Zanzibar At Last

Ironically, several years ago, on Johannes’ first-ever trip to Africa and his first overseas trip with the World Bank, he was sent straight to Zanzibar for a staff retreat – not too shabby! He told me of white sand beaches, the turquoise water of the Indian Ocean, palm trees as far as the eye can see, and mouth-watering seafood – I couldn’t wait to go myself! And finally, earlier this month Johannes and I headed to the tropical island for 9 days of rest and relaxation.

We spent the first five days at the Ras Nungwi Resort on the northern end of the island, and it was honestly like paradise. We spent our days lying on the beach, reading, swimming, and eating delicious fish or seafood for every meal (except breakfast). It was my first time swimming in the Indian Ocean, and the water was so warm. We even saw a beautiful red starfish! The bed in our room was massive and oh so comfortable – this was a treat in itself given our five-foot long, hard-as-a-rock bed in Kigali! After a few days here, we had forgotten work stress completely and were beyond relaxed. On our last evening, we had a romantic candle-lit dinner on the beach under a breath-taking starry sky.

The view from Johannes' hammock on the beach

The swimming pool at the resort

During the last four days of our vacation, we were based in Stone Town, staying at the new and charming Kisiwa House. Most of our days were booked with tours, but we were also able to squeeze in some shopping and delicious meals. On our first full day in town, we spent the morning on a city tour, learning all about the unique wooden doors sprinkled throughout the city, the slave trade which played a big role in Zanzibar’s history, and the House of Wonders which was the first building to boast electricity and an elevator. In the afternoon, we took a boat out to Prison Island, which is home to massive land turtles – originally a gift from the Seychelles, where they are now extinct. They were so adorable!

Traditional Zanzibari door

Stone Town and the tower of the House of Wonders

Hungry, hungry turtles on Prison Island

The next day we spent the morning on a spice tour – a popular excursion for tourists to Zanzibar. We were able to smell, touch, and taste a variety of spices, herbs, and fruits – everything from cloves and cinnamon to jackfruit and custard apples. I was especially excited to see the ginger, of course – it’s called tangawizi in the Kiswahili language. In fact, whenever I told locals what my name is, they couldn’t help but giggle! That afternoon we ventured into Jozani Forest to see the endangered red colobus monkeys. They are very comfortable around human visitors and were so fun to watch, especially the babies!

The tourists decorated in coconut palm "artwork" from the spice tour

Red colobus monkey posing for the camera

On our last full day, we went on the Safari Blue tour – a must-do for tourists. It’s an all-day adventure that includes a boat ride to an uninhabited island, dolphin-sightings, snorkeling, a decadent seafood lunch, and sailing on a dhow (a traditional Zanzibari sailboat). We topped it off with a romantic dinner at the Serena – enjoying a four-course meal under the stars with the waves crashing along the beach below and relishing every last bite – from the lobster tail to the dark chocolate mousse with lemongrass custard. We knew that soon enough we would be back to the more bland Rwandan diet! ; )

Humpback dolphins off the coast of Zanzibar