Zanzibar

If  you go  to  Zanzibar  or,  alternatively, the  Maldives, the Seychelles, Reunion or  Mauritius, you obviously  look  for  nice  weather,  sandy white  beaches, pristine  waters and perhaps,  a  bit  of  fun. Indeed you  will  find  all  of  these  in  Zanzibar. Eastern  beaches  are wide stretch  for  almost 40  km, the  water  is  clear,  and  if you can  avoid  the  hassle,  people  are  very  friendly.

If  this  is what  you want, remember  the  Eastern  part  of  the  island  is  subject  to  strong tides  and  depending  on  what  time  of  the  year you go  you  may not  be  able  to  swim -  you can go  in for  almost a  km  before you get water  on  your  waist. Still, it is  worth visiting as  it is  quiet  and relaxing during  the day - much less at sunset. The  northern part around  Kendwa is  probably  the  best  choice is  you  want to sit, relax  and  do  little  more. There  is a  beach  also  in  Stone  town. It is  small,  crowded  and  from  4pm  on  the  local go  there  to  play  volleyball, football, and  do  acrobatic  performances; so there  is  not  much space  left  to  lay down.

 Zanzibar  has a  rich  cultural heritage -  mainly  Portuguese  but also  Arabic. Unfortunately,  monuments are  not  well  kept,  indications  of where  they are located are random,  and  the  few  I  managed  to  find  were closed. A  pity. Stone  town is  a  bustling  city, worth staying a  couple  of  days. The best is  to  wander  in the  tiny street  of  the  old  town  and  admire buildings, doors, windows and locks.

Probably  many  know  the  biggest  celebrity of  Zanzibar: Freddy Mercury. There  is  a  house  museum  in  the center  of  Stone  Town, but  it  just  contains  pictures  and a  few  objects and I  decided not to go. Instead  I  eagerly  tried  to  find  the  house  of the  other famous  Zanzibarian I  know: Abdulrazak Gurnah, Nobel price for literature in  2021.  After  many  turning  around  in the stress  of  the  old  Stone town I  gave  up and  instead sat  at a cafe to read his  novel By The  Sea.  😀