Stone Town

Stone Town was a delightful surprise, especially since we weren’t really looking forward to it, having left the most heavenly beach behind. Port towns are usually chaotic and generally unsafe, but Stone Town was a welcome exception to the rule. About 95% of the population on the island of Zanzibar is muslim and they were all extremely polite and friendly – we were even able to walk the dark streets along the dockyards at night with no concerns! Definitely something usually avoided in other places.

The streets were built in the traditional muslim style, narrow and winding, but relatively clean and quiet when compared to the craziness of Moroccan medinas. The typical large wooden doors with their ornate carvings and hefty brass embellishments were very striking.

We checked in at the Princess Salme Inn, a budget hotel which was very simple but well located with an excellent breakfast and rooftop terrace with a view of Prison Island. We stayed one night, with plans to leave the following day for the next leg of our trip. The day was spent wandering the streets, admiring the seafood available at the Fish Market and visiting the Spice Market.

Many spices are grown on Zanzibar and we received a well-rounded education on the various products from a friendly vendor.

Stone Town is the birthplace of Freddy Mercury lead singer of the band Queen, and some enterprising individuals have capitalized on this with bars and restaurants dedicated to the talented musician.










In Stone Town many still make their livelihood on the sea and a stroll along the harbour gave us a chance to admire their sturdy wooden boats.

After the sun set we headed to the Night Market, with a bit of trepidation considering some of the negative experiences we had had in Marrakesh. Fortunately these fears were unfounded, as the people working the family run stalls were extremely laid back, friendly and helpful, with not even a hint of stress in the air. There was an incredible array of food available, and we had a taste of Zanzibar pizza (the ingredients are all stuffed inside the dough and everything is cooked fresh in front of you), spicy meat kebabs with roti and a dessert pizza with banana and chocolate.

We topped it off with a Zanzibarian spicy tea, which was very, very delicious - hints of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. It was great interacting with the cooks, who took pride in their work and were happy to meet us too.

Fate intervened and it ended up being a social evening when we ran into people we had met at Kendwa Rocks, while later we struck up conversation with other travellers and locals alike. Although we only had one day and night to spend in Stonetown, the city was quick to charm and we felt part of the big, friendly community.

So now it’s off to Vietnam with the help of Oman Air and Vietnam Airlines, and a gruelling flight schedule that includes stopovers in Dar Es Salaam, Muscat and Bangkok, until we finally reach Hanoi after 24 hours of travel. Being July 4th, it is also Patricia’s 33rd birthday and she is very positive as the big day approaches since all of the twenty somethings in Kendwa thought she was younger than them. They sure know how to make a girl feel good! We will be celebrating this special day in the skies, looking forward to the new adventure we are about to begin…in Southeast Asia!