Paje and Stone Town, Zanzibar

I moved on from Nungwi in northern Zanzibar to Paje on the east coast. The beaches here were larger than in Nungwi with long uninterrupted stretches of white sand. The difference between high tide and low tide is extreme and on most days there is an ocean breeze making this a kitesurfer's paradise.

Paje is a great jumping off point for a half-day trip to Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park. Such a beautiful setting and the home to Zanzibar's red colobus monkey. Look closely and you'll see the tiny, little baby wrapped around its mother.

From Jozani, I continued to Stone Town for the afternoon. Wandering and getting lost in the alleys was the best part. I spent my time observing and photographing the incredible people, culture, and architecture of this old world town.

After a few days in the east, I said goodbye to Zanzibar and took the long, two-day journey back to Kilimanjaro. It was a rough return. I had gotten braver about negotiating fair fares for things and since I had very little local currency left in my pocket and no desire to hit up an ATM again before my exit, I stood up for myself. Mistake? In one sense it felt really good, but it also caused me a lot of anxiety. It takes a lot of energy to stand up for what is right! I'm glad I saved my stubbornness for the end.

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Nungwi, Zanzibar

With only one week left in Africa, I chose to take in the island life on Zanzibar. The boat from Pangani arrived to the northernmost town of Nungwi. It is a popular holiday destination and the beaches have been taken over by large, primarily foreign-owned hotels. And it's easy to see why... the beach and ocean is paradise!

Sticking within my comfort zone and budget, I bypassed the expensive resorts and went hunting for a locals guesthouse. I was unable to escape a local man who was insistent that he knew the right place for me. Since it didn't seem like I was going to be able to get rid of him, I chose to follow him to Nungwi Guest House. While not exactly what I was looking for, it was nice and had a relaxed, "small-town" vibe. I was able to talk the owner into a fair rate and so paid for three nights. I settled in and then it was time to explore.

I walked north along the beach to the lighthouse. High tide was coming in, so I wasn't able to walk much past it.

I opted for the village route on my return. It was astonishing to see the stark contrast between the resorts and the village, separated by just a few steps.

In the late afternoon, I stopped to watch a real soccer match. It was the most organized and official-looking soccer I had seen since arriving in Africa. The players seemed serious and focused. That was until halftime when one team came over to talk to me and ask for their picture to be taken.

I had dinner at a local restaurant. The people there were so nice and seemed genuinely happy to have me, so it became my go-to place for the next few days.

The next morning I went on a half-day trip to Tumbatu Island. It was some of the best snorkeling I've ever experienced. The coral and fish were typical of a tropical environment, extremely vibrant and colorful, making me wish I had a waterproof camera. We spent about three hours at two different dive sites.

The snorkeling highlight for me was our encounter with an octopus. They are spear-hunted by the locals of Tumbatu. We came across one in about 6 foot deep water. It was hidden among the coral but part of its body was lying visible on a rock. Our guide, Hamza, decided he wanted to catch it so he swam to shore to borrow a spear and came back in attack mode. Once in position, he lunged toward the octopus, nicking its body but not spearing it. This resulted in one pissed off octopus. An arm wrapped around the spear and pulled it out of the Hamza's hand. As he struggled to get it back the octopus exposed how strong and large it really was. The octopus was getting pulled out of its hiding place and its arms stretched out to resist the force. The suckers (yes, that's the scientific term) on the underside of the arms became exposed and this octopus was massive. Stretched out it was at least 4 feet across. I've never seen anything like that before and it was terrific!

That evening I joined Hamza and some others on the beach for volleyball. There was a group playing beach soccer as well. We all paused our games and joined the beach crowd when the sun started dropping below the horizon.

The Tazari Caves were the chosen destination for day 3. I borrowed a bicycle from a friend and also borrowed his friend and we rode south on the only road out of Nungwi. It only took 20 minutes or so to get to the caves. I love caves. And while these weren't the most interesting caves I've ever been in, there were several things that I really enjoyed. 1) They were sparkly. I'm not sure what mineral was in the stone, but whenever light reflected off the walls and formations they glittered. 2) There was a section of the caves that was extremely warm and humid. I have been in lots of caves and they are all the same cool temperature. This cave had a cavern that made you sweat the moment you entered. It was crazy. 3) The bats and scorpion/spiders (I'm not sure which it is) were awesome.

After the caves, I rode further south alone. I wanted to explore. I saw a side dirt road and decided to take it hoping that maybe I would stumble upon a good view. With the help of Mr. James I was able to find a good overlook of the entire north part of the island.

Mr. James was an English teacher for adults and was on his way to a study session with some of his students. He asked me if I would come to his intermediate/advanced class and answer some English-language questions. I told him I didn't have much time. I could stop by for a half hour or so, but then I had to ride back to Nungwi. I stayed for three hours! The class was very smart and had really good questions. English is such a difficult language to learn. As a native speaker you don't realize how nonsensical a lot of it is, but trust me, there is so much that doesn't make sense. Knowing how to speak English provides many additional opportunities for East Africans. The men in this class understand that and are working hard to make the best life they can for themselves and their families. I'm so happy I ran into Mr. James and took him up on his invitation to join his class.

On the ride back to Nungwi I stopped at the school to play netball with some young girls. This was the first time I saw girls playing a sport (rather than just watching) and so I had to join them. My only other experience with netball came a few years ago when I was in New Zealand. I remembered most of the rules. They showed off some of their best netball skills and then I showed them some basketball moves. They had to leave to prepare for their evening prayer, but I had a lot of fun.

Before arriving I had only heard of Nungwi as a beach and party destination (and it can be if that's what you want), but it turned out to be so much different than I expected.

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Pangani, Tanzania

I finally made it to the coast! Leaving Amani was much easier than getting there. I hopped on the back of a motorbike for a short 5 minute ride to the nearest village where I transitioned to a dala dala. After a short wait we were off to Muheza. Then Muheza to Tanga and from Tanga south to Pangani (a small town on the northeast coast of Tanzania). I stayed at a cheap, local guesthouse that had soccer on the tiny, box TV 24/7. I spent the days interacting with the locals and exploring the entire length of the beach.

I spent two nights in Pangani before heading off to Zanzibar. The morning was a perfect day for a four hour boat ride between the mainland and the island. And it is a good thing because the boat was not built for anything less than perfect weather (and neither am I).

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Amani Nature Reserve

In my opinion, Amani Nature Reserve is a hidden gem in northeastern Tanzania. I wish I would have planned for more time there. It is not an easy destination to get to, but it is well worth the trip.

Amani is about 30 km from Muheza and there is no regularly scheduled public transport. Having arrived in the afternoon, I had two options... 1) immediate departure via piki piki on a muddy, bumpy road with all my things on my back, or 2) undetermined departure time on a dala dala (there's no guarantee that one would be going to Amani that day or the next day for that matter). I chose the cheaper route and to chance my luck and headed to the bus stop for Amani. At the bus stop there were quite a few other people waiting to go in the same direction. That was a plus. It meant that there hadn't been a bus in a while and that when one arrived we would fill it and leave rather immediately. So, I plopped down on the ground next to some locals and waited. And waited. And waited. No bus. Just as I was about to give up and ask a piki piki driver to take me to Amani, a large "cargo" truck screeches to a halt about 100 ft up the road and everyone who I was just sitting next to runs to it and jumps in the back. I look around and think, "What the heck?" It's better than waiting and even if it doesn't take me where I want to go it will be an adventure. I catch up, throw my stuff on, and climb in back. I can see right away that this truck was recently used to transport livestock (cows I would guess). It's a little gross, but nobody else seems to care so I guess I don't either. I try to sit on my backpack, but the road is so bumpy I can't stay in one spot. Opting to not end up with cow crap all over me, I stand in direct sunlight for the majority of the ride. By the way, a couple women next to me slept for the entire drive; their bodies and heads flopping about with every bump. Amazing!

The ride was rough, but a little over an hour later the truck stopped at the Amani Nature Reserve entrance gate. Everyone stared at me. When I didn't move, they grabbed my stuff, placed it on the ground, and pointed for me to get off, so that's what I did. The truck and all the others continued through the gate (no fee required for Tanzanians) and up the road. I was a little confused as to what to do next. There was a "guard" in the shack by the gate and a small building on the opposite side of the road that looked like it may be park offices, but other than that there was nothing. I stood there for a few minutes looking around in all directions. Did I miss the town? Do I have to walk down the road a little to find the town? Am I supposed to pay the fee now? I thought I was being dropped off in the town of Amani. The plan was to find a guesthouse and then to see the reserve the next day. TIA... nothing goes as planned.

I cautiously walked past the entrance gate to the building. The gate guard couldn't have cared less. I walked up to the nearest door and peeked in the building. A man came up to the door and greeted me. He said he had a small guesthouse there, but it was completely full for the night. I would have to go 8 miles up the hill to the research center and get a room there. I had just been forced to get off the truck that was supposed to take me up the hill. Now I'm being told that I could sit and hope for another vehicle to come by to take me there or I could walk for 8 miles. Normally I'm up for a good walk, but I was NOT walking. The roads were wet and muddy and did I mention it was 8 miles.

I paid the guesthouse owner my entrance and guide fee for the following day. (Why it didn't go to the guard at the gate I don't know). Then, I sat down on the step, chatted with the man, and waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually, the group that was staying at the guesthouse (an Indian family that lived in Tanga, Tanzania) came down the hill in a pickup truck. They had been on a morning hike and were now grabbing what they needed to go swimming at the waterfalls. They graciously offered me a free ride to the research center. One long day (this was the same day I left Mtae/Lushoto on the 4am-turned-into-6am bus) can only be followed by one long, restful night.

Amani Nature Reserve is quiet, peaceful, stunning. A nature-lover's dream...

Click here to see more photos of Amani Nature Reserve.