To get to Zanzibar, we took a three-day train (which we aren't ready to talk about) from central Zambia to the coast of Tanzania and then ferried to the fabulous islands. Zanzibar is an archipelago off the coast that has been a long time trading port where Africa, Arabia, India, and the Far East meet. These influences continue today to make a fascinating place for architecture, food, and people.

Zanzibar is 99% Muslim and the call to prayer rings out for everyone to hear. Stone Town, the main city, is a maze of small cobblestoned streets where it’s better to spend the day getting lost rather than to worry about directions.

The Stone Town spice market is a delight to the senses and, not surprisingly, the food is as well! Take a break from the sun on the reclining cushions at Monsoon where they serve local cuisine with charm. To top off the day, every night there is a food stall market by the harbor. Blakely particularly recommends the Zanzibar Pizza!

We stayed at the recommended Hiliki House in Stone Town and the manager, Aboud, was a wonderful host. Plus, the breakfast is a reason to wake up in the morning.

After Stone Town, we headed to the beach for some much-needed R&R. There are a variety of beach village options depending on your mood. We selected Jambiani which is fairly quiet with beautiful beaches. The water is one-thousand shades of blue so we dove twice to fully appreciate the shades!

The tide in Zanzibar is a marvel! Everyday on the Eastern beaches, low tide and high tide expand and retract by about a mile. This is because Zanzibar is a coral island and very flat so small changes in the sea level create huge movements in the waterline. It makes for perfect strolling and exploring! The local women harvest seaweed and fisherman’s boats travel around the many lagoons.