Flights, Feelings & Funny Stories: My Travel Diaries Part 2…

Landing in Zanzibar: Beyond the Postcards & Pretty Beaches

Ladies and gentlemen… welcome to Zanzibarrrrrrrrrrr!

When I landed at the airport, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Yes, I knew Zanzibar was a tourist destination, but in my mind, it was still Africa, so I didn’t let my hopes run wild. But the very first thing that slapped me (in a good way though) was how organised everything was. The airport was so relaxed and I kept waiting for someone to shout at me like they do in Lagos. Nobody did. Instead, life seemed to move in slow motion.

In Zanzibar, every tourist must have the ZIC (Zanzibar Insurance Certificate). Special Thanks to TikTok (bless those random travel videos), I had already sorted mine out. Meanwhile, plenty of people were stuck in long queues trying to buy theirs on the spot. Then there was me that just waltzed through like a boss 😎. Immigration was smooth too, no “anything for us” like my Lagos people. Just a quick check of my visa, a smile, and “Karibu! Welcome to Zanzibar!” Even my suitcase came out first on the carousel. I knew right there this trip was about to be something special.

I went outside and my driver was waiting with a sign that read, “Esther Welcome Zanzibar.” He wasn’t fluent in English (they mostly speak Swahili in Zanzibar), but he handed me a cold bottle of water and treated me with so much kindness. That was my first taste of what would become a theme throughout the trip: Zanzibaris are incredibly hospitable. Coming from Nigeria, where people are often trying to hustle you, this felt like stepping into another world. They have a way of making you forget stress quickly.

On the way to my hotel, I saw a small convoy pull up to a simple-looking house. My taxi driver, casually chewing on something, said, “That’s our president.” Huhh?? I blinked. “Wait… THE president? Like of Zanzibar?” He nodded. And the Nigerian in me couldn’t process it. How can a whole president just drive into his house without sirens, roadblocks, and half the army following? Meanwhile, in Nigeria, they will block three highways if a local government chairman is sneezing. And yes, even though Zanzibar is in Tanzania, they actually have their own president. Mind blown.

Stone Town: Where History Meets… Cats

Now, you’d think I rushed straight to a bougie beach resort to sip cocktails by the ocean. Plot twist: I went to Stone Town for two days instead.

So, Stone Town is the historic heart of Zanzibar, and let me tell you, it’s not for the faint-hearted I swear. To reach my hotel, we parked far away and I had to drag my suitcase through dark alleys, dodging potholes filled with dirty water… and cats. Yes, catsssss, ewwwwww. Stone Town is basically Cat Town if I do say so myself. They are everywhere, on the streets, in hotels, in restaurants. At some point I started asking myself, “Did I come here to see the Indian Ocean or audition for Puss in Boots?” Because what is all this really?

By the time I checked into my hotel (with the help of a Maasai porter in full traditional attire), I was questioning my decision to travel solo. The room wasn’t “Instagram-worthy” either mosquito nets and all but hey, this was the historic side of town, not a 5-star resort. Dinner, however, made up for everything. The chicken spring rolls deserved a standing ovation, the stir fry was top-tier, and the Chocolate brownie? Let’s just say if love was a dessert, that was it. Even the cats in the restaurant couldn’t ruin my joy… although I did spend half the night shifting chairs to escape them.

Getting Lost, Getting Found

The next morning, I tried exploring Stone Town before meeting my tour guide. Of course, I got lost, no WiFi, no local SIM, no clue. But once again, kindness found me. A stranger literally shared his hotspot so I could find my tour guide without asking for any change in return. Nigerians, please, let’s take notes.

My group was small: two guys from Jordan and four Germans. We hopped into a boat and set sail for Nakupenda Sandbank. The boat ride to the island was somewhat long but so, so beautiful. I really wish I could post the videos here but honestly no video could ever capture how stunning the water looked.

The sandbank was unreal… white sand, crystal-clear water, The tour guide made some fresh seafood which he cooked on the beach. I made the rookie mistake of not wearing my swimsuit underneath, but let’s just say desperate times call for creative changing skills. As I walked the sandbank, I kept screaming, “God please don’t let me die in Lagos!” Because really, how could I ever go back the same? Like how? While taking a walk, I picked some shells for my friend and just soaked it all in. I paused for a bit and then a guy approached me. So in Zanzibar, the locals approach people a lot for activities but in a nice manner, they don’t force you to do what you don’t want to do and so this guy asked if I wanted some drone shots and I thought for a bit and agreed and let’s just say I got the the most breathtaking shots of the water and the entire sandbank, the sky as well, it was pure magic. Definitely worth every cent. You can see some of the shots here.

And the food? Grilled seafood, fresh chips, fresh avocado salad and fruits so sweet they made me fall in love with pineapples all over again. Let’s just say zanzibar might have ruined me forever with that avocado salad. Then came the part that shocked me. By the time I looked back after eating, the tides had completely changed. Places that were dry an hour ago were now full of rushing water. It was crazy, almost like the ocean was reminding me that here, nothing stays the same for long. Flow with it. The guides packed up everything and even carried their trash back to the mainland. Neat, orderly, no litter and this was another part that completely blew me away cos where I come from, we love to litter in fact we live in shit hole of dirt!

Prison Island

Next stop was Prison Island, also known as Changuu Island. Fun fact about this Island, it was originally meant to be a prison for rebellious slaves in the 19th century but ended up being a quarantine station for yellow fever instead. Today, it’s famous for its giant tortoises, some of which are over 100 years old! Yes. you heard that right.

When I saw the oldest one (rumored to be 150+ years old), I had mixed feelings. On one hand, wow, imagine living through centuries of human drama. On the other hand, the tortoise gave me major side-eye like, “Sis, don’t you dare climb my shell for Instagram.” I respected his space and moved on quickly. I actually didn’t take any pictures with the tortoise like everyone else.

Food Night Market & Cats (Again)

Back in Stone Town, I had some moment with the Forodhani boys. These boys are the true CEOs of hospitality. They basically sing something like this, “Esther from Nigeria, Welcome to Zanzibar” One would wave the “welcome to Zanzibar” sign then sprint and dive into the sea like it was all part of a rehearshed perfoemance. I couldn’t stop smiling cos in my case it was both a birthday song and a welcome to Zanzibar chant. My heart melted. Honestly, if hospitality had a PhD, Zanzibaris already defended their thesis. Afterward, I wandered through the food night market and, you guessed it, more cats. By this point, I had surrendered. If a cat wanted to share my kebab, so be it. I couldn’t help it again.

I had Dinner that night at my hotel restaurant again and this time it was coconut curry with rice, my first proper Zanzibar dish, and honestly, it was amazing. I sat at the rooftop bar afterward, looking out at the old city, soaking in it and thought, This is just the beginning.

To Be Continued…

Because guess what? Stone Town was only my warm-up. The next morning, I was off to Nungwi, the side of Zanzibar where the water looks Photoshopped, the hotels are dreamy, and where I pulled off the wildest, craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Let’s just say it involves me screaming “Jesus, take the wheel!” And trust me, what happened in Nungwi deserves it’s own episode. Stay tuned!

Till Next time

Star Girl xxxx

P.S. I didn’t take a lot of pictures on this trip, mostly videos or just living in the moment. But I did manage to grab a few screenshots from some clips. So please forgive me if the photos don’t fully capture the magic of what I’ve written.

This was the driver who picked me up at the airport

This was one of the first pictures I took at at Nakupenda Sandbank after changing.

A screenshot from the drone videos

Just after I found my tour guide

A screenshot from the drone video….Can you see how clear the water is?

At Prison Island…

With the Forodhani boys ( Another screenshot from the welcome video)

Another screenshot of the entrance to Prison Island

So many of them but I only took videos so here is anotger screenshot

I found these little tortoise so cute