Like Timbuktu, I have lost count of the number of times I have called out Zanzibar. But calling it wasn’t enough, I had to see it, feel it and experience it.

And so I took a ferry to the island of Zanzibar for a day’s trip from Dar es Salam. It’s cost me $35 each way as a foreigner. See, why Africa is not a country? I am an African foreigner in Tanzania and I don’t speak Swahili beyond Mambo, Jambo and Asante sana.

The ferry’s upper deck was mainly for foreigners, it took me a while to figure that out. I guess locals are used to the view and non-locals like me are desperate to take it all in.

The journey to Zanzibar from Dar took an hour using the Kilimanjaro branded ferries.
It was drizzling a bit on the way, but it was full blown heavy rains in Zanzibar. This stopped quickly though.
I met my contact Kassim, a former national footballer, turned seaman. He is a cousin to my brother’s friend in China. I had a very rich conversation with Kassim about life and travel and you can imagine he has been to quite a lot of countries as a seaman, Ah, don’t you just love networking?
I so wanted to see the turquoise-like Indian ocean show off. And it didn’t disappoint.

Kassim was really kind and drove me to Mangapwani beach. Apart from 4 other kids who were fishing in the ocean and getting on with their life,

I had the beach pretty much to myself.

I was able to shoot 3 videos at the beach for my channel, including an interview with Kassim about his unusual career switch. I tried bungo juice, a special juice in Zanzibar whose fruit is unique to the island.

I later visited Stone Town. It was lovely to see the old architecture and traces of the Arab influence.

There is more to Zanzibar that I share on this blog or that I experienced on a day trip. It is a truly beautiful place. It makes me appreciate the beauty and diversity of my continent a lot more.