TANZANIA/ZANZIBAR

Tanzania.

I went with a travel company called Thee Curious Traveller (I did not like how they planned the trip). The dates were May 18- May 25 2021. I left the 16^th so that I can arrive on the 17^th. If I left on the 17^th, I would’ve arrived on the 19^th, and missed a day, so the extra day only made sense. I left from JFK with Kenya airways in business class. I don’t want to brag but I enjoyed my experience flying business, being that it was my first time. The service was top notch. The food was good, and my glass was always filled with champagne. Usually after those long flights (14 hrs to Kenya with a layover then 1 hr flight to Tanzania) I’m cranky and miserable but being able to lay down as if I was at home made a big difference. I even took a nap!

My favorite traveler blogger Cedric @Cedtripping was the face of this trip so I decided to go and meet him. He is dope ASF. I was kind of nervous that he would be a little stush. You know people portray themselves one way and when you meet them it’s a different story. Glad he is down to earth and very funny.

A covid test is required 72 hours before departure (depending on the airline). When I arrived at Tanzania, I had to do a rapid covid test “to make sure” I’m ok. The cost was $25. What a scam. I didn’t even get my results, and I heard some people had to swab their own nose. Next stop was filling out a health screen form. This can be done on your phone. Now there’s another line where you apply for a visa. The visa cost is $100, but some people paid $50. You can do the application online (http://www.application.onlinevisa.com/tanzania) but it takes at least 7 days to receive it. I think they change the amount on a daily basis at the airport. After that you get a receipt then head to another line where you pay for your visa. Their process didn’t make any type of sense. Too many lines and too much confusion.

Let me add here there is no such thing as covid in Tanzania. Nobody wears a mask, and no social distancing. Only people who wear mask are the staff at the airport pretty much. I didn’t even wear a mask to enter the bank. I did notice hand sanitizer everywhere we went. There were a few cases of covid, but not cdc level 4.

Fun facts:

• We have been pronouncing Tanzania wrong. It is pronounced “Tan-zan-ya”.
• Tanzania is located in East Africa, boarded by the Indian ocean.
• They are known for bananas. They make banana beer and banana wine.
• Many different languages, over 120, but the main language is Swahili.
• Tanzania name is a union of three countries: Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Azani.
• Their currency is called shillings. They rather be paid in the USD for two reasons. 1, they hold on to it until the exchange rate goes up and cash in and 2, they are less likely to spend it, aka save money. They won’t even accept the USD if there is a little tear on it.

Day 1: Landed in Tanzania at 230p May 17. There is a 7hr time difference. I was picked up with a taxi service that the travel company used. Here is where I met my New York boos Danie, Pam, and Judith. They were so lovely and funny. The ride from the airport to the hotel was about little under an hr. The people in Tanzania drive the speed limit. If they drive over the speed limit, they get sued (in addition everyone is on African time. There is no such thing as rushing or doing anything in a hurry. Everything is Pole Pole which means slow in their language). We checked in to Weru Weru River Lodge around 5pm and had dinner around 7pm. Weru Weru River Lodge was a wood theme. The shelves were wood, the bathroom counter was wood, the door was wood with holes in them, wood everywhere. The only thing the room didn’t have was an iron (the front desk has one for the whole facility to use. You can either pay them to iron your clothes or ask to do it yourself) and a tv. The bed is blocked by a mosquito net (actually all the beds I encountered had mosquito nets). One thing did stand out to me, they have this big cactus tree in their facility. It was different. I met Oneka, Taonga (travel planner), Daniel, and Cedric. Judith, Pam, and Danie were also present. We had dinner and shared a whole bunch of laughs! After dinner Danie, Cedric, and I went to a lounge and had some drinks and hookah (shisha). We get back to our lodge and guess what I see on the ceiling in my room, two damn lizards running around having fun. I instantly start crying and freaking out. Cedric saved me. Helped get one lizard outside. Till this day I don’t know where the other lizard went. I blocked the holes on the door with toilet paper.

Day 2: May 18. We have a whole day to do whatever we like before meeting the rest of the gang at the welcome dinner. Pam and Judith mentioned a waterfall they would like to see. I love waterfalls so I’m down instantly. Cedric also mentioned the day before he went to a hot spring and how it would be nice for us to go and take pics for content. I’m down for whatever. I just want to have a good time. From Weru Weru Lodge it’s about an hour and half to get to Materuni village waterfall. It rained that day. We get to Materuni waterfalls, sign in some book, offered some walking sticks and start hiking up. It was a muddy mess. If I knew that this was going to be a horrible hike, I would’ve dressed more appropriately. I had on a gray dress with some sandals. Moving forward, I will always pack water shoes. This is the second time I needed water shoes and didn’t have any, and I have two pairs at home lol. Before we started the hike, I wondered why we had so many tour guides with us. Comes to find out they were there to help us with the hike, being that they do this on a regular basis. I attached myself to a young man named Christian. He saved my life.

As we continue to hike it just keeps getting harder and harder. It got to a point where I take off my shoes and walk barefoot that’s how bad it was. The bottom of my dress was destroyed with brown, red mud. I can’t even remember how many times I just kept slipping and sliding. I do remember yelling at Pam and Judith for recommending such a thing. Like seriously it was a mess. This has just become my hardest hike ever. This is where we learned the word pole pole (slow). Danie used that word from beginning to the end! Every time she said it, it was like a little prayer for me. We were walking on the edge of the cliff at times. We get to an area where we see the waterfall and we thought we had reached the end of the hike. Wrong. There was still more to go. Christian tells us we have to go up some more as he points to the walkway. It was a very narrow single file walkway. A few of the gang said they were not going up anymore. I told myself I walked barefoot this far I can continue. Mind over matter. I looked at Christian and said let’s continue. We left the others.

Finally, we reached the waterfall. It was beautiful. It was cold but not as cold as the waterfall I went to in Colombia. I thought to myself I hope the rest can come and enjoy this. I take some pics, and then I see Cedric. We took a whole bunch of pics. I was even brave enough to get in the water and stand on the edge of a rock. Anything for content. Then finally the rest start coming one by one. Everyone starts taking their pics enjoying the waterfall. I am proud of myself and the rest of the gang. That journey wasn’t easy at all. We hiked back down. This time the route was easier. It was supposed to be the original route we would’ve taken up, but due to the rain we couldn’t hike that route. I didn’t keep track of how long it took to hike up, but the others did and said it was an hour. It felt longer.

Please use insect repellant. The mosquitoes are vicious! No mercy whatsoever lol.

Now it’s time to head over to Kikuletwa Hot Spring. This is almost a 2hr drive from Materuni Waterfall. The water really isn’t hot. It’s more like lukewarm. We arrive here 15mins before closing. They close at 6pm, and it’s $5 to get in. You also have to sign in a book as well. I don’t know how to swim and didn’t trust the donut they provided, so getting in the water was NOT an option. The cool thing about the springs is the swing they have. The local people were showing off their swinging skills. You swing right into the water. Pretty dope. Another thing I liked at the spring was the aesthetic. It was made of tree branches into a U. I can’t really explain it, but please look at the picture and see what I’m talking about. It was beautiful. We ended up taking pictures, and some swam in the water. There was another side of the springs where you can walk in. By this time, it was dark, and they were closing so I didn’t get to walk in.

Time to rush back to the lodge where we have the welcome dinner. Welcome dinner started at 8pm, we arrived at 720pm. I wasn’t in a rush to get ready because we are on African time lol. Dinner was cool. I met the rest of the gang, Michele, Ciara, Anthony, Tasha, Neo (videographer), Dariel, Crystal, and Rebecca. It was BBQ buffet style (not my fav). Nice options available (rice, chicken, beef, fruits, vegetables, desserts, salad) but no fish. They had to make a piece of fish for me on the side. We chopped it up for a bit, watched some dancers dance, sing, and dance with fire. Cedric makes a speech and discusses how the trip will go. We ended the night at the same lounge with the shisha.

Day 3: May 19. This was my favorite day mixed in with a little confusion. Before I dive into this day’s activity, let me discuss how we had to prepare for this day and the next. Prior to getting to Tanzania, we were all provided an itinerary. Cool. The itinerary needed to be more detailed in my opinion. During the welcome dinner we was told to pack a spend the night bag because we are checking out of Weru Weru Lodge in the am and heading over to Olpopongi village and after the village we are heading to our glam camp called Maramboi tented camp for one night and then check in the next day at McEllys Hotel in Arusha, but before going to Maramboi we stop at McEllys Hotel to drop off our other luggage. Too much up and down for me honestly. It took me about 10 minutes to process this information lol.

We get to Maasai Village Olpopongi. We were greeted by a young gentleman. He explains the village and his people. Only two people in that village speak English. We were welcomed with a welcome song. Once they started singing, my spirit began to move. I can’t explain what music does to me. Even when I go to church and when its praise and worship time, I begin to cry. That’s exactly what happened when the Maasai people started singing. I couldn’t hold back my tears. The song just moved me. I don’t know what they said but baby my spirit was moved by it. I felt at home. I am home. I was home. You had to be there to experience it. Whew.

We then entered the village and washed our hands and are given a welcome drink. There is no case of covid among the Maasai people. Impressive. They sang a few more songs and danced for us. We also joined them in dancing. The jumping song is for happiness, and they sang a song about cows and a song for when a baby is born. They love their cows. The cows here aren’t like the cows we see back home so thick and fat. The cows here are very lean and thin, so thin you can see their bones.

The front half of the village they have some huts where they allow tourist to stay. Each hut has a different name. The reason why the front half is dedicated to tourist is so we don’t disturb the Maasai people.

Fun facts about the Maasai people:

• Only the men are allowed to jump. The women are only allowed to rock back and forth.
• They originated from Egypt.
• Maasai men marry many wives.
• Men used to kill lions to show how proud they are and can show their future wife how strong they are. This isn’t practiced anymore.
• The boys are circumcised between the ages of 12-20 without any numbing agent. If they do not cry it shows how strong they are. This replaced the killing of the lions.
• Maasai women like to be beaten. It shows them that their husband loves them.
• The women build the houses.
• They only know defense techniques.
• They learned how to grow their crops from the Chagga people.
• In the 19^th century, people were dying because they lived in the bush. They had to come back to nature to learn about natural remedies through trial and error.
• Donkeys are their land cruisers.
• Maasai people speak Maa language.
• Men speak 10,000 words a day while women speak 15,000 words a day. Once a man reaches his capacity, he waves his stick around.
• Before men and women were not equal. Now they are equals.
• Before Christianity they believed in Gods.
• They drink cows’ blood for nutrients.

We had lunch in the village. I instantly click with one of the young ladies serving food (I should’ve gotten her name. We also danced together later in in the day). The lunch was good. We were served rice, meat (no fish), salad, watermelon, mash potatoes, eggplant stew, and these wraps that had meat in it. One gentleman asked me if I was vegetarian and said he can make me some wraps without meat. Grateful. It was delicious. After lunch we divided into groups. One group went to the museum to learn about the history and the other group went and dressed up like Maasai people. I love the clothing wrap I was dressed in. It had green, yellow, and navy-blue stripes. It went well with my all-white outfit I had on. I was also given a white necklace. I looked good. I appreciated ny girl jumping with me knowing it is not allowed. We have one last dance with the Maasai people and then we said our goodbyes.

We then head to Maramboi tented camp. The drive from the village was over 2 hours long. It wasn’t comfortable at all being that we rode in the safari trucks. Taonga mentioned how she wanted to get to Maramboi before dark and I was wondering why. For one there are no streetlights in Tanzania. Like none, and two we are driving through the wilderness aka Tanrangire National Park where animals roam freely. So, it was more of a safety issue. Finally, we arrive to Maramboi, located off the coast of Lake Manyara. Nice place. It was pretty dark so I couldn’t get a feel for the place. I loved the way it looked at night though. The lighting of the main lobby and how they set up our dinner table was so elegant. We get escorted to our rooms and was told its safer to call the front desk and ask for an escort being that animals roam freely. Lord have mercy lol. The rooms are far by the way. My room name was Nyebumo. Dinner is over by 9pm so I rushed to get ready, call for an escort and meet everyone for dinner. Dinner was buffet style, again. Blah. Also, there was no fish, just meats (beef, and chicken). So, I had to pile up a whole bunch of rice to keep full, and guess what I was still hungry! I tried some South African red wine. It was ok a little on the bitter side. After dinner (saw two animals run right across from the dinner table) chopped it up with a few people and called it a night. Early start the next day. I did wake up a few times due to hearing animals run around. Whew.

Day 4: May 20. Safari day. We have an early breakfast, pack a bag lunch and check out of Maramboi tented camp and head to Tanrangire National Park (30 minute drive). The safari is mostly driving around looking for animals. No wonder some people do a 7-day safari tour. We learned about the big 5 animals: lion (male lions are the king), rhino, elephant (my fav animal of all time), buffalo, and leopards. I learned that leopards are solitary animals, and lions and humans are the elephants enemies. I love elephants. They are so big and strong, humble giants, and they never forget.

Fun facts about elephants:

• The leader is a female.
• Takes about 22-24 months of gestation (with only one elephant being born), and when they are born it takes about 20 minutes for their calves to stand after birth.
• If the baby elephant can go under the mom’s belly, they are under one yr of age.
• They have 6 set of teeth and their life span is 60-70 years because they die of hunger.
• Every 10 years a set of teeth fall off.
• They eat 16hrs a day.
• Two type of elephant species: Asian and African. The Asian elephants you can ride them, not the African ones because they are wild. Asian trunks are straight, and the African trunks are curved.

We drove around for hours and only saw zebras, elephants, giraffes (we even saw it drink water. What a sight), velvet monkeys (their blue balls are what attracts female monkeys, warthog (pumbaa from lion king), and impalas (aka McDonalds due to the “M” shaped markings on the bum). I would’ve loved to see a lion and rhino close up, but I’m happy I saw my elephants and a giraffe drink water. After hours of sightseeing, we then stop to have lunch and then proceed to Arusha. To Arusha from the safari is about a 4-5hr drive depending on traffic. Nothing seems to be close. As we are driving my car decides to stop and get sugar cane on the side of the road. Shout out to our driver Aaron for always going with our speed. The other two drivers were not having it lol. The sugar cane was so sweet. I’m glad we stopped for some; I haven’t had any in a long time.

We finally arrived in Arusha. Arusha is a very busy town! We get to McEllys hotel, more like a hostel. It gave me shelter vibes. I would’ve loved to stay another night at Maramboi. Yes, it was scary at night, but it would’ve made my experience a little better. We check into our rooms and proceed to dinner. Once again buffet style (ugh), and they had a piece of fish for me already waiting lol. Thank goodness. We finished dinner and then head to Billy’s River. Walking at night in Arusha is sketchy. People coming up to you because they know you’re from the states. Remember there are no streetlights. The only lights you do get is from vendor shops. Glad we had locals walk us to and from Billy’s. Thank You. Billy’s was fun! We partied amongst the locals. They had shisha and a live DJ. He took all our music request with no problems. We indulge in taking shots and drinks. I loved the vibes. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves taking turns dancing.

Day 5: Flight day to Zanzibar/free day

Fun facts about Zanzibar:

• Zanzibar is in the middle surrounded by water.
• Zanzibar is not a country. It is a main island in Tanzania.
• Zanzibar is not just one island. The other two islands are Pemba and Mafia island.
• The capital is Zanzibar City.
• Instead of men lusting over women, they use the word Mashallah (funny after learning this a taxi driver said it to me lol). Basically, a praise/something good has happened.
• 99% are Muslim. The remaining are Christian or Hindu.

Our flight was at 950am leaving from Kilimanjaro airport with Precision Air. The ride from McEllys hotel was 1hr and half. Like I mentioned before nothing is close. The flight time was an hr. This day was our free day, but half our day was cut off with traveling. The plan was to land and start our adventures. First stop was visiting the spice market aka a spice farm and then go to The Rock restaurant (we were told they was closed for renovation, but we didn’t believe, still wanted to try our luck). The name is Kizimbani spice farm. The tour is a 2hr tour. We were in a rush and did it in a little over an hour. We learned so much about the spices and fruits they grow. We tasted pepper, smelled cinnamon (smelled so rich), lemon grass (can use it for mosquito bites), lipstick plant, vanilla (I didn’t know it can be used in perfumes), curry leaves (good for high blood pressure, and gas in your stomach), coffee berries (used for coffee), starfish (good for hangovers), and nutmeg (also an aphrodisiac for women). My favorite part was tasting the fruits. My opinion food is so much better abroad. I appreciate food when I’m on vacation. The orange looked like a lemon to me, the watermelon tasted sweet, we had papaya, but they sprinkled lime juice on it, TO DIE FOR, the grapefruit didn’t taste sour, the banana was sweet, the pineapple was so juicy I asked for another piece, even the stem you could eat. You have the option to buy perfumes, and spices. I bought Chanel Z-0 perfume (Z stands for Zanzibar and 0 stands for no chemicals), cardamon flower perfume, cinnamon, lemon grass, vanilla soap, cardamon tea, and fish masala seasoning.

We continue our journey to The Rock restaurant. We get there and find out they are really renovating lol. What do we do since we are here, take pics for content! The Rock is located in the water and literally sitting on a rock. During low tide you can walk to the restaurant, and during high tide you have to take a boat. I read some amazing reviews about the food. Also, it is pricey so bring your dollars lol.

Please do your research. Zanzibar is a big island. You have Jambiani, Nungwi (best beaches), Zanzibar city (Stone Town is located here), Michamvi Pingwe, Shangani, Paje, just to name a few. Everything is spread out and approximately 2hrs away, so when planning use your maps so that you’re not going back and forth. Plan nearby strategic activities. Nobody wants to waste time driving (with occasional traffic), and the roads are not that great. There were times I would feel sick just from the roads being so bumpy.

Next up we drive 2hrs back to our next and final hotel, The Double Tree Resort by Hilton. I watched the sunset and then checked in my room. Dinner was buffet style, yet again. The buffet style was better here than the other buffet styles I have been encountering. I didn’t have to ask for fish. We finish dinner and then head to a bar called Istanbul restaurant and bar. I just love partying with the locals. We have some shots and drinks along with shisha. Some locals even tried to sell us “banga” aka weed.

Day 6: Stone Town and Prison Island tour. Before we head to Stone Town, we stopped and took our covid test so that we can get back home. It is best to do the test at least 3-4 days in advance due to electricity cutting out at times. They also run your test the day before your flight. Cost is $80 USD and you can book your appointment online at http://www.zanzibarcovidtesting.co.tz/app/home. The one I went to is located at Zanzibar public health emergency operation center. You can also download the covid testing app called Zanzibar covid 19 testing to see other test sites and book your appointment.

Stone Town is very cultural. Women are covered from head to toe. Ladies, it is best that you cover up when going to Stone Town. This day was my off day. First off, I didn’t like my outfit (I think that’s why I was off). My top was supposed to go with shorts, but I had to wear linen pants, so I don’t seem disrespectful. It was HOT that day, so hot that you could see my sweat through my pants. Yuck. A lot of walking in the heat and people coming up to you asking you to buy whatever they are selling.

We visited the Old Fort. It is the oldest building in Stone Town. After this, we walked around and did some shopping (went to a store called Memories. Very nice merchandise). I must say Zanzibar has some creative people. I loved all the artwork I came across, even the doors were wonderful to look at. Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, was born in Zanzibar. They say the Tembo House Hotel is where Freddie Mercury lived. Then we visited the East African slave trade exhibit. This was the emotional part of the tour. You walk in and there is the history of slave trading on these big posters so you can read. Next you go downstairs and see where they kept the slaves. To the right is where they kept women and children (approx. 75ppl), and to the left they kept the men (approx. 85ppl, and it was a smaller space). Going down there you have to bend down, it’s such a small tight area. So many thoughts ran in my mind. I left there feeling angry, upset, and confused. I even shed a few tears. Outside of the exhibit, you can see how the slaves were tied up for market day. I had enough. It was a lot to bare.

Christ Church Cathedral is right after the Slave exhibit. The Cathedral is a symbol of emancipation. It is so beautiful to look at. It is said to be the “slave market church”. 

Lunch time. We ate at Lukmaan Swahili Cuisine. The only thing I noticed was it was packed with locals. If the locals are eating in a restaurant, you know the food is going to be good, and it sure was. The food was yummy. It was buffet style. The spread consisted of king fish, shrimp, chicken, beef, boiled plantain, rice, French fries, salad, and fruits. I appreciated my meal and appreciated being able to sit down and cool off.  

Then we took a boat to Changu Island. This is where prison island and the giant tortoise are. It is a cute little island. The water was different shades of blue. Prison island was a prison for rebellious slaves. After slavery was abolished, prison island became a quarantine station for yellow fever. Now the giant tortoise is housed here as a “safe house” because people were stealing them, and it has become a tourist attraction. Whew.

When I heard giant tortoise, I thought ok just big tortoises. Nope they are really giant tortoises. You get to feed the tortoise cabbage at certain times of the day (8a, 12p, 4p). Lucky, we came during feeding time. The oldest tortoise there is 196yrs. There are also some peacocks roaming around as well. We passed by prison restaurant and you can see the blue doors where the slaves were kept.

We head back to our hotel to have dinner and go to the beach party that was planned for us. We had dinner at Fisherman’s grill. It is located at the Double Tree Resort by Hilton. The food was DELICIOUS! Me and Danie spilt a seafood platter called jewels of the sea, that consist of rock lobster, cigale lobster, prawns, grilled fish, calamari, and grilled octopus. It came with veggies, rice, coconut and french fries. The drinks were also slamming. Overall, I had no complaints. Very good service.

The beach party was fun. It really wasn’t on the beach. It was held at a restaurant called Beach Baby lounge with a beach view. It was close to the Double Tree hotel. There was a fire dance that was pretty cool. We took some shots that came with sliced pineapples with wasabi on top of it. Glad I didn’t taste the wasabi as much. Shisha is also served here. I even tried their beer called savanna, it’s a cider. It was good. We then learned a few dances like Jerusalema and gwara gwara. I still can’t get the gwara gwara dance down.

I have become a shisha mami ok. Everywhere we went there was shisha being served. Ended the night partying with the locals at Kendawra rocks. Drinks were following, shots were being tossed back, and we danced the night away. They sell pizza during the late-night hours.

Day 7: Island hopping day. The company used was called safari ocean blue tour. Be careful when booking because there are scam companies out there. We sailed in a regular boat. I think this boat is used by the fishermen to catch their daily catch. There is another type of boat called a dhow, which is a local boat. The ride going was pretty smooth. You could put your hand outside of the boat and touch the water. The dhow we were on kept getting water inside of it (wonder if they all of them get water inside). We get to the first island. It’s small and cute. We take a bunch of pics, and then dock back in the boat to proceed to the next island. The plan was to go to the next island and switch to a bigger boat. I see the crew trying to start up the boat and pull out some tools to try and fix the motor. Uh oh. We are not going anywhere. Next thing we are being told that the boat has an issue and for us to come off the boat and chill here until they can fix the issue. Next, we are being told that the bigger boat will come and meet us. Which never happened. Then we were told another boat will come and bring the part they need. Yea right. Its mid-day and everyone is out catching fish. We literally were stuck here for hours. We did what we knew best, take pics for content lol. We ended up eating lunch here. On the menu was lobster, french fries, rice and a stew to go with the rice. The lobster tasted spoil. I still wonder how they stored the lobster. After lunch we danced to the Jerusalema song. Finally, the part that was needed arrives. We were stuck on this little island for about 5 hours. The ride back was ROUGH. Felt like I was on a roller coaster in the water. I found out that Thee Curious Traveller tried to support a local black company who organized the boat tour, instead of using an international company. I totally get it, but research should’ve been done to see if this company was creditable.

We ended the night at a night club called Cocobello. The line was very long, and I don’t like lines, so the group decided to do VIP service. Thankful. Cocobello was a vibe ok! It’s a two-story establishment. All the locals were out this night. The music was great, only thing I didn’t like was the drinks. They even have outdoor seating with a bar. We partied till about 4am.

Day 8: Last day. A free day. I failed to mention we had a personal driver named Kombo. His number is +255 77 887 712. He does taxi service all over Zanzibar, and he is always on time, never on African time. We used him for the whole day. The cost was $60 USD. First stop was Baraka natural aquarium. It is a marine turtle aquarium. It is about 15mins from Double Tree. The fee to get in is $10 USD. The community protects the turtles. The water they swim in comes from the Indian ocean. The turtles are brought here if they have been caught by a fisherman’s net, and also when they reach a certain size they are released back into the ocean. The water level changes like the ocean, low and hide tide. You get to feed them seaweed that way you can get them close to you and get a nice photo. Please be careful and try not to get seaweed on you. The turtles do bite. I’m really not a fan of animals (I love dogs though). I didn’t stay in the water too long. I am glad it was low tide because I was able to stand on a rock and be comfortable.

Next, we have lunch at Amaan Beach Bungalows. The restaurant is called Fat Fish. I was so amazed by the view of the water. This is Zanzibar. Being that we didn’t get to island hop this view made up for it (a little lol). It was giving what needed to be given. The lunch smacked ok! I had snapper with veggies and french fries. The drinks were good, they even had good mocktails. Of course, we had shisha. They have an option to do a bed and breakfast. If I go back to Zanzibar, I would like to stay here.

We made reservations at Emerson on Hurumzi to see the sunset at their rooftop which is called Tea House Restaurant. I love sunsets. It is located in Stone Town, a 1.5hr ride. You have to get there by 6pm to see the sunset (if you want to) and dinner gets served by 7pm. The cost is $40 USD excluding drinks. You are served a 3-course meal and its reservations only. This hotel was very lovely my goodness. I read that every room is a different color theme. I would love to stay here as well. Before getting to the roof, the attendant let us stop and take pictures outside, almost like a terrace with all these beautiful flowers. The views up here are panoramic views of Stone Town. It was so beautiful up there. We get instructed to take off our shoes. It was floor seating with a ton of pillows. There is an option to sit at a table. The sunset was beautiful! I’m so glad Danie had this on her list to do. We indulged in the sunset and took a ton of pics. Now it is time for dinner. It is a soro style dinner, mostly held in weddings. We ordered a few bottles of Spier Chardonnay. A server comes around with a bowl and some warm water so that you can wash your hands. Started off with some warm Arabian flat bread with baba ganouj (it’s an eggplant puree). Before the main course they ask if anyone has any allergies or food preferences. The main course was king fish, goat, pilau rice, curried sweet potatoes (didn’t know you could do such a thing), pumpkin, curry goat (curried veggies also an option), and veggies. There was a live band playing music and a lady singing songs about love and marriage. Her voice was soothing. Feel free to dance if the music moves you. Dessert we had a crumb cake with some ginger tea. At the end of the night, we learned a quote: “Upendo Ni Nuru Ya Maisha” it means “love is the light of life”. Beautiful. This day was just magical. Shoutout to Danie for making this day amazing.

Day 9: Head back home. Sad.

We woke up early for an early boat ride but couldn’t sail because it was low tide, so we ended up just taking pics on the boat, for a fee of course. Also, we saw Maasai men walking on the beach and took with them as well. Lastly, we ended up at the bar and had our last few drinks together before we said farewells. I definitely shed a few tears.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience. Would I do another group trip, yes and no. Yes, because I get to meet different people and no because I don’t like to be rushed. Could have it been a little better, yes. I am so proud of the individuals I met on this trip! All of us together is the definition of black excellence, and that made me so happy to among them. To Cedric, Daniel, Danie, Pam, Judith, Dariel, Crystal, Rebekah, Tasha, Jayde, Anthony, Ciara and Oneka, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for making this experience wonderful. There were hiccups but we pushed through them! I learned something from each and every one of you. XOXO