The land of marshmallow sand

Since I started working as a Travel Counsellor, I cannot tell you the amount of times I have heard people rave about Zanzibar. Across the last 5 months, my intrigue grew and I knew Zanzibar had to be my first proper holiday this year.

Although it was technically rainy season, I decided to take my chances and hopped on the Fly Dubai flight (5h50m). I have to say, the night time flight was not my best experience with Fly Dubai. The lights were on for most of the journey, so it was very difficult to get to sleep. I highly recommend upgrading to Business (much more peaceful) or bringing along a pillow, ear plugs and an eye mask!

Visas are relatively straight forward and you pay for them upon arrival. There are 2 forms to fill out and the cost is $50. It can take a while as there are only a few counters and everything is done by hand so patience is essential. Once your visas are done, your bags will be out and you can proceed to your transfer. I would recommend organizing a transfer in advance as it’s a bit chaotic trying to find and haggle with a taxi driver (especially after a long journey with little sleep!)

I stayed at Dream of Zanzibar. The hotel was lovely but not your 5* super luxe hotel (standard is excellent but you need to remember you are in Africa, especially if you are coming from the spoilt world of Dubai!) The staff were amazing and it was wonderful to be able to check into our room at 7am and enjoy breakfast straight away. The food choices are this hotel are amazing (10 small restaurants) and all bar one are available when you are half board or all inclusive. The menu in each restaurant is pretty much a set menu every night but they also host themed gala dinners 3 times a week. Whilst I stayed there, I enjoyed an African night on the beach with a seafood buffet and an Arabic themed night. These nights have a good atmosphere as they get local performers in and you get to experience a bit of their culture.

The pool and the beach at the hotel are lovely. Stunning views and plenty of loungers. The beach area is semi private. There is an area to sunbathe, but if you want to go into the sea, you need to go onto the public beach. There are lots of beach boys selling items along the beach which is a bit intrusive when you are trying to relax, but they are harmless.

The hotel is quite isolated – there are no restaurants and very few shops close by (only a little supermarket). If you are staying at the hotel, I would recommend you arrange some outings so you have the chance to explore more of Zanzibar.

I stayed for 5 nights and did 3 tours and a trip to The Rock restaurant. This was the perfect balance for me as I got to relax for a couple of days, but also got out and about to see the island.

The first trip I did was Safari Blue – highly recommend. Please book this if you are going to Zanzibar! It’s a full day boat trip and they take you to a secluded lagoon where you can swim in crystal clear shallow water, a deserted sand bank where you can snorkel and enjoy fresh fruits and coconuts, and a little island for a seafood buffet lunch where they barbeque fresh lobster and prawns, whilst the locals entertain you with music. Finally, you raise the sails and sail back to the mainland. Honestly, it was an amazing day – so relaxing, stunning views and lovely people.

Next up, I went to Jozani National Park to see the Red Colobus monkeys which are extremely rare and found in Zanzibar. You can find them along the side of the road, and you get so close, you can almost touch them! We also explored the Mangroves, which was really beautiful and peaceful. Unfortunately, as it was rainy season, we couldn’t get up to the high part of the forest as it was flooded. Next time!

The third trip was a tour of Stone Town – famous for its spice and slave trade. Parts of the town are quite dilapidated but there are nooks and crannies that shine through and are really quite beautiful. The architecture is a mix of Persian, Arab, Indian and European with the East African culture and for this reason, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. There seem to be lots of little boutique hotels where you could stay for a night either at the start or end of your trip.

On the final day, I took a trip to The Rock restaurant on Michanwi Pingwe beach. Words cannot describe how breathtaking it is. It’s a little restaurant in the middle of the sea – you get a row boat out to it and by the time you are finished, the tide will have gone out and you can walk back to shore. Utterly stunning, lovely food and highly worth a visit! It was the perfect end to the trip (although it did make me wonder why I was going home…I wanted to stay there forever!)