Blue Safari

Yesterday we went on a blue safari: a boat trip in the channel on the west side of the island that included lagoons, snorkeling, beach time, and a seafood cookout. We were initially skeptical as the organizers approached us on the beach the day before selling their trip. As is typical in this area, there is no licensed tour company under which they operate nor a company name to read reviews on TripAdvisor. However, there were other people signed up already and they didn't require any payment or deposit in advance, so we figured we would give it a shot. It was also relatively inexpensive compared to the other activities we've been offered on the island, especially considering it was a full day event including food, drinks, and transport.

Though the tour did not follow through on all of its promises, we are still glad we went. It was an enjoyable day and we felt that we generally got a good value for our money. We made some really cool friends who we ended up spending all evening with (and will be seeing again today) and we got to see the other side of the island. Once we arrived to "port" after driving over a dirt road for some time, we met up with the other participants and walked out to the boat. It was low tide so the boat couldn't get too close, but the water was no more than knee deep for the short trek. The boat, as promised, was a sizeable sail boat with an attached motor. It comfortably fit 20 people. Probably less expected though was the simplicity of the boat; it was made by hand from local mangrove trees, had no respite from the sun, and, though sufficient, moved fairly slowly. We're starting to see that if you want luxury in Zanzibar, you should primarily stick to the fancy resorts. By no means is this a criticism of this interesting place, just information for other travelers reading this post. Pretty much everywhere we've been around the world there have been luxury or at least well-known company options available for tours and activities; here, we have yet to see them. I would not say the operations are illegitimate here, but they are definitely self-organized by enterprising Zanzibari men. That being said, everyone we've met has been trustworthy, and no one has failed to follow through on their basic promises of service.

Our first stop on the tour was a sandbar island where we relaxed and cooled off in the water. The guides also provided us with freshly cut fruit including bananas, pineapple, and watermelon. There is no fruit so delicious as a fresh, high quality pineapple (at least to Rachel). After some time on the beach, we took a short boat ride to a nearby coral reef. It was excellent and Nick even found a turtle! It was the first time one of our new friends had ever snorkeled, and what a great first time it was. The coral and sealife was very close to the surface, and there was a ton of plant and animal biodiversity throughout the area. It was really a pretty excellent snorkel experience!

After snorkeling, we headed to another island for lunch. We took a quick detour though when we saw a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. We spent some time following them and some of our comrades tried to swim with them, but as expected the dolphins fled as soon as anyone jumped in the water. We were able to see them pretty closely though and for several minutes. It was awesome!

Our lunch was pretty delicious if you like seafood. They served freshly caught octopus, prawn, kingfish, and lobster served over rice, fries, and curry sauce. We had originally been promised beers as well but this did not come to fruition for reasons we don't really understand, but that's pretty typical for stuff on the island; we've had plenty of experiences where restaurants run out of certain foods and that's just part of life here. Were there ever going to be beers provided? We're not sure, but it's a small thing to not follow through on in the grand scheme of things. We had plenty of pop and clean water to drink, and more than enough food. Lunch was followed by more delicious fresh fruit and a short walk to a 600 year old baobab tree. Most baobab species are only found in Madagascar, but there is one species that can be found on mainland Africa and nearby islands. This tree was huge and had fallen over some time ago so that new trees were growing up out of its side. Based on Rachel's previous observations of baobab trees, she thinks it is likely older than 600 years because it was truly huge.

The afternoon was supposed to include a stop in the blue lagoon, possibly with swimming, and some relaxation time on Paradise Island. However, we were told that we were behind schedule due to the dolphins and the extended snorkeling time so we only briefly boated through the blue lagoon and skipped Paradise Island entirely; there were also concerns about the direction of the wind/current, the height of the waves, and the boat being able to manuever through the tight spaces. Were these false promises, or is it another one of those incidents that you just chalk up to being in Zanzibar? Hard to say, but we had had a full day already so it was not terribly disappointing. Plus, the sea was getting kind of rough so more than a couple people on the boat were fine heading back to land.

All in all it was a fun day and worth the expense. It is also an excellent example of how tours and activities operate out here, consistent with or better than what other guests have told us about their tours here. As a bonus, we got to see some monkeys when driving through Jozani forest, so we saw pretty much everything we wanted to see here except for the spice farms (Zanzibar is a huge exporter of spices). Today we did our laundry by hand and are going to relax on the beach before heading to Arusha early tomorrow morning to prepare for our safari!Read more