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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Back in Time: My 1st visit to Zanzibar in 2006

I had never been to an island destination before so I did not know what expect when I got Zanzibar. The first thing that struck me as we flew over the island to land was how crystal clear the water was from the air. After landing and disembarking from the aircraft a wave of heat and humidity hits you like you’ve never felt before, with in 5 minutes yours clothes are wet. The airport is very small, the arrivals hall can’t be more than 20 meters long, the people working there don’t seem to be in a hurry to get your bags off the airplane at all. All you can do is wait for them. After all you are now on the “ISLAND??? now man and things work a little slower here so its no use stressing over these small things. 
 
Finally got my bag and we were off the find our transfer company. As we walked out to the arrivals they were waiting for us with a board with our names on it. Got into a nice aircon bus which was a well come relief from the heat and humidity outside. We were now off to Stone Town. Stone town is a maze of buildings where people in my opinion just build buildings wherever they want because to drive in these roads takes a lot of skill. I don’t think I will ever get a car to rental there. The buildings are very old with a big Arabian and Indian influence in most of them. There are few hotels in Stone town for people who want to spend a night or two. My favorite hotels in town are Tembo House and Zanzibar Serena Inn mainly because of the style, location and decor. As you drive down through the island you see how poor the locals are and how they live off the land of this spice island, by growing fruit and spices that they sell. Fishing is also a major industry for the locals. The standard of hotels around the island varies from your budget accommodation, bed and bathroom to your deluxe 5 star all inclusive hotels with all the bells and whistles that a person need to have a great holiday. For me one of the most impressive things to see was how Paje by Night a very budget and basic hotel makes his money. All the people that come stay there because of the atmosphere they create for their clients to have an awesome time, and most of the time they are repeat clients because the owners are so down to earth. Then you have Gemma dell Est a 5 star all inclusive hotel where everything you need is at your finger tips, all sodas, most beers and all the food you can eat at your finger tips, not to forget all the cocktails are all included to. The beaches in Zanzibar reminded me of baking powder they are soft and white. Then you get the sea life, you don’t need to be a scuba diver to see the most beautiful fish while you are snorkeling close to the beach on the nearest reef the fish are abundant. It’s easy to see why the hotels make such awesome fish to eat. The people in Zanzibar all speak Swahili and are very very friendly, whether you are walking on a beach or into the hotel you they all greet you, Jambo meaning hello and Karibu - welcome or my favorite Hakuna Matata which means no worries I would say that this paradise needs to be visited by everyone once in their lives to see how humans are supposed to be living, not in the hustle and bustle of city life by lying on the beach in Zanzibar sipping away on your Pina Colada See you in Zanzibar Soon 

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