ZANZIBAR: HOUSEBOATS, HISTORY & MR. BIG BANANA

‘Arrive in the square and a boat will be waiting to take you to our houseboat.’

Square yes, boat no. I scan around to look for clues of who could be the said boat owner, without drawing more attention to my backpacker status amongst a predominantly local crowd, who sat along the stone walls sipping on sugarcane and observing me with disinterest.

I eventually spotted the houseboat bobbing out from shore. At least it existed and matched the Airbnb photo. I considered attempting to wave in a moment of relief, in hope someone noticed from the boat. I soon stopped myself. Frantically waving whilst drifting out to sea with my broken windsurf in Portugal did not work (now that is another story). If the waving failed to draw attention then it was not likely to work now.

There was one thing for it: sugarcane juice, and wait.

Stepping off the plane in Zanzibar had felt like entering another world after the humidity and dusty plains of Arusha. Palm trees replaced the scrublands and rainforests, a gentle breeze replaced the thinned elevation air, and a truck had replaced a luggage belt at the airport, unceremoniously dumping our bags on a table.

Welcome to Zanzibar.

I had finished my climb of Kilimanjaro and had factored in five days to spend in semi-autonomous Zanzibar, planning to relax by the beach and do a bit of exploring in Stonetown. It turns out that there were plenty more adventures in store on this unique island.

I spent a couple of days by the sea sleeping in a beach hut, with its own surprises. I randomly picked Paje, in the above photo. Many beach boys, including a particularly memorable one called Lobster, failed in their impressive sales pitches to get me to sign up for kite surfing despite it being off-season. I physically could not move after Kilimanjaro so had decided to relax with a prescription of cocktails and good food. Also only a handful of pros were successfully riding the odd kite seen in the ocean. I was not convinced. Lobster was quite successful at getting others to sign up for the many different excursions on offer, such as snorkelling, and made a fire pit that we all sat round at night, watching the moon peer at its ocean reflection.

Zanzibar: the reality of my instagram post

I spent the rest of my beach time swimming as the sun rose, and hanging out with others at the hostel. As it was off-season it was quite quiet. My fancy splurge was at The Rock restaurant for lunch. Set on a tiny island, the tide comes in, making it necessary to get a boat back to shore. It offers good food, and higher prices for the novelty. When else can you lunch on a tiny island? You can also just visit for a drink.

From here I headed to UNESCO World-Heritage Stonetown for a few days, which was once a flourishing trading port. Its history, melting pot of cultural influences, eclectic cuisines and architecture are now the main draws. If I had more time I would have considered a Spice tour and trip to Prison Island, but I heard mixed experiences so decided to focus on Stonetown on this trip.

A tourist in the passenger seat of a taxi was no longer a given fast-pass through checkpoints. We were pulled over multiple times and silent exchanges of money took place. When I was dropped off at Forodhani square uncertainty quickly shadowed any arrival relief as I searched for said boat owner. My only option to reach my accommodation was currently to swim, like the many locals running and jumping off the sea wall. But as always, all I needed was patience. A small fishing boat later came towards the shore, and a beaming man got out gesturing to me to get in.

Within minutes the noise of Stonetown was replaced with Bob Marley playing, scuttling crabs and clinks of beer being opened. ‘Welcome’ Smiled Side, the owner passing me a beer as I relaxed. His wife Jenny is a doctor what felt far removed from this crazy oasis. People lounged at the Dreamer’s Island bar what you can visit for food and drink. Smiling staff hung around and two bedrooms were upstairs with a private deck to watch the sunset.

I jumped from a wooden plank from the second deck into the ocean to swim. Everyone was discussing the swarm of tiny jellyfish that had swam past the open area in the middle of the bar when I got out. When they asked if I noticed them whilst swimming.I tried to act cool and shake my head. Notice no, but felt them I certainly did. These electric shocks merrily pulsed lightly on my skin as the sun beat down drying me off.

I spent the next two days alternating between the houseboat haven and exploring the historic chaos of Stonetown. The old town offered meandering laneways with stonewashed walls and crumbling architectural grandeur (and Freddie Mercury’s old house!). My Airbnb hosts recommended someone who gave me a walking tour around all the main historic sights. These included the old dispensary, slave market, and  Anglican church.

The decorative doors which pepper the streets were carved to mark wealth and status,  so explanation is helpful, especially how to tell whether it had Indian or Arabic origins. Get someone to also describe the local remedies sold at pharmacies. My guide told me about some of their uses, such as how to attract your love interest….not to be tried at home!

Visit Daranjani Market for a colourful and at times pungent-smelling flood to your senses. Whilst exploring I drank plenty of coffee, including at the tourist frequented Zanzibar Coffee House. My favourite spot was Jaws Corner where locals go to sip chai, chat and people watch.

I felt comfortable wandering around the maze of alleys alone asides from one incident where I got extremely lost after a particularly persistent local followed me after I left Zanzibar Coffee House, telling me he knew me. After calmly asking him to leave me alone several times I ended up yelling at him. This seemed to do the trick, much to the bemusement of the school children calmly marching past. I took some time to recollect at Lukmaan canteen restaurant for lunch, loved by locals and tourists alike. 

Forodhani food market was my go – to both evenings but there are plenty of places to eat in Stonetown.  Mr. Big Banana made sweet and savoury Zanzibar pizzas which were my personal favourites.

Zanzibar is a place of colliding opposites where unpredictability and relaxation sit comfortably together. Traditional dhows and houseboats sit by yachts, street food and five course rooftop meals (Emerson Spice Teahouse) are on offer, there are moments of chaos and moments of peace, with calls to prayer as the sun rises and beach parties as the sun falls, not forgetting the decaying buildings with exquisite doors. Somehow all these collisions find a way to fit. The result? Not just your average island.

My last evening summed up this trip of contrasts to Zanzibar. I sat on the boat watching the sunset, with the chaotic hums of the street market in the background. This was where I had stood two days before, facing where I was now sitting. Utterly lost but as always, trying to embrace the awe.

read about my SAFARI
and climbing kilimanjaro here

useful information

• Stay – I stayed at New Teddy’s Place in Paje, and arranged a taxi through them from the airport. I used their taxi to get to Stonetown, and stayed on the Airbnb Dreamers Island as noted above. My Airbnb hosts arranged my return taxi. See their website for up to date accommodation options.
  
• Getting there- I flew with Precision Air from Arusha, for an expensive £250. Alternatively you can catch a bus to Dar Es Salaam what takes 9-11 hours. Then take the frequent daily two hour ferry to Zanzibar. This takes longer but is cheaper and reportedly pleasant. Be wary of pickpockets. 
• To note- Zanzibar airport will not let you in before check-in time so do not bother getting there early, we all had to sit at a cafe across the road in the early hours of the morning!
  Be mindful that most are Muslim, so there is not a big drinking scene. 
• Tip- Avoid the heavy rainy season of March-May if you want a beach holiday. November- December also has rain.
  Read up on any scams to wary of, especially around the ports. 
• Pack- Modest clothing. Asides from the beaches it is recommended to dress conservatively in Zanzibar, especially in Stonetown. 
• Fun fact: You do not need a separate visa for Zanzibar if you have one for Tanzania, but your passport will be checked. Zanzibar is semi-autonomous. It has its own flag, parliament and president but maintains political union with Tanzania.
  
• Currency: Tanzanian shilling (TZS), US dollars widely accepted.

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