Honeymoon in Zanzibar

Having lived in Nairobi, Kenya for most of my life, albeit just a stone throw away I had never been to Zanzibar. So, when Ray and I got married in Mombasa, Kenya we thought there was no better place to have our honeymoon than in Zanzibar and this decision we never ever regretted. We fell head-over-heels in love with this otherworldly island. The beaches are right up there with the best we had ever seen, an we found so much more than sand and sunsets and cocktails. Most people come here for the pristine white sand, calm waters and dazzling sunsets. If that’s what you’re after, you won’t be disappointed. This is one of those “Wow, is this real?” places, and you’ll probably come away feeling like the dictionary definition of paradise should simply be followed by the word: Zanzibar. We had booked at an all-inclusive resort Diamond La Gemma Dell’est. Located in the Northern western tip of Zanzibar on the beach known as Nungwi. (Kendwa and Nungwi are the top most recommended beaches on the island). The resort has 138 rooms all with a sea view and surrounded with a luxurious tropical environment and boasts four multi cuisine restaurants. We were transported to the room in a buggy and given a complimentary upgrade as well as a bottle of bubbles and other amenities. Our honeymoon had kicked off really well!

Over the course of the next four days we dinned most evenings at the Pavillion restaurant and one night at the Romantic Beach Grill. We would however frequent the deck bar every evening for sunset and after dinner drinks with dancing, and this was our favourite spot. The staff were very pleasant and always made us feel special. During the day we spent most of our time on the beach.

The one activity outside the resort we did was visit the stone town. Stone Town is known for its eating. Every night there’s a food market where you can browse and pick up plenty of cheap, tasty treats. Top of the list has to be the seafood, which is freshly caught and barbecued in front of you. Our final activity on Zanzibar that needed to be ticked off was snorkeling. From the northern or eastern beaches, trips head out daily to explore offshore reefs and this was absolutely breathtaking. It’s a great way to see more of this beautiful island from the water. And having a fresh, seafood barbecue on a deserted beach – that’s something you won’t forget anytime soon. Our short stay in Zanzibar ended very fast but we both had to be back at work, or we would have stayed longer. Zanzibar is absolutely one the bucket list and I totally recommend it as a honeymoon destination.