You can also spend a day visiting different Island around Zanzibar, we went to Prison Island (also known as Changuu), which was a prison for rebellious slaves, since Zanzibar was a popular slave market (Zanji in Arabic stands for slave; Zanjibar). It is also a home for giant tortoises (turtles) who have been there since 1919. Four tortoises were gifted by the British, the bred quickly into 200 tortoises by the year 1955.
Click here to learn more about Zanzibar Island.
Need a break from the beach? Then it is time to explore the city which I also highly recommend and needs at least a full day, head to Stone Town, it is about an hour and half drive from Nungwi and Paje.
Visit the Emerson Spice Hotel which is truly gem, reserve ahead of time to have a drink or some food at their rooftop, Lukmaan is also a popular local restaurant. Check out the Darjani Market and buy their famous spices, visit the Old Fort, Foodhani gardens, Old Dispensary, Old Slave Market, House of Wonders, shop around, and explore their doors and architecture (they are very famous for their doors).
Click here to learn more about Zanzibar Island
House of Wonders
Magic Door
The Emerson Spice Hotel 
More Magic Doors
Darjani Market 
Old Fort
Because who are you, if you are not so different from everyone else? Click here to learn more about the culture and life in Zanzibar.
Because life is the way you want it to be… Just make it yours, click here to learn more about the Zanzibar life and culture.
There is so much culture and history to explore in Zanzibar. It is said that it has been home for humans for over 20,000 years. Zanzibar was used as a base for trades happening between the Middle East, Africa and India. Zanzibar; a Swahili culture, influenced very much by the Omanis and many Arabs who immigrated and passed through Zanzibar for trade over the years. Zanzibar then became part of the Portuguese empire in 1503. In 1698, Zanzibar became under the Sultanate of Oman. Around the late 1830’s, The Omani Sultan moved the capital of Oman from Muscat to Zanzibar. In 1890 it became a protectorate of Britain until 1963 when Zanzibar finally became an independent country.
Because life is more beautiful on a bicycle, learn about Zanzibar by clicking here.
A day to remember,
Days to remember,
Meeting beautiful faces and beautiful people,
Who only like to meet new faces and different people,
Who only invite you to sing and dance with them and cherish the very moment,
Tribes, from all over, any tribe, a tribe,
Just some people who believe strongly in their own values and do not impose them on the other,
A tribe, that holds on close tight into their circle and feel happy to share their wisdom with the other,
Tribes, that surrender in circles, to form beautiful colors of ethnicity and earth figures,
Tribes, that build upon each other and on top of one another, in continuation forming a strong system that connects them together in union,
Tribes, they last long but they stay isolated from everything else in the name of their circle,
That circle, that bonds them and never leaves them alone no matter what,
That circle, that is like light bulbs and no light can turn on without turning the next one on and the next one on and the next one on,
And if one bulb doesn’t turn on, then the whole system mourn together in loss.
A continuation from my Tanzania Journal:
Arriving at Kikuletwa Hot Springs
December 28th 2015
And you think it could not have gotten any better, this place is magic. True meaning of Magic. The water can never be more blue, metallic blue, and the green surrounding it creating shade for you to swim in full peace, a taste of serenity, a lasting drop of zen into your core. I can never forget the feeling I received in like a message from the Divine into my soul. You will for sure doze off, space out into your own world of connection. Love at first sight it is.
December 28th 2015,
I continued celebrating my birthday side by side with Kilimanjaro. We decided to visit the Kikuletwa Hot Springs that were about two hours away from Arusha passing by Moshi and overlooking the highest mountain in Africa.
You would not feel the presence of it, until you see it, it is a Dragon of its own world, huge and just hanging there between the clouds, we gasped as soon as our eyes met it, it was beyond what the normal eye is used to see. And we kept moving and driving for two hours while Kilimanjaro would never run out of sight. Even the clouds would crawl and expand around the mountain, but Kilimanjaro would not go out of sight.
We were lucky, it was a beautiful day, and a beautiful day for Mount Kilimanjaro. We stayed in contact throughout the drive, and it is as if you are getting to know yourself in reflection to how you continue to see the Mountain. It never hides, and when it does, its shadow would still be looking over at you. It felt like the father of Tanzania, in close contact with its people, its trees, its houses, its ground, its air, its sky, its breeze, its sun, and its clouds. Everyone knew Kilimanjaro, and everyone praised it. Unshakable, unmovable, you move, and it followed you. Overlooking everyone and everything, like a protector, like a witness, like a massive healer to earth. It sure was worth the two-hour drive and again the two-hour drive back.
Arusha
Celebrating my thirty-first birthday
December, 27 2015 – Arusha was very chilled place, we stayed in Hotel Arusha which is recommended, it was close by to everything and clean. There is not so much to do in Arusha except to really enjoy the nature, meet beautiful people, check out the Arusha Market, and few other places to eat in.
Read more on Tanzania and photos of Kiliminjaro: Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mochi, Kikuletwa
Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) – December 26th 2015
There was nothing much to do in Dar es Salaam, we stayed for a night in a very cute hotel next to the airport “Trinity Hotel”. It is a good hotel to stay in for a night or two. We only had the evening, so it was dark, we were recommended to go have dinner at Slipway hotel (which was nice). The very following morning, we headed to catch our local flight to Arusha.
Click the link to See A little on Kilimanjaro: Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mochi, Kikuletwa
Razan Masri 