The magic of Zanzibar

Zanzibar is one of the most mystical, haunting and inspiring places I have ever been. Even the name Zanzibar sounds like something from a storybook.

First off it has the stunning beaches it's famous for...glorious white sand, palm trees and adorable little beach huts scattered along side. I don't mean to sound blase but I guess this is the Zanzibar I had thought of and pictured prior to my visit. But what I found Zanzibar to be was far more rich and delightful than that.

Bwejuu

It's rather an odd place, a mish mash of cultures, people and buildings. A juxtaposition of rich and poor, ornate and shabby, bitter and sweet. Wandering round the streets of Stonetown is quite something, almost magical. You can spend a whole afternoon weaving amongst alleyways and ambling round junk shops, you can dine on delicious fruits of the sea at candle lit night markets. But somehow all this luxury is at odds with what life is like for the locals. You can't help but feel that although tourism brings income to Zanzibar it has spoiled some of it's mystery and magic and not benefited many locals.




As I wandered round the place I felt like a was in a pirate film, and imagined what things were like before the days of the tourist. Indian trading of spices, jewels and gold, grand houses, no cars. It must have been quite something. Not that it would have all been good, a visit to the slave market more than emphasized this as we peered into the cellars feeling horrified by the conditions.

All in all Zanzibar to me felt like a whole different thing to anything I'd ever experienced. I look forward to visiting again some day.

Little girl standing in the doorway of Tippu Tip's house