Zanzibar... Beyond Words

Our holiday had been planned for the Maldives... but as you all know, because of the tsunami it was impossible to go there at that time and be completely relaxed... so we opted for a change of destination: Zanzibar.

And to think we had visited many sites that talked about it but had never been quite convinced to go... guys, I think a more beautiful place doesn't exist!!

We had to make do with departing from Milan, it was the only option to change the package rather than from Rome... after a 2-hour delay due to a problem with the catering company, our trip begins. The airline is Eurofly, but the Airbus belongs to Star Airlines... a rather cramped and uncomfortable plane to spend 8 hours of travel in... but in the end what matters is reaching your destination.

As soon as we arrived, after the usual baggage... and tip ritual (which you've surely read about in other stories) we manage to find our ALI who, together with 2 other young people, Stefano and Veronica, accompanies us to the Ocean Paradise located in the north-east of the island just above Kiwenga. The resort is beautiful, recently built and officially opened on 8 December 2004. The food truly delicious and cleanliness everywhere.

The beach is magnificent!!! You practically find yourself walking on talcum powder and looking at a sea that changes colour every 5 minutes. The tides characterise this part of the island, and you find yourself in a unique spectacle when the sea shrinks to just a few centimetres to reveal the seaweed farms that are one of the main sources of income for the inhabitants of the little village (Pwani Mchangani) not far from the hotel.

It's very curious to see all the individual characters who populate the beach! -The fishermen who, to scrape together a bit more money, walk you to the reef showing you every shell, every little creature hiding under the sand... -The beach boys who are really good and who will organise unforgettable excursions for you at truly competitive prices compared with those of the tour operators... if you go, ask for "Dottore" and "Squalo Balena".... - The children, to whom we brought some notebooks, pencils, pens and T-shirts... it's lovely to see them smile by giving them simple objects that by now have no value in our society... -The Masai, this very particular people so different from the inhabitants of Zanzibar, with their brightly coloured clothes... and their incredibly high jumps!!! You'd want to remember every single person met on this distinctive beach.

As for the excursions, we highly recommend the one called "BLUE DAY" which includes boat transport to a sandbank, where you can snorkel on the reef and eat fresh fruit (pineapple and coconut), a 2-hour break on a nearby island for lunch where you'll eat truly delicious lobsters, octopus, squid and prawns, a visit to the century-old baobab and a tour of the lagoon. All this for only 30 euros, against the tour operator's 80.

Other beautiful excursions are the visit to the red colobus monkeys, the forest, the spice tour, the visit to Stone Town (the province) and the sunset at Nunguwi, the northernmost beach on the island.

In January the rain is truly sporadic, at most it can rain for 30 minutes. As for the mosquitoes... we didn't see a single one even though we had taken anti-repellents, avoiding the antimalarial prophylaxis.

What else can I say? It was a trip that will always stay in our hearts... especially the things that are hard to convey... the colours, the smells, the smiles of the people!