Zanzibar + Tanzania Safari

Zanzibar is one of those trips that will stay in my heart forever; first of all because it's the place Barbara and I chose for our honeymoon, and then for the intensity of the feelings that only Africa can give you: the people are extremely kind, always smiling and in tune with the Swahili motto "Hakuna matata", that is "no problem", "live life serenely".... The poverty of the population, evident as soon as you leave the world of the tourist resort, is nonetheless lived with dignity and respect; everywhere they'll greet you with the traditional "Jambo", ask if you're well, and then move on without pestering you to sell you things or anything else.

The island is beautiful: beaches of the whitest sand surrounded by a rich tropical vegetation of coconut palms and bananas, and a deep blue sea, characterised by a great difference in depth between low tide and high tide, something that lets you walk and look for shells where only a few hours earlier you were trying to spot fish with mask and snorkel. The drawback is that the tides stir up a lot of sand, and so the snorkelling isn't all that spectacular...... The excursions include a visit to the capital Stone Town, so called because until the arrival of tourism it was the only town on the island with stone buildings, the old slave prison, now a refuge for huge tortoises, and the dolphins of Kizimkazi. Not to be missed either is a visit to the spice plantations, for which Zanzibar is renowned worldwide.

I'd recommend doing them all, but organising them with the local guides, who will offer them to you directly on the beach, because they cost half as much as the Tour Operators' but are just as reliable. At the BravoClub Kiwenga village of Alpitur, set on the most beautiful beach on the island, you're very well looked after: excellent food (I put on 2 kg in 10 days) and entertainment that isn't intrusive, but engaging. I don't usually go to tourist resorts, but, apart from the fact that Zanzibar has no other hotel facilities, I have to compliment the Alpitur team, because during the day they organised activities without ever insisting on participation, and the musical evenings were really lovely. I'd recommend adding 3 days of safari in Tanzania to the seaside stay in Zanzibar.

It cost more than the whole rest of the holiday, but when else will you get the chance to see zebras, lions, hippos, giraffes, wildebeest roaming free, in their own territory..... or to be chased by an elephant, who evidently didn't like being photographed? Enjoy your holiday in Zanzibar.....Jambo!!!!!

For further photos and information, you can also visit my personal website