Tanzania – Part 4

We started out trip in the main city of Zanzibar, Stone Town, where we flew to from Kilimanjaro Airport. Stone Town is a port city with narrow streets and interesting architecture, bazaars and mosques. In the 19th century it was a city of slave trade where slaves were sent out into the world. I wasn’t impressed by the city nor by its architecture, let alone its system of streets where everyone gets lost at least once.

When we got lost during out walk around the city, we stumbled upon the first public baths in Zanzibar, the Hamamni Persian Baths. It’s a small complex, used by the rich inhabitants of Zanzibar in the late 19th and early 20th century. Today a part of the complex is open to public as a museum. There are white walls and pools have no water in them, and the local guide takes you through the complex, giving a brief description of its history.

After the tour we tried our luck at finding something to eat and the place where people used to trade slaves. Zanzibar was one of the last places where people traded slaves. They were brought to the island from the mainland and were kept in small cells. The cells were very damp and had narrow slits, allowing very little sunlight and fresh air to pass through. There were hundreds of people crammed into each cell, all without food or water. They were kept in there until they were brought before potential buyers who then took them to the Near East.

Today it’s a museum where visitors can travel through time through pictures and are offered descriptions of how it all happened.

We had a look at the cell where slaves were kept before being sold. It was a really tight space where you feel really cramped. You ask yourself how it must’ve been back then when the cell was full of people, some of them sick or even dead.

A cathedral stands on top the cells now and there’s a tree nearby, and a slave memorial.

After a long day we went back to our room and decided that it was time to head to the city of Nungwi in the northern part of the island. We opted for the local bus. After a long, few hour’s ride, we finally arrived at the coast and found a place to stay.

We headed to the beach right away to admire the sand, the crystal blue sea, and the blue sky. A single look at all of this justified the long bus ride. This is where we settled for the remainder of our trip here and didn’t move around anymore. We spent a day or two relaxing at the beach, tried the seafood delicacies, and of course enjoyed the local clubs.

Let me remind you that African men are very intrusive and possessive, while women are more of a jealous and inconsiderate type. You need to be especially wary of the Maasai. There are many who like to approach women and then follow them everywhere, even if they don’t speak English. The locals warned us many times to watch out for them. They even helped us get rid of two Maasai men who turned into real stalkers and we just couldn’t shake them off.

While chilling on the beach, we got an idea to take a boat ride for a day and go snorkelling near Mnemba Island. We saw thousands of fish, crabs and corals. After snorkelling, we headed back to the coast of Zanzibar. Our crew was preparing a delicious lunch while we were still having fun in the water. It really felt like paradise.

The next day, we visited Kendwa that’s famous for its Full Moon Parties, though sadly we missed the party. It’s is a really beautiful part of the island, although a lot of hotel complexes have been built here in recent years and it’s too expensive for those of us who are solo travellers. We wanted to head back by the beach and the sea cliffs, but the high tide stopped us. We made a deal with the locals and they gave us a ride back on their motorbikes for a few shilingi.

You might be looking at the photos and imagining a paradise on Earth, and let me tell you that it often really is. But that holds true only for the coastal part. Just a block or two inland and it’s a completely different picture – poverty, rubbish, and people barely making it through the day. This is something travel agencies don’t show in their pamphlets and something they won’t tell you.

Well, all good must come to an end and so did our adventure. We still had to get back to Stone Town where we spent our last evening checking out the vibrant scene and social events at the street food stalls.

In the morning, we took the ferry to Dar es Salaam where we flew back to Europe. Tanzania was certainly a pleasant surprise. It’s a country that can offer a rich history of slavery, safaris with plenty of animals to see, and paradise beaches. The development of the country is very interesting.