Living Our Sunshine with Susann Deysel
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2 Mins Read

Want to spice things up in Zanzibar?

It has been more than a month since I’ve seen the beach. Zanzibar feels like a lifetime ago, yet I’ve not posted all I want to tell.
One of the outings we signed up for was to tour a spice farm. It wasn’t a spectacular tour – but it was interesting. We arrived at one of these farms for lunch and was escorted into a half-closed structure and sat on the floor on grass mats with the food bowls in front of us. We all hungrily dug into rice, fish, a vegetable stew and chips.

Spices

I never wonder where my spices come from. I buy them in a bottle or packet at the supermarket – like any normal person would do. However, now that I’ve seen the spices in their natural growing form, I can appreciate the intricacies of the grow and harvest periods.
It was quite surprising to see just how ordinary some of the spices looked in their natural form – and how fragrant they were! They break leaves, branches and whatnot for you to smell… very interesting!

Butterfly Man in the coconut tree

The coconut part of the tour was my favorite. The Butterfly Man entertained the group with an ascend up a palm – whilst singing.
The Butterfly Man was quite an older gentleman, so his antics up a tree was quite astounding. He displayed great acrobatic skills and topped it off with a melodic tune.
After his performance we all received a coconut to eat and drink from… and as we all know, I love coconut!

What can you buy on your spice tour?

  1. Spices
  2. Teas and coffees mixed with spices
  3. Perfumes & soaps

Why you should go on a spice tour in Zanzibar

It’s not like you would be able to do spice tours in South Africa… and it is something different. I wouldn’t do it as a standalone tour, but would combine it with a Prison Island and Stone Town Tour on one day. The spice tour with lunch is about 2.5 hours.

Lastly, watch this video – narrow roads with action next to it!

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Zanzibar in a wink

Travel is what makes life exciting. The unexpected delays and surprises along the way make a trip memorable.

 

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. Saint Augustine

When I plan a trip I do my research. I have an itinerary of things and places I really want to see, but I leave time to stop and take in everything. I stop to take photos of anything that catches my eye…and sometimes hubby have to remind me we are catching a bus, train or plane.

In Zanzibar, what I haven’t told anyone, the day after we landed my father-in-law passed away. I spent half the day organising our return for a funeral. Once I knew I could get hubby home and what time we had left to explore the island I booked trips. I squeezed what I could…

Landed Tuesday, Bad news Wednesday and fly back Saturday

Jip, you read that right… we basically had 2.5 days in Zanzibar. We had travel insurance so I’m still waiting to find out what we will get back.

Excursions

  • Stone Town
  • Prison Island
  • Spice Tour
  • Safari Blue

We went on excursions for 2 full days. I was so jet lagged and emotionally drained but pushed to see and do as much as possible. I came back with just over 600 photos and some included the Maasai (whole other story).

To and from the excursions I snapped a few pictures.

 

What I liked about Zanzibar

  • It was laid back
  • Inexpensive
  • Friendly people
  • Beautiful sights

What I wish I could’ve changed

  • I wish I could speak Swahili, if I had my dad there he would’ve sorted me.
  • I wanted to ask the Maasai so many questions but simply ran out of time.
  • Stayed longer so I could see more and get to know the people better.

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Travel Blogger in Zanzibar
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Into the blue in Zanzibar

The traveller sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see. Gilbert K. Chesterton

There are so many day trips to choose from when you are on holiday in Zanzibar. There is Stone Town, snorkeling off Mneba Island, visiting a local town where they build Dhows and many more. However, there is one that everyone talks about…

Safari Blue!

Every tour operator will tell you that his Safari Blue tour is the original one, but most probably they are all the same. It is a full day excursion on a dhow or boat to a sandbank, snorkeling and then eating your heart out.

Some tour operators have their own snorkeling gear ready to go and others you have to stop at a local guy that has the gear. We take our own snorkels and masks… just saying, because some of the people that went on the trip struggled with the gear.

…and off we go!

We arrived at the boats around 10-ish (low tide) and had to wade through the water – and over sea urchins. Some of the women complained, but I thought it was awesome because I got to take this photo 🙂

…out in the big blue sea

I still think it is amazing that sandbanks appear at low tide in the middle of nowhere in the ocean – and I’ve seen it a few times. You can literally see the sandbank being swallowed by the sea as the tide rises…and it is amazing.

You never have to invite me twice to jump off on a sandbank for a swim and a fruit picnic. When I did all that I was in the water taking pictures of dhows sailing by.

…snorkel

I can snorkel, but don’t drop me off in the sea… I want to be close to sand. I have nightmares when I’m in the sea and can’t stand (thanks to a near drowning incident in Thailand).

Hubby dived off the dhow and snorkeled while I sat in the boat feeling a little green with camera in hand. I will still load the images on Instagram under the #ZanzibarGoddess tag.

400 years and a crayfish craving

Next up we saw the 400 year old Boabab tree on an island.I’ve seen some big baobabs, but this one, even fallen over, is HUGE! It even has a little dam in the middle.

Then we went off for our seafood lunch (on the same island). This was hubby’s only thing he wanted to do on the whole trip, eat crayfish. He ate 4 whole crayfish by himself!

The island life is for me

While everyone was shopping around and swimming I wandered around with my camera as per usual and snapped this image of fish hanging on one of the empty shops.

Gone shopping on the beach….

Look at the oar! Using materials that would’ve ended up on a landfill somewhere.

…and this is how a dhow looks with its sails down.

At the end of the day, as the sun barely punched through the clouds, we sailed to Zanzibar’s shore and made the hour’s drive to the hotel.

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A day in Stone Town

We booked a tour of Stone Town – but I was really disappointed in the guide. He literally ran a straight line and even with my requests of seeing more of the famous doors and sights he kept on running…

Stone Town is the old part of Zanzibar City. It has a maze-like narrow alleys lined by houses and shops. The architecture offers a nice mix of Arab, Indian, European and Africa – making it really interesting. Main building materials include coral stone, which after all these years are crumbling…seeing less permanent residents.

The buildings in Stone Town really are gems if you love photography. The doors of which I only saw a few and none were painted (sad face)…were spectacular. I love every door – even the simple local doors…but my heart leapt when I saw the really ornate Arab and Indian doors.

What to look out for when you are in Stone Town

  • Doors, beautiful doors!
  • Don’t lean on the buildings, they give off a dusty substance.
  • Don’t take pictures of the people…
  • Take lots of pictures of the buildings – they are really spectacular, but simple.
  • The streets are really narrow and bicycles and scooters share this with pedestrians.
  • The house where Freddy Mercury was born – I was not impressed.

Interesting fact from the locals…

  • They don’t offer money for those out of work. Old people and children do get some support from the government.

Jambo, jambo!

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Travel tips for Zanzibar

I recently traveled to Zanzibar with dear hubby. We thought 4 hours flying, beach, why not…

He who wanders around by day a lot, learns a lot.
Atangaye na jua hujuwa.
(Kiswahili proverb from Tanzania)

We booked an All Inclusive holiday through Mango and it was a really good deal. Plus it meant the Rand could do what it wants (and a certain president could flap his lips as per usual) and we wouldn’t have unforeseen exchange rate issues.

Money

  • Get US dollars – in small bills. $1 dollar notes are A-OK for pretty much anything tip related.
  • Even if you get quoted in Tanzanzian Shillings you can pay in Dollars and get change in shillings. Exchange conversions are sometimes a bit loose and fast.
  • Running out of Dollars and still want to tip? No problem, have your Rands handy. They love a R10 or R20 more than no tip – and it’s worth more than Tanzanian Shillings.
  • On Mango you also still have to buy your drinks and food in the air – and you pay in Rands.
  • Credit cards are handy at hotels but useless when you buy from the locals. You will also be charged a 5% transaction fee.
  • You can exchange money at the airport after landing… I don’t trust airport currency rates.

Not all tour companies are equal

We used 2 different tour companies and I can say without a doubt that some will herd you around like cattle and others will actually go the extra mile.

  • Speak to the Beach boys, sometimes they are licensed with licensed taxis and boats. However if they fail to deliver… and not licensed, you are screwed.
  • Do go on a Blue Safari. It is amazing! Check the weather. It is no fun on a dhow when it hops over waves instead of gracefully gliding.
  • Go off-menu for tours. Request a tour of a local village combined with a visit to a market.

Chat to the staff

When you are friendly to the staff they will share some local secrets… and let you know what to look out for or which trips are really worth the money. They will also tell you more about their customs and food without you having to ask.

I was lucky enough to chat to a Maasai named Ngulele who got his friends together for a few photos. These warriors still wear their traditional clothes, most don’t speak English – but… meeting these friendly Maasai was certainly a highlight of my trip. I will write a post on them – so look out for it! (The Maasai generally take on the role as security staff at hotels.)

Buying souvenirs

Negotiate. Always negotiate. When you buy more than 1 item informal traders will offer discount already.

Support the informal traders, they have the same stuff as the formal shops – and they are usually cheaper.

Other stuff to take on your Zanzibar holiday

  • Waterless hand sanitizer
  • or wet wipes
  • lots of it… pack it on outings even.
  • Sunscreen
  • Mozzie repellant
  • Shoes to walk over coral
  • Snorkeling gear

How would I rate Zanzibar

  • Compared to traveling to Thailand and Maldives, Zanzibar offers great value.
  • The beaches are OK once you get past the coral but Maldives’ beaches are much better.
  • However the people in Zanzibar are friendlier than Maldivians and they definitely don’t bug you to buy stuff the whole time like the Thais.
  • The Maldives is much further but prettier.
  • If I had to choose between Thailand and Zanzibar it would not be Thailand.
  • You can drink beer outside of the resorts in Zanzibar but in the Maldives it is a little more strict. In Thailand the party goes 24/7.

I really loved Zanzibar. It is a beautiful country with friendly people and there is a lot to explore and do. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Don’t set sail using somebody else’s star.
Asisa firie nyota ya mwenzio.
(Kiswahili proverb from Tanzania)

I will also share the items that was really useful on this trip. Like these:

  • I took a a 3/4 sleeve BOODY shirt and wore it almost all the time.
  • Ugly shoes that water just streamed out of – because my “plakkies” got sucked down by the sand and kept dismantling itself.
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Fathima on the beach with Instax camera
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Zanzibar: Fathima on the beach #INSTAX

Some stories from a trip need to be told separately. I didn’t walk around with all my cameras all the time, but when I did there were some amazing opportunities.

The journey that I have undertaken, meeting people from all walks of life and learning from them, has been my biggest achievement. Aamir Khan

I was walking on the beach with my FujiFilm (this camera has been to Europe, Egypt, Thailand, Mozambique and the Maldives) and Instax Mini when I saw Fathima picking up sea grass at around 6pm (low tide). She was etched against the sky and sea in her colourful garb and I asked if I could take a photo of her and in return I would give her a photo like the Instax photo I was holding.

Fathima held onto the instant Instax photo and smiled as she started appearing in the frame. Her smile widened and she said “this photo she will show to her baby one day and tell him/her about the day she had it taken”. By the time I took the digital photo of her holding her photo she was smiling from ear to ear.

I am glad I took my Instax to the beach so I could give her a special photograph for her baby.

I saw Fathima the last morning we were in Zanzibar. She was harvesting sea grass again and when she spotted me she waved and yelled, “Hello Susann, it is me Fathima”. I waved back and took a picture of Fathima etched against the sun.

I know what you think…

In Zanzibar the people do not have that much and I didn’t see many smartphones. This woman by chance stumbled on someone that just happened to have an Instax and could give her a photo on the spot.

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Instax camera blogger - travel blogger
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A love story and a chapel #INSTAX

Sometimes beautiful things come from a love story and then it is there for ordinary people like us.

Memories Chapel is situated on the Memories Corner property in Midrand, corner Whisken & New Road. It is a small chapel with a big story.

The couple who owns the property loves everything antique and has an antiques shop too. They decided to build the chapel and bought reclaimed wood for the exterior, found church pews, a pulpit and more beautiful treasures that may have ended up on a landfill.

The chapel can be hired for small weddings and baptisms.

At Memories Corner the chapel isn’t the only attraction…

This is the antiques shop. It is filled to the roof with treasures for you to find!

You can find from a restaurant, coffee shop and a photography studio here.

… and there is even a costume hire and ballet shop. Just talk to the owner and find out where she danced internationally!

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The Magic of Jozi

When you end up in a place because of a childhood fantasy, you just gotta tell the story.

I’m not from here. I also am not from where you think you know I’m from. I’m from way up north when it was still the Transvaal. A place where I jokingly say hell is right underneath because it is so damn hot there.

The first almost 8 years of my life we lived on a farm 60km from Ellisras near Stockpoort border post. I went to the same primary school my dad, all his siblings and my sister went to – right across from the highschool my mother was a teacher at.

Then we moved to a farm just outside of Duiwelskloof and Tzaneen. I matriculated at Ben Vorster and then I moved to my Jozi.

…but wait, I’m skipping the story of why I ended up in Jozi.

My mom is from an area called Rikasrus just outside Randfontein. My grandparents lived in a smallholding in a double story home they built. We would visit every holiday and the whole family always seemed to be there.

They had a lot of kids who in turn had kids and somehow we all fitted around an extra long dining table. 5 children had 10 children between them (at that stage). All hands had to be there to peel peaches on holidays… and I still love peaches. Breakfast around the dining table was always Weetbix and dinner ended with “huisgodsdiens”.

The younger cousins had to go to bed early but we were allowed to sit in the livingroom on the floor. This is where my obsession began…

A big glass window and door gave me the perfect place to sit and stare out over what I thought was the most magical place in the world that never stopped or slept. The lights in the distance twinkled like little fireflies in different colours. I would sit there just wishing I lived in that place.

I thought it was Johannesburg, but it wasn’t. It was Soweto or Krugersdorp. My magical place was even better when I finally arrived.

I barely had a big suitcase full of clothes when I arrived, but I was determined to live in the biggest city. I knew exactly one person, my godmother and then I made 2 friends and then it became home.

I lost touch with all the people I knew way back then, but now I see the beautiful lights of Jozi from my house and they are more beautiful than when I saw them the first time.

The lights brought me here and kept me here. This is home.

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Getting your travel insurance sorted – quick and easy

So we all know bags go missing and accidents and life happens – well, this is where travel insurance comes in. You don’t want to go on your dream holiday and end up in debt for the rest of your life because you didn’t think travel insurance is necessary.

If you are with FNB and you pay for your holiday with a qualifying card, you could get your travel insurance for free (if you are younger than 70). Plus you can do it online – no more calling and listening to elevator music. I have used the FNB/TIC travel insurance for every trip since 2008!

Usually your travel insurance covers the following:

  • Death and disability cover
  • Luggage cover
  • Medical emergencies

I usually just take the free option as it covers quite a bit. You can upgrade to a paid higher level of cover. I’m attaching the screenshot from FNB’s travel insurance – but if you are with another bank, just enquire if they offer you the same benefits.

If you need to shop around for travel insurance you can use these handy links to get quotes from:

My best advice when traveling is to rather be safe than sorry – and just get the travel insurance sorted before you go. It takes a few minutes and you are covered.

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Why choose all-inclusive holidays when the Rand takes a beating

We all know that feeling when you finally decide you are going on that holiday to a country with a strong currency – and then suddenly someone says or does something and the Rand just plummets into a deep abyss. You then re-do your expenses calculations and realise that you will be adding a couple of thousand onto the holiday…and simply cannot afford it anymore.

That feeling sucks.

This year, for the first time ever, I booked a holiday that included flights, accommodation, food and all drinks. Then the Rand plummeted. It kind of felt like I took out an insurance policy against the Rand.

Yes, I still have to buy a bit of Forex (US dollars), but I still have 2 months. Anything can happen – right? If push comes to shove I can always go on less excursions, which means there will be no big credit card charges – but I probably won’t cut this part of the holiday either.

Reasons to book an inclusive holiday:

  1. You can budget before you even board the plane
  2. The Rand can free-fall and you will still be able to eat and drink
  3. There won’t be any dishes and you won’t need to hunt for food
  4. You don’t need to carry cash around at the resort
  5. You won’t have to book the components of your holiday separately

What is usually included in an All-Inclusive holiday?

Always check what is included in your All-inclusive holiday before booking as this may vary.

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Snacks
  • Alcoholic Drinks (usually local only and top-shelf at an additional cost)
  • Tea & Coffee
  • Soft Drinks & Juices
  • Resort Activities
  • WiFi
  • Flights
  • Airport transfers

Choose an All Inclusive holiday today and take the stress out of planning your getaway – and beat the falling Rand. Because seriously, holidays are for relaxing and not worrying about a weak Rand.

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