During the summer of 2022, I experienced my first time visit to Zanzibar, with a volunteer group called GIVE Volunteers. For those who have never heard of Zanzibar, it is an island off the coast of mainland Tanzania.
It was my first visit out of the country in seven years, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The trip made me realize that I need to travel overseas more often! I felt very out of sorts at first for this reason, but my group and the environment relieved my anxiety!
We started in Stone Town, the main city in Zanzibar. Then we traveled to Kairo Kiwengwa village where we spent the majority of the trip. We stayed in a hotel on the beach and did our volunteer work at the school in the village.
As far as the culture goes, it was a bit of a shock for all of us but in a good way. GIVE enforcing the cultural consideration policies helped us adapt as well. Here’s what I learned from my time in Zanzibar.
95% of residents on the island are Muslim. This is important to know before your first time visit to Zanzibar.
For this reason, the females in the group had to cover their knees and shoulders, unless we were doing construction or swimming. However, up until the construction location and the beach, we had to keep those areas covered. So make it a priority to pack some culturally appropriate clothing before your first time visit to Zanzibar!
GIVE takes cultural consideration very seriously, and they expect you to pack culturally appropriate clothes before the trip. Even if other tourists are not covering their shoulders and knees, we were required to under their policy.
This is also the reason why all the meat we ate was halal. Muslims do not eat pork, so we did not have pork the whole trip.
Most of the ladies and girls in Zanzibar were in hijabs. While we were hanging out in Stone Town, we’d occasionally hear the call to prayer echoing from the mosque. But hey, no need to freak out!
A local guide and me! Also, an example of “culturally appropriate” clothes!
PDA is kinda awkward
This issue didn’t apply to me. Although there was a couple in my group, they did a good job not showing PDA in Stone Town. GIVE also highlighted this part of cultural consideration as well.
Showing affection goes against the local culture in Zanzibar. This was evident when I saw tourists and locals not kissing or holding hands. So if you’re experiencing your first time visit to Zanzibar with a significant other, plan on NOT being affectionate!
Us strolling through Stone Town!
Freddie Mercury’s childhood home is in Stone Town
He was born in Zanzibar, a British colony then. I learned this from the “Bohemian Rhapsody” movie when it first came out, and it’s what I looked forward to most in Stone Town!
Sadly, we did not get a chance to go inside. However, the guides were aware that I wanted to see this sight so bad! Therefore, when we walked by it, they pointed it out to me and offered to take my picture!
Fish are very big in Zanzibar. Expect to eat this delicacy a lot during your first time visit to Zanzibar
My group and I had a couple fish meals, and we also had a chance to check out the massive fish market in Zanzibar.
It totally stank, but everything was pretty well organized. They had all kinds of fish split up into separate displays, and you could see the workers getting everything ready and setting it all up.
I was utterly amazed by the scene, thus being able to overlook the horrid stench. In that moment, I understood why this enchanting locale is renowned for its fish. Zanzibar is right by the ocean, making it easy for fish to come through!
A section at the fish market! Expect to see lots of these types of marketing during your first time visit to Zanzibar!
Zanzibar has a slave market museum
My group and I visited the slave market by the Anglican Cathedral on the island. The tour really gave me insight of how terrible life in the slave trade was.
Outside stood a rock sculpture depicting individuals intended to symbolize enslaved people, all bound in chains. I could see the hardship the slaves endured just by looking at the sculpture, quite the insight, right? It became even more astonishing upon descending downstairs to a stone cellar that contained three small, dimly lit rooms.
The rooms served as slave chambers, where enslaved individuals were held prior to being sold. The limited space offered only stone slabs for sleeping, accommodating 50 to 75 individuals in each room. The situation was exacerbated by the presence of over 20 volunteers in the same space, highlighting the severity of the conditions endured.
Also it was very short in terms of the ceiling because I’m 5’7 and I barely fit in! Other than that, the slave museum was very eye opening and I can’t imagine what the slaves went through.
The slave chamber meant to house 75 slaves. Yes, that is the whole room.
It is very humid in Stone Town, but if you are staying on the beach, it’s not as bad
When I first arrived in Zanzibar, my thick hair met the humidity head-on!
However, as we arrived at our hotel on the beach on day 2 of the trip, I felt a surge of relief with the delightful ocean breeze sweeping away the humidity!
In addition, the village we stayed in was also the same location as many popular Zanzibar resorts including Melia, Kiwengwa Beach Resort, and Tulia Zanzibar.
Me chilling out on the swing near our beach hotel!
Bill Gates owns an island in Zanzibar
I heard it’s called Mnemba Island. We didn’t actually go there, but we totally caught a glimpse of it during our snorkeling tour!
I’m sure Bill Gates owns tons of islands around the world. If you are ever in Zanzibar, feel free to snorkel near this island! However, it likely costs money to actually tour the island, but it is totally free to swim by!
That’s the island out in the distance!
The people of Zanzibar embrace simple living with joy and contentment
Every day, my friends and I would stroll past the village houses on our way to our volunteer spots. Honestly, we couldn’t help but notice how different they were from what we were used to.
It was incredible to witness a village entirely crafted from stone, with clotheslines gracefully adorning every corner. While their electricity options were limited, their passion for homesteading was undeniable. The highlight? The warmth of the community shone through, with everyone, especially the kids, exuding an inviting friendliness!
They recognized we weren’t from Tanzania and eagerly ran up to us, wrapping us in hugs and expressing their desire to play! While children in America are cautioned against speaking to strangers, children in Zanzibar get thrills from showing love to strangers.
And one the kids wanted to wear my sun hat!
Zanzibar has a significant Maasai population
I did not expect this, even though I knew they were prevalent in Tanzania and Kenya. I just thought they were in Kilimanjaro, Dar Es Salaam, and most of Kenya, but apparently they were in Zanzibar too!
Our students for when we volunteered at the school were actually men from the Maasai tribe, and they are some of the most loving people ever. I also think one of my students had a legit crush on me, lol!
They also don’t speak Swahili, they speak Maa primarily. Even though the language barrier was tough, they were still a fun group of students to work with!
In addition, Maasai men usually have clubs with them but do not fear, they do not use them on people! They use them to ward off snakes and other threats to humans, as they are protectors.
My group and our Maasai students!
Zanzibar has some of the bluest water in the world
The best way to experience this stunning water is at Nakupenda Beach, located just off the coast of Stone Town. Nakupenda means, “I love you,” in Swahili and it is fitting! Who wouldn’t love this location in the middle of the ocean? Nakupenda Beach boasts a vast expanse of sand embracing the brilliant blue water. My group and I enjoyed lunch on the sandbank while we explored the beach.
The “blue-ass” water at Nakupenda Beach! Something I know you’ll cherish during your first time visit to Zanzibar!
Try to avoid talking to strangers in Stone Town. Important advice for your first time visit to Zanzibar
My co-volunteer and I were in line for the bathroom when a local randomly started chatting with us.
First, he asked what we were doing in Zanzibar and if we were staying in Stone Town to which we answered, “volunteer trip, and no”. Then he started to mention how we were welcome to stay the night with him and if we were interested to which we responded, “no… we gotta go back to our group”. Then he started going on and on about how much fun we’d have staying with him. During that, my co-volunteer whispered to me, “vamos”, which means “let’s go”, in Spanish. That’s when we left, and we talked about how uncomfortable that man made us feel.
Theoretically we could have ran away sooner, I still don’t know why we didn’t. Regardless, running away immediately when someone makes you uncomfortable is the right move!
To avoid this problem, try and stay away from talking to strangers in Stone Town!
Approximately where the incident happened! By the port!
Phrases like “Hakuna Matata”, “Kula Bata”, and “Pole Pole” are widely recognized
And they mean “take it easy”, “having a lot of fun”, and “slowly slowly”, respectively. You may recognize “hakuna matata”, from The Lion King. It is also a common Swahili phrase in real life too.
We used these phrases a lot during the trip to try and fit in with the culture. While a lot of souvenirs sold in the Zanzibar markets had these phrases on them as well!
Phrase souvenirs found in Stone Town! You’ll see a lot of these during your first time visit to Zanzibar!
Want to learn more about advice for traveling to Zanzibar and/or GIVE Volunteers in general? Feel free to contact me!
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