Adventures of a solo traveller in Zanzibar

Zanzibar has always been one of my favourite holiday destinations. That’s why it was the obvious choice when the travel bug bit me in the middle of the night one day in December 2018.  

Like most of my travels, this one was also a spur of the moment decision. More specifically, it was 1 am when I booked my flight via Kenya Airways. By 8.30 am, I was in Zanzibar.  

Yellow fever shock

The shock which awaited me was that I did not have a yellow fever certificate and the health port officers refused to be moved by any of my creative excuses. Eventually, I burst into tears. I didn’t need to do much talking after that, for Mother Mary seemed to have interceded for me. They let me go. Take note, readers: never forget your yellow fever card behind. I could not afford the USD50 they wanted for the jab even if I wanted to. My budget would have burst into tears. 

I checked into my hotel at 10 am. 

The Golden Tulip Resort was right by the beach, but I was not allowed in until noon. I was sleepy and hungry but happy that I had fulfilled my dream of waking up next to the beach. As I sat there, I planned my travel itinerary for the next week and got myself a chauffeur cum photographer. His name was Chichi. I was assured that the rest of my stay in Zanzibar would be great. 

Land of giant tortoises

Whenever I travel to a new place, I spend hours in museum learning about a country’s past. This tour included a visit to the historic Prison Island with its giant land tortoise. I visited Changuu Island (Prison Island) on day one. This is a small island that lies about 30 min by boat from Stone Town. It was a confinement centre for stubborn slaves. Prisoners were never housed here, and instead, the island became a quarantine station for yellow fever epidemics.

The island now has become the home for Aldabra giant tortoises. Presently, this species is considered vulnerable. While on the island, Chichi and I fed the tortoises, swam in the ocean, sunbathed and snorkelled—something I behold. I bet if you saw us, you would have confused us for a couple who had travelled together from Nairobi. Chichi took all the photos and videos that I ever needed. Well, this was part of the agreement between us.

The other places I visited during my stay in Zanzibar that I feel you should try and visit to gather more cultural information include: Forodhani Food Market, my tour guide, Chichi takes it upon himself to let me enjoy the local cuisine. All sorts of seafood are sold here, usually in the evenings. I sampled almost everything. Thanks to my great appetite. My attention was drawn to this particular seafood; octopus, Chichi said it was a libido enhancer. Of course, I tried it out. On day three and four, we toured Christ Church, Sultan’s palace, House of Wonder, Ngome Kongwe, Old Fort cultural centre, and Stone Town. Chichi told me that it’s called stone town because it was built by Arab Traders and slaves using local stones in the 19th century. The houses still stand firm to date. 

Apart from learning about a country’s past, I love buying souvenirs, local dresses and enjoying a cultural dance. Taarab music festivals are usually held twice a week in Zanzibar. There was no way I was going to travel back to Kenya without having danced to the tunes of this vibrant cultural dance that was enjoyed by the Sultan. Chichi forgot to tell me that my micro-mini jumpsuit would not work at all, so I was the odd one out, but I enjoyed myself anyway. Even when I missed a step and fell, I just stood up and continued dancing.  

The flight back to Kenya using Precision Air was the scariest one I have ever been on, because of turbulence. But I was laughing at myself minutes after screaming in fear. Nothing could dampen my spirits after soaking in the glory of Zanzibar.