Zanzibar-Chumbe Island

The next day we woke up early to catch a boat to the small eco-tourism island off the southwest coast of Stonetown.  Chumbe Island is an eco-tourism project aimed at preserving the beautiful coral reefs surrounding the island and the coral rag forest covering the land.  Only 12 guests are allowed on the island in hopes of making as little of an impact on the environment as possible.  The bungalows are constructed out of local materials with collected rainwater and composting toilets.  The upstairs bedroom wall opens up to reveal a gorgeous view of the ocean.  The island is also home to a few endangered endemic species including a rare form of duiker (a small antelope) and the large coconut crab. 


Coconut Crabs on Chumbe Island

After arriving on the island, the staff filled us in on the schedule for the day and we quickly took off to change for snorkeling.  Chumbe Island has some of the best snorkeling in the world.  We got to see amazing coral formations with schools of colorful fish as the visibility underwater was approximately 50 feet.  After two hours we reluctantly got out of the water to clean up for lunch. 


The Crab Whisper

The rest of the day we spent laying on the beach and reading.  It was nice to relax a bit after walking around the hectic streets of Stonetown.  Around sundown we took a short nature walk through the forest.  It was interesting to walk along the bits of fossilized coral and to take in the breathtaking views of the opposite side of the island. 



View from the lighthouse

Our beautiful bungalow

At the end of our walk, I faced my fear of heights and climbed to the top of the lighthouse.  Each step tested my nerves and I felt it was only a matter of time before I went tumbling down them.  Despite my fears the views from the top of the lighthouse were worth it.  We could see for miles making out the streets of Stonetown and the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean.



The "sky light" in our bedroom

That night we settled in on the beach to watch the sun go down.  Just as the sun slipped below the horizon our waitress came over and told us we were at the wrong table.  Thinking they had simply assigned tables we followed her to a more secluded table at the end of the beach.  There in the sand they had written Jennifer <3 Joshua Forever in Love in stones.  I stood up to take a picture of their handy work and when I turned around Josh got down on his knee. 



Sunset on Chumbe Island

 Chumbe Island was by far my favorite leg of our Zanzibar adventure.  Not only because of the beautiful location and breathtaking snorkeling but its the place where Josh asked me to be his wife.  I am so incredibly excited to spend the rest of my life with him!



I said "Yes that sounds like a good idea!" :)

Zanzibar-Stonetown

After an amazing two weeks in Zanzibar, I hardly know where to begin.  Zanzibar is a small island archipelago off the coast of Tanzania.  It consists of two islands: Unguja, the larger and southern island, and Pemba, the small island to the north.  We were blessed to be able to visit both in our two weeks there exploring both on land and under water.  Our trip was full of too many memories and pictures to write about in one blog so I've decided to split it up by location.

The view from the rooftop of our hotel

Stonetown is the heart of Zanzibar and sits in the middle of the larger island, Unguja.  Its a beautiful old city with a maze of alley ways and shops.  At times the streets get so narrow that you can barely fit a motorcycle between them yet alone a car.  Zanzibar has a rich heritage including many ruling sultan's, slave trade, and the site of the shortest war in history (a brief 45 minutes!). Stonetown is the heart of this heritage and has many great historical sites to check out.

Old Fort

Upon our arrival we went straight into the city and checked into our hotel.  The Dhow Palace Hotel was beautiful with amazing views of the city from the rooftop terrace, multicolored stained glass windows and antique furniture dating back to the sultan era.  We set off to explore the town a little making stops at some of the larger monuments.  At the Old Fort we wandered among the ruins and checked out the work being done to get ready for Sauti za Busara, an annual music festival of popular African musicians.  Next door we made our way through the House of Wonders, the Zanzibar National Museum.  The building gets its name for being the first building on the island to have electricity and an elevator, thus making it a "wonder" to the common individual.  We spend a few hours touring the exhibits and reading up about the history of the country. 


View from the top balcony of the House of Wonders

Delicious seafood lunch at Emerson Spice

From there we walked a bit to see the Slave Memorial in the heart of the city.  Zanzibar was a central hub on the slave trade and the memorial consisted of some of the original holding sites before slaves were sold.  We walked underground and saw the small cells that held close to 100 men and women.  It was sad to think that these small rooms were the home to so many individuals and the conditions they had to endure.  From there we walked outside to see the catholic church which was build over the slave auction site.  The founding bishop was a strong supporter of abolishing slavery and was an instrumental part of ending the slave trade in Zanzibar.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the narrow streets and many shops.  We also managed to find some great food and drinks to enjoy.  The end of our day was spent at The African House enjoying the first of many beautiful sunsets.  The dhows, wooden fishing ships, sailed in from a long day of work and anchored themselves right on the beach making the sunset just breathtaking. 

Slave Memorial

The Catholic Church built on top of the slave grounds

It was only the first day of our trip but our time in Stonetown was great.  We managed to do a little exploration and enjoy some fresh seafood.  As most of our trip went, we wondered if it could get any better...On to Chumbe Island!

Josh and I at sunset

At the African House for a sundowner