Zanzibar - a spicy kind of place

Zanzibar – spicy kind of place.

For my birthday, Baxter treated me to a luxurious jaunt to the tropical island of Zanzibar, famed for its Indian Ocean vistas, Arabic fusion heritage and intoxicating spices.  It did not disappoint.  We stayed in a beautiful converted couple of mansions that now form the Serena Hotel in Stone Town – the latter so called since the houses were traditionally made from local rocks as opposed to wood or the like.  The hotel was on the shoreline and from time to time we would glance up from our G&T on the verandah to spot a dhow glide by – it was textbook, but splendid.

Almost immediately, we decided to explore.  One of the “must-dos” in Zanzibar is get lost in the midst of Stone Town and we unwittingly obliged.  The white-washed walls were almost mesmeric, the winding streets disorienting and the smiling locals a tad too smiling… We soon ended up in a warren of juxtaposed alleys wondering where to turn next.  But it was a safe adventure – a few reassuring directions from a man here and a woman there and we were back on “track”.

We took a guide the following day who explained that doorways were very important in determining wealth, status and personality in Zanzibar.  Alas, after the 1964 revolution and several decades of an eclectic experiment with socialism, most of the Arabs and Indian settlers upped sticks and settled elsewhere a little more convenient for trading than a communist commune.  Still, they left their doors and overhanging balconies to our delight.

We didn't manage to see Freddie's bar - the Queen-famed singer who was born on the island way back, but I managed to sip a cool beer on a lush rather breezy rooftop in his honour while Baxter was on a conference call.


Some things were a little rusty in Zanz' and I was somewhat taken aback while strolling on another rooftop - this time of the heritage museum - to see a fire extinguisher that, honestly, if necessity called would struggle at putting out anything more than a lit match.

The last day saw us trek all over the island in search of adventure and spice.  Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, vanilla, ginger and turmeric - we saw them all.  


The sea down at the coast was bluer than almost any I'd seen and petting turtles in the local sanctuary was a splendid end to a splendid island get-away.

Put it on your bucket list - if it's not already on there.