Pole Pole Zanzibar

After leaving India, we jumped continents and headed to Zanzibar! We opted to spend our week on the eastern side of this Tanzanian island, excited to warm up in the African sunshine. Jambiani did not disappoint. The views were absolutely breathtaking, and we enjoyed the low key, unplugged nature of our time there. Here are our 5 favorite things, and 5 lessons learned:

5 Favorite Things:

1) The views. I mean for real. These beaches are what dreams are made of.

2) The spice tour! Zanzibar's largest export is spices, and it was cool to learn about.

3) Watching kite surfing. Zanzibar is a kite surfing mecca because of the unique combination of strong winds and reef-protected waters. We didn't do it because in person it looks absolutely terrifying (and I saw a newbie almost get her toe ripped off), but it was still SO cool to watch. If you aren't particularly attached to your limbs, give it a try!

4) Pakacha Restaurant! We got this recommendation from our friend Rebecca, and it was easily the best meal we had on the island, and potentially of the whole trip. The seafood here is so delicious, and we highly recommend the Ali Dinner!

Other important things to know about Pakacha:

• The food is amazingly fresh. For the seafood platter, you need to place your order the day before, and 5 hours before for the Ali Dinner.
• There is an insane amount of food. Don't eat lunch. Seriously.
• If you are especially lucky, you will get to see a fitness group do aerobics Jane Fonda-style.

 5) Stone Town. This is the main city on Zanzibar Island. We had heard it was kind of lame, and only planned 1 night there. We ended up heading there early and were so glad we did. The city has awesome architecture and a good amount of history. There were plenty of restaurants and coffee shops and ATMs- a nice change of pace from the rural eastern side of the island. Extra bonus:  we found friends who were on their sabbatical from Epic!

5 Lessons Learned:

1) Pole pole is what the locals say that means "slowly slowly" and it applies to just about everything. Slow eating, slow moving, slow WiFi, slow [read: unreliable] power. If you're looking for a vacation stock-full of high paced adventures or western-level conveniences, look elsewhere. If you are looking at the eastern side of the island, it's important to know a few things:
- It's not touristy. At first, you think "PERFECT!" until you realize that also means spotty power, no hot water, minimal access to drinking water, and sand floors. Expectations are everything: if you go in knowing what you're getting, it's easier to appreciate it.
- Everything is far. We stayed in Jambiani, thinking we would just bike to Paje or walk to other restaurants. We did once, but it's killer hot during the day, and you shouldn't be biking on the roads (or walking alone) at night. If you're planning on staying on the east side, pick Paje. You'll have an easier time with things like flagging a ride, or finding a bottle of water.
- Be aware of jewelry. We didn't feel unsafe, but the kids kept trying to yank your wedding rings off our hands. Just keep your wits about you.

2) Money is hard to come by outside of Stone Town, and everything is done in cash. Make sure you take out plenty of Shillings when you first arrive.

3) Zanzibar is relatively expensive outside of Stone Town. We were paying $10 for a juice and a cookie in a local town- which are more like LA prices.

4) Sand + win = sand e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. Sand in our shoes and in our clothes and in our hair and in our food and in our arm pits and in our drinks. Days 1 and 2 we found it endearing, but we tired of it quickly.

5) The people are incredibly, genuinely friendly. Sometimes they want to rip you off, but mostly they want you to feel welcome. On that note, don't be an asshole: at least learn how to say thank you in Swahili (or in the native language wherever you go). It means a lot to them, and will get you far.


On a more real note, Zanzibar was one of our tougher weeks. Homesickness as we crossed the halfway point was tangible for both of us, and we seemed to be chronically uncomfortable: hot and sandy and without easy access to basic things like water or food choices. By the end of our time there, we had a full month of terrible WiFi, which because we weren't expecting to go so long without talking to any friends or family, had us in a grouchy mood.

Wrapping up with friends from home was the perfect way to lift our spirits before heading to meet two of our favorite people in Brazil!