Zanzibar (Tanzania) 2022, part 5 (Stone Town, Fumba peninsula, Kwale sandbank and island)
An excursion was planned again for the next day, but this day was also specific because it was planned that while we as a group would go on an excursion and visit the beauties of Zanzibar, our belongings would be transferred to a hotel in the village of Nungwi in the north of the island of Unguja. As we were leaving Stone Town, I used the time while we were gathering up to take a few more photos. I have already said that Stone Town is a historical part of Zanzibar City and that due to its architecture, which mostly originates from the 19th century, it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Of course, other parts of Zanzibar City do not necessarily have the historical significance or the historical beauty.
First we headed south from Zanzibar City, to the Fumba Peninsula. Along the way, I looked at the sights that could be seen from the mini-bus, which were quite interesting to me because they certainly reflect the daily life of the inhabitants of Unguja and probably the entire Zanzibar archipelago.
After about half an hour’s drive, we arrived at a beach in the very south of the Fumba peninsula, from where the popular excursions called “Blue Safari” start. Of course, where there are tourists, there are also sellers of various goods. Hats were offered here and so were shoes, as well as sarongs.
The beach itself was comparatively nice, but we didn’t stay there for long, because it was planned to go to another place to swim, so we just boarded the boats that took us on an excursion.
We were told that we would be riding traditional Zanzibar boats that use sails, but objectively there was not much wind, so there was no point in unfurling the sails, and it certainly went faster when the engine was used. On the other hand, I noticed a smaller boat that had an unfurled sail, yet the main drive was an engine.
Soon we reached the Kwale sandbank. It is not the only place like this in this part of Zanzibar and each of these sandbars is the same, but spectacularly beautiful and picturesque thing. Practically in the middle of the ocean rises a pile of white sand and the size of the sandbank that can be seen above the surface of the water depends on the tides.
When we disembarked, the guys who steered our boat and the local guide set up a canopy on four wooden poles, as all excursion boat crews do anyway, so that we could, if we wanted to, take shelter from the sun that was extremely strong. I just left my things in the shade and then I walked on the small sandbar. There were quite a lot of visitors there, but that relative crowding did not take anything away from the beauty of the place.
The water was wonderful – of a magical colour and it was warm, so I immediately went for a swim. By the time I returned from my first swim on this sandbank, the fruit for our group was already ready.
While I was eating my share of the fruit, I was staring the entire time at the beauty of the water around the shore. In other words, all the senses were satisfied and I was very content.
Once I had finished with the fruit, I went to take some pictures again, so I made a video as well.
I also took a selfie and there you can see that I was wearing a special swim shirt which was the right thing because my skin was still pale and I don’t like to sunbathe at full blast because I try not to get sunburned. That hasn’t happened to me for a long time, because I’ve been taking care of it for years, but if I have the opportunity to sunbathe moderately and in the early hours of the morning, so that I gradually get a tan, I have no problem with that. However, this was around noon, which meant that the sun rays were extremely strong, so this was the best option for me.
Then I went into the water with my mobile phone to take a picture of the sandbank from the area where soon after, having left my phone with my things, I returned and had a nice swim.
After some time, we boarded the boat again, so now I could take pictures of the sandbank and the shallows that surround it from the boat.
Now we sailed not far from the shore and anchored there because the plan stipulated some diving here. My camera for underwater photography broke a long time ago (it was already the second or third such camera), because they are simply made of very poor quality (my cameras are simple, but belong to well-known brands), so on this occasion I brought a plastic cover into which a mobile phone is inserted and it should work under water. However, that was something I couldn't do, so I gave up on filming and only took a few pictures from the boat before I jumped into the water. In addition, some of the fish could be clearly seen even while one was out of the water, because the guides from the boats threw bread into the water and the fish then gathered there to eat.
As for the diving, I was quite disappointed, because under the water the coral reef was destroyed and looked like Hiroshima after the nuclear bomb. Back in the day, in Mauritius, I learned that this was because too many people visit and with the boat engines and probably with sunscreens that are full of chemicals, they pollute the area where the corals grow, so that they die. Some interesting fish could be seen here, however, especially if I dived a little deeper and a little further from the central part where the boats were anchored, but it was certainly a far cry from what should naturally exist there.
After some time, those of us who entered the water climbed back onto the boat and passing by the Kwale sandbar again, we headed towards the Kwale island.
On the eastern side of the island of Kwale there is a bay, a lagoon, which was formed by the erosion of the coral reef, while lush vegetation dominated by mangroves grows around it.
Due to the large difference in tides, when the ocean recedes the water drains out of the lagoon and vice versa. The organisers of the excursion make sure that the visit to the lagoon is at the time of high tide, so that boats can sail inside. The boats then anchor there and visitors can swim a little, because the lagoon looks like a natural pool, somewhat protected from the ocean that surrounds it.
After a short swim in the lagoon, where the water was even warmer than in other places, I returned to the boat and when all the members of the group were together, we moved on to the northern part of the island of Kwale, where there is a wonderful sandy beach. First, I photographed the eroded parts of Kwale Island that form the lagoon and then I paid attention to the beach and its surroundings.
Kwale Island is a popular place where all the boats that take visitors on the “Blue Safari” trip arrive. The plan provides for a longer break, a bit for a local tour, a bit for swimming, a bit for lunch, and therefore the place is more commercial, so there are numerous huts selling various goods that the visitors may be interested in at that moment.
To start with, I took photos of the beach itself.
However, before swimming, I took a walk to see a local attraction, which is a large African baobab tree (Adansonia digitata).
Baobab trees in general have a very interesting look, but this particular 500-year-old tree is even more special. The reason for this is that the tree collapsed in a strong storm, supposedly about 70 years ago, and then it continued to grow, but in a different direction. So, the old tree is horizontal, while several new trees grow from it, upright and at right angles to the old tree.
From whichever angle you look at it, the tree seems magical!
I made a circle around the baobab and in one spot where I was completely alone I hugged it. Yes, yes... I’ve already said before that I’m a person who really likes trees and likes to hug them occasionally. I understand that the vast majority of people are not in the habit of hugging trees and I think that’s perfectly fine, but I still find it strange that people mostly come here only and solely to take pictures and not actually to see the tree. I can say that with clear conscience, because at the time of my visit, of all the other people who came here (from various groups), I was the only one who went around the tree with a desire to see it from all sides. The others were just taking photos from the side that they came across first.
This approach to things, phenomena and life in general has become the “norm” today. That marvellous superficiality of Homo sapiens that has certainly always existed has only become more noticeable with modern technological developments and trends.
The main “stunt” here was for people to climb a tree in order to have their photos taken. It is impressive when you see a reference object in the form of a human being on top of the tree, but it says much more about the tree itself, than about that human being whose only ambition was to “look good.”
Next to the path that leads from the beach to the baobab tree, where there are fenced areas with tables intended for visitors to have lunch, there are several flame trees (Delonix regia). Illuminated by the strong sun, the fiery red colour of the blossoms was even more pronounced.
Along the way, I also spotted a large number of cobwebs and spiders. They were really impressive and they all belong to the Nephila genus.
However, I was much more impressed by an “encounter” with another animal that I first spotted while swimming near the beach on the island of Kwale. It was an eagle species – the African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer). But I was in the water and could only admire it as it flew over the island. After this pleasant refreshment in the waters of the Indian Ocean, I went ashore to dry off a bit before lunch.
And then I noticed a serious “battle” in the sky. Apparently, the African fish eagle disturbed the nest of some house crows (Corvus splendens), because now there were two crows chasing it in the sky in order to force it away from their nest. The situation was absolutely fantastic and I rushed to the lunch tables where my things were in order to get my camera. By the time I returned, the African fish eagle was just slowly circling above the open sea and soon it headed towards the main island of Unguja. I was very happy that I even managed to capture it with my camera.
And now it was already time for lunch, which our hardworking hosts had set up. The main offering consisted of seafood including lobsters, shrimps, squids and tuna.
I really like this kind of food, so I was very content and could even have a refill after eating everything that was originally on my plate.
Since we still had some free time on the island, after the lunch I went swimming again. The water was certainly extremely tempting.
We stayed on the beach for a while in order to swim and later we boarded the boats again and headed for the mainland, that is, for the main island of Zanzibar – Unguja. We passed the Kwale sandbank again and I “had” to take a photo of it again.
I have already mentioned that the day was organised in such a way that our luggage from the hotel in Stone Town was transferred to the hotel in Nungwi by a van, while we, after returning from the sea, took a mini-bus to the north of Unguja, where at the very tip of the island there is the village of Nungwi in which we spent the rest of our vacation.
I enjoyed it intensely as we drove through the central parts of the island because the green-coloured Zanzibar is known for its vegetation, so I was again able to recall the mango, banana, and papaya trees, as well as enjoy the wonderful scenes of the life of the local residents along one of the main roads on the island.
It took us about an hour and a half to drive to Nungwi. Having arrived at the hotel, I settled in the room, briefly met with the group so that the guide could explain to us what was in the area and then I went to have dinner with my roommate Lela. The dinner was not spectacular (what I chose was what I got), but the beer was excellent.