Tanzania trip 30 May – 4 Jun 2009 (Part 2)

Zanzibar looked gloomy coz it looked like it was about to rain. The rooms were not available and so we rested at the restaurant for breakfast. Flight took only 20 mins so there was basically no service except the air stewardess greeting you good morning.

Looked very threatening. But didn’t even rain. But the view from the restaurant was fantastic, overlooking the Zanzibar Channel.

Fishing boat

Dhow

They got plenty of fresh passion fruit juice everywhere in Zanzibar. Yummy.

I tried out their local foods, rice cake and doughnut. The rice cake was dry, hard and tasteless. The doughnut was much too sweet but still not bad.

This is the market of Stonetown, the busiest place till 5.30pm (at least). The roads hasn’t changed at all for the past 10 years. The number of people and cars increase but roads still stayed the same. I was told that all the vehicles in Zanzibar are second hand because the people can’t afford it. In fact, I even see our Singapore Comfort taxis at a customer’s warehouse!

The market sell everything – sundries, foodstuff, seafood and even durians! They have durian trees in Zanzibar, but the fruits are getting smaller because they do not know how to cultivate the trees properly and just let grow without looking after it.

Lunch was at a nice Chinese restuarant called Pagoda Restaurant. Was a Chinese who’s the boss and the Chinese food they served were really up to standard. GOOD!

At nite, we (with the customers) went around the area for food. Zanzibar, unfortunately, didn’t have fresh seafood (they are frozen) and so what we had didn’t really taste superbly fresh.

Saw these things.

This is like a pasar malam in Singapore. They sell rows of food – seafood, small bites. A lot of foreigners actually patronise it. Dun really care about how hygenic the food is.

We went to a proper place to have dinner in the end.

Tipu Tip’s house – residence of the famous Arab trader who built up a large trading empire in Congo in the 19th century. With Belgian colonisation of the Congo, he returned to Zanzibar where he acquired many clove plantations and built his house. He died in 1905 and is buried nearby.

The next morning, departure day, I woke up earlier to go take photos around the ancient looking Zanzibar Serena Inn.

The Zanzibar Channel

The spiral stairs that leads to the other rooms upstairs

Corridor leading to the lobby

People love to exercise along the beach in the morning

Work? Leisure?

The quiet street in the morning

The coffee house which doubles up as a gift shop

Most of the gifts are handmade. Not cheap though

The massage place beside the pool and overlooking the Zanzibar Channel

The deck chairs providing a nice view as well

The pool

The entrance

Lobby

Front view

Zanzibar Serena Inn used to be a telecoms building

Chinese Doctor’s residence from the pool side

in 1995, restoration works began on the ex-telecoms building, which was transformed into the Zanzibar Serena Inn. This photograph shows what is now the bar area and the columns lie beneath what is now room 52.

I like how the morning sunlight shines on this, which shows the Chinese Doctor’s residence.

Top view of the pool against the channel

This striking Arabian belt was worn especially by female concubines in the Zanzibar Omani Sultanate, most famously Princess Salme bin Saad was pictures adorning one of these in the royal palace of Mtoni.

This phone which has been restored for daily use was part of the ex-telecoms building equipment. It has been known to ring on its own sometimes. But I knew the receptionist was the one ringing it. lol

Then opened in 1997

Yes, this is Zanzibar airport – check in counter. 5 years ago, there wasn’t even the roof sheets shelter. You have to stand under the sun while waiting for boarding call.

Kenya Airways check in counter on the left. They have to print the boarding pass in the office on their extreme left. And I thought oh shit why they took our passports into the office.

Finally got to Dubai airport after passing thru Dar-es-salaam on the way back with some hours of transit. It was past midnite local Dubai time when I finally got on the flight to rest.

The new B777-300ER flights have this ’starry’ ceiling, and built in massage function for the business class seats. But I’d rather sleep throughout the whole journey…