “the truck and the tents”. We will definitely be back to Zanzibar, preferably sooner rather then later, and recommend it to anyone. It’s a great mix of culture, beaches, and tasty food…thank you Zanzibar! As we left Zanzibar, we had to say to our friend Stuart, he’d been with us from the beginning, hike to the gorillas, pushed us out of the Masai Mara mud and even put a sea urchin in his foot on the last day in Zanzibar. We’re gonna miss ya Stu, with all your random singing and animal (namely camel) facts! Happy trails!
Once back in Dar, we stayed a short night there and woke up at 3am for an early morning drive because we had a lot of ground to cover. It was a huge shock traveling that distance as the landscape changed from the hot coast to very cool mountains a mile above sea-level. That night we camped up in the mountains and all loved tucking into our sleeping bags with the outside temperature at 16C. Then the following morning we left early and headed to the Malawian border.
Tanzania was incredible with different types of beauty around every corner; showcasing a mix of game parks and beaches, tribal culture and Arabic influences, fresh seafood and spices and big smiles all around. What a beautiful place!
Until Next Time…
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Lindsey
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Amazing!
I just caught myself up on your most recent blogs and all I can say is 'wow!'. This is the trip of a lifetime. You could make a travel series out of it! Can't wait for the next blog.