The Tides Lodge

The Tides Lodge and Mawimbi Villa are two adjacent lodgings managed by Karla and Willem. The two are caring and helpful hosts who have helped us with our travel planning. The two plots are only a few minutes drive away from each other directly on the beach. We had planned to spend some time first at the Tides Lodge and then at Mawimbi Villa. The Tides Lodge has a large main house, which invites you to relax and linger, as well as about a dozen bungalows situated to the right and left of the main house. The bungalows are lovingly and stylishly furnished and offer high comfort. Next to the sea, which is perfect for swimming, the lodge offers a pool for refreshment.

Since the complex is quite small overall, guests are taken care of very well, which we found extremely pleasant. Especially after a strenuous mountain ascent or safari, the place is ideal for relaxing. Samir made us delicious cocktails. The food prepared by Sophia was always fantastic.

But the area has much more to offer than just relaxation. Thus, for example, visits to the very authentic surrounding villages are easily possible on foot. Samir did one of the tours with us and showed us what the life of the locals in a small coastal village is like. But also for snorkeling and diving enthusiasts the area has something to offer.

Maziwe Island!

Only a few kilometers away from the beach lies Maziwe Island. The small island seemed to appear out of nowhere as we approached it. Maziwe Island is a sandbank only a few meters high, located in the Indian Ocean and surrounded by coral reefs. We reached the small island by boat in about 45 minutes driving time. The water temperature was 28 degrees, the beach magnificent and a small tent offered protection from the sun. The island is ideal for extended picnics, to relax and to discover the underwater world. We got our equipment from the Tides Lodge and therefore had less luggage of our own to carry. We put our goggles on, got the snorkel ready and dived into the water! The following moments: simply impressive! The underwater world is colorful thanks to the countless corals and the varied animal life. Besides lionfish and other fish species we saw blue starfish and other exotic sea creatures. A great trip!

After our time at Tides Lodge we set off for our second stop at Ushonog Beach, Mawimbi Villa.

Mawimbi Villa

Mawimbi Villa is also located directly on the beach but differs from the Tides Lodge. Mawimbi Villa is an early 20th century villa of enormous size. It has a pool and can accommodate up to 10 adults and two children. Normally it is only rented to groups, a booking by different travel groups is rather rare due to the intimacy. The five bedrooms are all very stylishly furnished, spacious and most have their own bathroom. The common rooms such as living room and veranda are ideal for resting and relaxing. From the balcony you have a great view to the ocean.

If you stop at Mawimbi Villa, you will certainly not leave hungry again. Full board is included in the rental price. Once more, we were very lucky to have Sophia as our cook by our side. She prepared delicious food for us, especially fish and seafood. All in all, we had a great experience of a special kind! 

Much too fast the time passed by at Ushongo Beach and we continued our journey with a little adventure.

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Land in sight!

Hello Zanzibar! We finally reached the north of Zanzibar, the region around Nungwi. The beaches there are particularly beautiful and popular with tourists, the small village is well worth a visit. The north of Zanzibar is also excellent for diving. The Tides Lodge as well as Mawimbi Villa from the Tanzanian mainland offer tours to Zanzibar for one or more days. However, we had planned to leave Zanzibar by plane and to return to Europe. It is therefore important to get a stamp for your passport at the place of arrival when you enter Zanzibar, i.e. in this case in Nungwi. Tanzania and Zanzibar officially belong together, but the island still has its own president and partly its own jurisdiction.

We took a taxi from Nungwi to Stone Town. Stone Town is the old part of Zanzibar City, the capital of Zanzibar. For our first night we had planned a stay at Jafferji House. Located in the heart of the winding streets of Stone Town, this hotel has a very special charm with its oriental look and rooftop restaurant. The Emerson Spice Hotel is similar, and we also liked it very much. Finally, Stone Town offers a wide variety of accommodations that vary greatly in both amenities and price. The oriental charm of the Jafferji House is an indication of the island’s rich history. Zanzibar was temporarily ruled by the Portuguese, British and Oman and their sultans during the last centuries, which made the island a true melting pot.

Stone Town and Prison Island

Stone Town vividly tells the story of these past centuries, as well as that of slavery. We would therefore recommend every Zanzibar traveler to take at least one day to explore Prison Island and its giant turtles as well as Stone Town. Prison Island is a former prison island, although the buildings erected on the island were never used as a prison. At the time of the British colonial rule it was rather a place of recreation and excursion for the wealthy. Today there is a hotel and hundreds of turtles on the island, which serve as an attraction for tourists. We enjoyed our visit to Prison Island very much. As the crossing with one of the numerous boats takes approximately half an hour, we recommend planning a total of approximately three hours for the excursion. If you allow for a little more time, you can also go snorkeling.

We also did a guided tour through Stone Town, which we also liked very much. Stone Town is vibrant and rich in history. Accordingly, we undertook the tour with a trained and certified guide. There are also numerous “Beach Boys” that make you promises at a lower price. However, we would advise against this, as the quality of the tour is usually lower, and you may have to adjust to hidden costs. Together with our guide we visited the former palace, which the rulers of the island used in their time. We also discovered markets, historical monuments and learned about the sad history of slavery, to which Zanzibar contributed as a hotspot.

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There are two types of plantations, locally and governmentally owned ones. Local farmland differs significantly from state-owned plantations, the latter mainly used to grow monocultures. Both are nice to visit, we found especially the diversely grown crops in the locals’ plantations interesting to discover.

In the early afternoon we continued our journey towards Karafuu where we planned to spend the second night. Zanzibar is greener than mainland Tanzania, the climate is tropical. Consequently, we drove through lush green, small villages and plantations until we finally reached the coast. We spent the night at the Karafuu Beach Resort, a beautiful and spacious resort, which is especially popular with beach vacationers and package tourists.

We used the following day to discover the eastern part of the island, which is especially suitable for kitesurfing. The white sandy beaches and the turquoise blue water invite you to relax and swim. Especially the small village of Paje offers tourists a wide range of water sports activities, numerous accommodations and bars and restaurants as well as seemingly endless sandy beaches. The last night of our Zanzibar trip we finally spent at the Bluebay Beach Resort, which is also located on the eastern coast, but further north. The hotel is stylishly furnished and offers a rich buffet as well as regular evening events. We also felt very comfortable there and would recommend the hotel to everyone who longs for a relaxed beach holiday.

Departure, what else?

The morning drive to the airport passed quite quickly due to the size of the island and the location of the Blue Bay Beach Resort, so that we could still enjoy the rich breakfast. Even though we personally prefer smaller and more personal accommodations, larger lodges or hotels can be very suitable for relaxing. For those who can afford it, we would recommend visiting one of the beaches of Tanzania. During our first Tanzania trip and ascent of Kilimanjaro we did not do so but would have been happy about it after all.

We were particularly impressed by the tranquility of Tanzania’s coastline, which, in the style of Robinson Crusoe, offers visitors a very special opportunity to relax. With the Tides Lodge and the Mawimbi Villa we have had the opportunity to experience two excellent accommodations. Zanzibar is also great for relaxing and for various excursions. Should the trip serve the purpose of recreation, we would recommend in any case an organization in advance due to the hustle and bustle and the partly opaque offers on Zanzibar. Otherwise, the desired recreation can quickly become stressful.

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