Zanzibar, the blue water city in Tanzania, is a world-class destination for various activities like swimming with turtles, sunbathing on the beach, and trying out local delicacies. In total, Zanzibar records more than half a million tourist visits per year. There are several genuine reasons why this tourist destination hosts visitors from around the world. The tasteful archipelago offers enough for visitors to learn, experience, taste, see, and enjoy. Join Steven Ndukwu as he sets out to accomplish 7 items written down on his bucket list.
- A Visit to Nakupenda Island Beach
Escorted by a well-informed, professional tour guide, Ally Jupe, Steven Ndukwu made his way to the well-known island beach made popular by Instagram, Nakupenda Island Beach. Nakupenda means “I love you” in Swahili. The island is a strip of land, 25 minutes ride from shore in Stone Town, in the middle of the Indian Ocean that is exposed and attractive to tourists during low tides. At high tides, the island can become completely submerged but when the surface is exposed, the island guests may hold parties, picnics, make food, watch the beautiful sunset, or even get married on Nakupenda.
Ninakupenda Island Beach
- Swimming with Sea Turtles
Social media has made this activity look so adorable in pictures. The turtles are very friendly and like to approach humans in the water to say hello. Steven Ndukwu ticked off this activity in the Baraka National Aquarium on Nungwi beach where the turtles snuggled close to him and tickled a bit. You can see, feed, and swim with these beautiful creatures on your visit too.
- Snorkeling
Seeing that most of Zanzibar’s activities are water-related, Steven Ndukwu had to train himself in water skills to be able to accomplish most of his goals while in Zanzibar. One of these water activities was snorkeling. The first task was to find a great island to go snorkeling. The island was the triangular Mnemba island of Zanzibar. It is the largest island of the archipelago.
After wearing the authorized gear and learning how to use them, Steven Ndukwu and his instructor, Zahoro, dove into the 30m deep water. There were fishes with unique patterns, coral reefs, and other fascinating underwater creatures to be seen.
- Lunch at the Most Expensive Restaurant
The Rock restaurant is a restaurant situated on a rock in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It is popular due to its location and iconic, hence, expensive. It was founded by three Italian men from Milano who found the rock and made an agreement to build the restaurant on the rock. Steven Ndukwu enjoyed his tasty lunch with quality customer service in a beautiful restaurant setting.
- A Picture with Giant Tortoises
There is only one place in Zanzibar where you can find these giant tortoises and that is on Prison Island. This island was formerly called Changu but in 1893 prison cells were built there but never used, which earned the island its new name. The Aldabra tortoises were brought from Seychelles and they are the second biggest in the world after the Galapagos giant tortoises. They can live up to 200 years and are purely vegetarian. To tick off this item from his bucket list, Steven Ndukwu posed for a picture beside a very old and large tortoise and stroked its neck the way it liked it.
- Spend the Night in a Zanzibar Exquisite Resort
There are many extravagantly expensive resorts in East Africa like the &beyond resort in Mnemba Island but the one Steven Ndukwu ended up in was the Le Mersenne Premium Water Villas, Michamvi. This villa provides accommodation with free parking space, a comfortable bedroom, bathroom, soaking tub, living room, indoor entertainment center, a lounge with a swing chair, hot tub, and a magnificent view of the blue sea. Bookings and reservations should be done ahead to enjoy your stay in this exclusive villa.
Mersenne Premium Water Villas
- Explore Stone Town
Stone Town is a world heritage site whose old buildings were built with coral stones earning it the name “Stone Town.” The town streets are narrow alleys built that way for the cooling effect. There are three reasons it earned its place as a world heritage site.
- Cultural fusion
- Cosmopolitan architecture
- And the location of the biggest slave trade center in East Africa and the last of them in the world to be closed.
Owing to her rich history in the slave trade, this town has a strong tourism appeal. In the place of the former slave market, a church building has been erected, built by the French and designed by the same architect that drew the plans of the Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseille, France.
At the dawn of the day, Steven Ndukwu watched the locals dive off the wall into the ocean, showcasing their various styles. It is a great place to watch the beautiful sun setting.
Later that evening Steven checked out the Forodhani garden where he tried out the famous Zanzibar pizza made from beef, onion, pepper, carrot, cheese, tomato, mayo, eggs, and avocado along with other street food. The forodhani part is actually situated on reclaimed land and you try out many sweet or savory delicacies for $10 altogether.
Conclusion
Zanzibar is much better experienced than talked about. Luckily, Steven Ndukwu put together a Zanzibar tour guide to help anyone wishing to explore the city with all they need to plan. From bookings and reservation information to places to go, the cost of everything, and even how to get yourself a discount. All are included in the Zanzibar travel guide. And if you feel like watching Steven Ndukwu tick off these & activities in Zanzibar, you can head over to his YouTube channel. Like and leave a comment.