We stepped off the ferry into the hustle and bustle of a town steeped in history and legend. Stone Town, on the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania, is a world heritage site, known for its narrow streets, spice trade, and rich Muslim influence. Within a couple of hours, we found ourselves lost in the labyrinth of winding streets and walkways. Later, we sat back on the balcony of The Africa House to watch the hot sun dip beneath the horizon of the Indian Ocean, traditional wooden dhows sailing by in front of us. The nighttime food markets were an experience not to be missed. We walked from one lantern-lit table to the next, as the fishermen told us about their catch of the day. They grilled fish, beef, or chicken kabobs, octopus, crab, and thin coconut bread called chapati. We ended our meal with a freshly grilled Zanzibar specialty-a chocolate and banana pizza.
Our second day on the island, we escaped the hectic pace of Stone Town and visited two natural areas. The first was a collection of coral reefs in a shallow sea on the southern tip of the island. We waded out to an old wooden boat, then motored to an area known for its high concentration of dolphins. For the next hour, we swam with a pod of 13 dolphins. Sometimes they were just a silouette below us, moving gracefully along the sandy bottom, and other times they came up for air and their bodies were illuminated by the sunlight. They would disappear at times into the deep blue, only to reappear minutes later alongside us. At one point we found ourselves alone with the dolphins surfacing just in front of us and on both sides. It was a magical, surreal experience.
After lunch in a beachside bungalow, we drove to the second natural area, Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, which is known for its population of friendly red colobus monkeys. As we walked, tiny frogs (the size of a pinky fingernail) jumped across the forest floor. It didn't take long to discover a red colobus monkey with red hair and long white eyebrows up in a tree. Suddenly, the tree seemed to come to life. The red colobus monkey was surrounded by 50 others. The ranger informed us that this was one of the smaller troops in the forest.
By sunset, we had moved to a hotel on the northern tip of the island, a place called Nungwi. Today, our 3rd day in Zanzibar, is a day for relaxing on the beach and snorkling in the turquoise water.
We'll return to Dar es Salaam and then make our way to Arusha, gateway to the Serengetti.
Our second day on the island, we escaped the hectic pace of Stone Town and visited two natural areas. The first was a collection of coral reefs in a shallow sea on the southern tip of the island. We waded out to an old wooden boat, then motored to an area known for its high concentration of dolphins. For the next hour, we swam with a pod of 13 dolphins. Sometimes they were just a silouette below us, moving gracefully along the sandy bottom, and other times they came up for air and their bodies were illuminated by the sunlight. They would disappear at times into the deep blue, only to reappear minutes later alongside us. At one point we found ourselves alone with the dolphins surfacing just in front of us and on both sides. It was a magical, surreal experience.
After lunch in a beachside bungalow, we drove to the second natural area, Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, which is known for its population of friendly red colobus monkeys. As we walked, tiny frogs (the size of a pinky fingernail) jumped across the forest floor. It didn't take long to discover a red colobus monkey with red hair and long white eyebrows up in a tree. Suddenly, the tree seemed to come to life. The red colobus monkey was surrounded by 50 others. The ranger informed us that this was one of the smaller troops in the forest.
By sunset, we had moved to a hotel on the northern tip of the island, a place called Nungwi. Today, our 3rd day in Zanzibar, is a day for relaxing on the beach and snorkling in the turquoise water.
We'll return to Dar es Salaam and then make our way to Arusha, gateway to the Serengetti.
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