A week in Zanzibar would mark the end of our time in Tanzania. We based ourselves in Paje situated on the east of the island on a long strip of white sand bordered by a small village on one side and collection of beachfront hotels, restaurants, and turquoise water on the other. There are a lot of fun and relaxing activities to do whilst out there.
Dolphin Watching
We started by swimming with dolphins in the wild. The southern beach of Kizimkazi is famous for dolphin spotting tours. There are two types of dolphins popular to this section of the Indian ocean the bottlenose dolphin (more common) and humpback dolphins. Swimming with the wild dolphins is a total adventure. Our guide would shout for us to hop into the water as soon as they spotted a dolphin and over the edge we would go. Once they swam past, you would climb back into the boat and zoom around to find the next sighting. It was exhausting but quite the experience spotting the dolphins in the wild.
Mnemba Island
After dolphin watching we headed to Mnemba island. Rumour has it that Bill Gates owns the island but not confirmed. The crystal clear, turquoise, and warm water was beautiful. We spent most our time in the Indian Ocean on the periphery of the island fooling around in the water and enjoying the landscapes before heading back to Paje.
Jozani Forest
After exploring the Indian Ocean we decided to stay more on land. The next day we rented bikes and headed to Jozani forest. The Jozani Forest is the home of the red colobus monkey, which are endemic to Zanzibar. 20 years ago, the monkeys were in danger of extinction. The trend has since been reversed due to the conversation project. We did a tour with our guide which we really enjoyed as the red colobus monkeys fly so close and over your head that you’re mesmerised trying to follow them with your eyes. The project has led to 6000 red colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest. Our guide told us there used to be leopards in Zanzibar. However the leopards were considered pests by farmers and the entire population got wiped out.
Tortoise & Turtle Community Centre
After visiting Jozani forest we biked down to the tortoise and turtle community centre. A local community project was set-up to increase the population of turtles and tortoises in the area. The guide started with showing us the baby tortoises and talking through the community project. It was an intimate experience as you got to feed the turtles, hold the baby tortoises and when you thought it could not be anymore more special – our guide took us over to see the giant tortoises. It was amazing to be so close to the giant tortoises and see them up close. We spent our last day in Paje relaxing before heading to Stone Town for one night.
Stone Town
Stone Town is famous for being the cultural heart of Zanzibar. Due to the geographical location the island used to be an important trade hub between Africa, Europe, and India. This mixture of cultures is what makes Stone Town a diverse and unique city.
For us, Stone Town was a bit too much. The magic did not jump out as the city was quite dirty and touts were everywhere trying to get us to buy something. We did have fun at the night market called Forohdani Garden along the beach promenade where you can buy traditional street food.
Zanzibar is such a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean with white beaches and turquoise waters. A tropical paradise for anyone to relax after climbing Kilimanjaro. It was now time for us to catch a ferry and head into the capital for another Covid test before heading to Ethiopia.
