SS: Originally we wanted to travel down through mainland Tanzania to Mount Kilimanjaro and Ngorongoro crater but the mountain takes at least 5-7 days to climb and we had already seen all the big game animals; not forgetting that the road are very poor and time is of the essence. We opted to fly to Zanzibar (properly known as Unguja, and nicknamed the Spice Island), a paradise just off the coast. We rented a car allowing us to tour the entire island experiencing all of what it had to offer.
We chilled beach bum style on the southeast in Bwejuu - where the tide sweeps in and out displacing the water hundreds of meters; we swam with the wild dolphins in the Indian Ocean beaten by the waves; explored the old city of Stone Town in the west; lavished in the beautiful resort filled north; and got a real taste of African working and living throughout the middle. A day trip out to the historic Prison Island, we saw the Aldabra Giant Tortoise - some at a ripe age of 140+. I dared John to try and pick up a 'baby' 10 year old turtle and he did it but certainly struggled to lift it an inch. The older ones weigh up to 400+ kg (900lbs)! Now to figure out what's next...
JG: Zanzibar is good livin'. A few activities to do and sites to see, but most of our time was occupied by lounging and enjoying the beach, with some road trips across the island in between. Such a dichotomy of resort bungalows and poorer areas in between. First time on this trip driving 'backwards' (right side driver and left side road), which was an adventure. Somehow we came away unscathed.
Really regret underestimating the difficulty of overland travel in Africa - still doable, but requires the time (2-7 weeks) for a more organized tour outfit that would take you from country to country. Oh well, on to South Africa.
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