Zanzibar Adventure!

(Pictured Above: left to right: Samar, Aisha, Ella, Teodora, Clara, Dorothea, Raquel Mark)

    As the midway point of the internship quickly approached, interns followed in the footsteps of Travel Teams past and headed straight to Zanzibar to enjoy some relaxing time away from the office. In order to begin the journey to paradise, our team had to once again endure the grueling 6-hour bus ride to Dar es Salaam, before taking the ferry to Zanzibar City (Stone Town). After surviving some slight sea sickness, we successfully landed on the island and made our way towards our accommodations. After a month spent at the base of the Uluguru Mountains of Morogoro, the breeze of the ocean and the sight of sandy beaches was an exciting change of scenery. The spectrum of topography in Tanzania is incredibly beautiful, and Zanzibar was no exception. 

In order to make the most out of our vacation, the team quickly began planning excursions and day-trips to some of the city's most popular attractions. 

A walk through Stone Town's famous spice market served to overwork our noses with the scent of thousands of herbs wafting around us. Additionally, our group decided to visit the Old Slave Market to gain a better understanding of the history of Stone Town. In the evening, we attended the local night market for a variety of fruit juices, seafood, shawarmas and mishkaki (skewers). The following day, the team headed out to sea for a tour of Prison Island, where we saw the ruins of Zanzibar's colonial prison and (more importantly), the island's giant tortoise sanctuary! Here, we were able to walk, sit, massage, and feed giant tortoises to our heart's content. Home to the second oldest tortoise in the world, Prison Island's sanctuary is a must-see excursion, and our team left the island incredibly satisfied with our tortoise time. 

Lastly, before our time in Stone Town came to a close, the team decided to haggle our way into a day-trip with Zanzibar's famous Safari Blue tour. This 6-hour tour encompassed a full day on the water, with snorkeling and a fresh seafood lunch- another must-see attraction for anyone staying in Zanzibar! 

After this jam-packed day, the team said ciao to Stone Town, and headed to our next destination- Paje Beach!

A notorious favorite among intern teams, Paje Beach is a 20km stretch of pure white sand along a low and high tide of clear turquoise water. The common vibe of Paje is more laid back and windy than the island's other tourist towns, which makes it an ideal location for wind sports and general relaxation. The beach's quiet atmosphere makes it a great place for socializing, with a series of hostels and resorts found right on the beach front. All in all, our team loved Paje. From long walks on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and great people from all over the world, our experience in Paje will not be forgotten any time soon. 

 

Following a memorable couple of days in Paje, the team once again said goodbye and headed for the north of the island to Nungwi Beach! 

Back into the more familiar atmosphere of busy tourist streets, Nungwi provided a good contrasts to the relaxing beaches of Paje. With days filled with more shopping and exploring than anything else, Nungwi was packed with vacationing families and party-goers. We began our time in Nungwi with a trip to Mnemba Island (or as close as we could get), again paired with snorkeling and lunch. Following this excursion, a couple members of the team decided to try their hand at scuba diving! 

In the end, our adventure in Zanzibar had to come to a close. In the blink of an eye (after a 1 hour ferry, and 6 hour bus), the team was back in Morogoro- fully refreshed and ready to work until the end of the internship!

More updates from the International Travel Team coming soon!

Ciao :)

- Raquel