Honeymoon in Zanzibar
What do you want from your honeymoon? White sands on secluded beaches, turquoise waters and swaying palm trees? Wandering the narrow alleys of a historic old town? Gazing into the clear sky at night to see a star studded sky? The exotic East African island of Zanzibar has all this, and more besides.
A real hidden gem just off the coast of Tanzania, Zanzibar is every bit vibrant and exotic as it is secluded and romantic. Stone Town is the main historical centre of the island and it is well worth staying here even if it is just for a night or two at the beginning of your honeymoon. Even the architecture itself, ranging from huge white buildings, to large grey stone cathedrals, ornately-carved wooden doors and curving Arabic plasterwork, is at once beautiful, fascinating and romantic.
Some of the best restaurants in Zanzibar are here, with Indian cuisine proving particularly influential since traders travelled across the Indian Ocean and settled here many centuries ago. Seafood dishes are of course ubiquitous – lobster, crab, king fish, prawns, octopus and calamari feature heavily on most menus. Breakfast usually features fresh fruit in some form, whether freshly squeezed mango juice or passion fruit and pineapple platter.
After all the excitement of Stone Town, you’ll probably want to take advantage of one of Zanzibar’s many white sanded beaches. There are many excellent boutique hotels which combine luxury with locality. Waking up to the view the Indian Oceans waves lapping against the sand of a deserted white beach is calming for the mind and soul. If your feeling adventurous then your hotel should be able to organise snorkelling, diving, deep sea fishing and sailing. In fact, you’d be hard pushed to find a water sport you can’t try in Zanzibar. Even if your a novice, the Indian Ocean’s waters are often calm enough to try a bit of kayaking. For something more relaxing, try a sunset cruise. Watching the sun sink into the horizon from a wooden boat in the calm waters of the Indian Ocean is the perfect end to a romantic day in Zanzibar.
The islands surrounding Zanzibar offer even more hidden treasures. Changu, more commonly known as Prison Island, was originally intended to be used as a (yes, you guessed it) prison. In fact, it was used as a quarantine zone for yellow fever and a place to house slaves before bringing them to trade. Now, the island is mainly known as a great place to laze on the beach, swim in the ocean…and visit giant tortoises. The ruined prison buildings provide occasional relief from the sun to these fantastic creatures, some of which were originally rescued from poachers or private collectors. You can even buy vegetables from the information centre to feed the tortoises with. A boat across to Prison Island takes about 40 minutes to one hour, and can be taken from Forodhani in the centre of Stone Town.