Boys’ Trip to Zanzibar

A few days after we returned from our Girls’ Trip to Tarangire National Park the boys headed off on their surprise trip with Mr Mechanic.
He has been dreaming of taking a boys’ trip to Zanzibar for a while and was just as excited as they were!

To be all technical: local Pemba and top-travel destination Unguja Island together make up ‘Zanzibar’.
Iconic Stonetown, beautiful Mnemba Atoll and Prison Island are located on Unguja, which has resulted in the common misconception that Zanzibar is only this one, beautiful touristy island.
And, Unguja is more difficult to pronounce than snappy ‘Zan-Zi-Bar’, there’s that, too.

For two of the boys, this was their first time in an airplane, taking the excitement factor to the next level.

They landed at the itty bitty Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (which is surprisingly disorganized for as small as it is), and headed to their hotel in the southeast part of the island.

Unless you need to pass through Dar es Salaam for some other reason, I recommend flying from Arusha to Zanzibar direct.
Air Tanzania has decent prices (and a free shuttle to KIA airport!), and Tropical Air has good rates for official Tanzanian Residents (they require to see your resident permit at boarding, FYI).
The ease of the flight and 1.5 hrs arrival time is definitely worth the added cost compared to the 12+ hr (sweltering) bus ride from Arusha to Dar, delays, crappy food and toilets at the rest stops, and probably needing to sleep a night in a guesthouse before catching the crowded ferry the next day.
Save yourself the hassle and fly.
My condolences if you need to travel through Dar es Salaam, flights are still available direct from Arusha.

They stayed five nights at Mwezi Boutique Hotel, located in Jambiani. This area is famous for dolphins, which swim freely in the surrounding waters and visitors can rent a boat and swim with them, too.*

About Mwezi Hotel

Mwezi means “moon” in Swahili. The hotel-lodge is named for the moon because this mighty force controls the ocean tides. The eastern side of Unguja Island tends to have a low tide during the day and the water returns rapidly in early evening.
Situated right on the beach, you can choose either the swimming pool or the incredible Indian Ocean to take a dip. The pool is a nice touch for kids who want to splash in the heat of the day, when the tide is typically low.
The hotel is community-friendly and eco-friendly. The decorations were designed by local Zanzibar artists, the furniture in the rooms and larger dining area made locally with recycled wood. Quality natural materials were used in the construction, and recycled materials widely utilized throughout.
There is no air conditioning, but don’t worry: the rooms were designed to get a constant sea breeze, more reliable than any energy-consuming machine. **
Food served at the restaurant is all local, full of island flavors. Think fresh fish, crab, octopus, caught just a few hours before and fruits straight from Mwezi’s own property.
My mouth is watering already.

Boy’s Activities:

-Rented bikes and rode for hours
-Rented a motorcycle and drove further around the island, the boys also taking turns learning to steer/drive
-Had long lunches of fresh-fresh-fresh seafood
-Went out fishing with a local fisherman, than back to his house to cook up the fresh fish and meet his family
-Played in the waves and the ocean
-Slept in late and relaxed in the sand
-They utilized the pool every.single.day. At the end of the trip Jembe could swim completely on his own!***

Sounds like a perfect vacation! I’m pretty jealous.
Will post more photos of their fabulous safari in a few days.

*I’ve done it – one of the best experiences of my life. No animals are touched, harmed or captive for this experience.
Unless you consider humans as an animal; in that case, I was nearly harmed because a person in my boat was sea-sick and almost got sick directly over top of me… long story, but the moral is: Go in a boat with people who aren’t prone to motion sickness.

** when I lived in Stonetown electricity cuts during the middle of the night were no fun. I woke up covered in a sweat. The constant sea breeze is so much better!

***I’m terrible and have lost the video Mr Mechanic sent me as proof.