I mean, what more can you ask from a beach? I’m currently in Nungwi in the north of Zanzibar and its bloody lovely.
I’m staying in a little chalet type thing that’s around 5 metres from the sea at high tide. there is a parasol just outside and this has become my haunt. Between dips in the sea I can nip in and have a quick shower and be back on the sun lounger (a couple of mangrove poles with rope strapped between them) within minutes. Its lovely.
I was expecting Nungwi to be something like I experienced in Koh Tao in Thailand – small but a little touristy with some shops, bars and a main road connecting it all.
Well its not. not much anyway. For starters, the main road is actually the beach – and when the tide is in that disappears. You can still walk round the back of buildings, but its not exactly easy or pretty. There are a few shops run by locals, but mainly only selling local produce and carvings and paintings. All the same carvings and all the same paintings – its amazing the lack of choice you can get from 10 different shops! 🙂 The best thing is that there are NO western shops at all. no starbucks, no fastfood, no clothes shops. Its local stuff or nothing. There is one shop in one of the hotel complexes that sells some western stuff – but 20quid for some aftersun means I’ll figure out a way to do without.
Next is the lack of people. I know this is coming to the end of the season, but the hotels and beaches are near deserted – its great! the bars in the evening are very subdued with only a handful of people in each. Now, don’t think that because the staff often outnumber the guests that you’ll get fast service, oh no. Everything over here runs on African time. That means it gets down when they want to to do it and you’ll get your drink when they feel like serving it – not when you feel like drinking it! It takes some getting used to, I can tell you, but I am slowly getting there. Its very annoying though to wait ten minutes when you are hot and thirsty!
That aside though, this place is gorgeous. I’ll put some picture up when I get home as connection out here isn’t conducive to up/downloads. The water is 28′ and crystal clear – the sands are the whitest I’ve ever stepped on and the food is just delicious. I must eat more fish when I return to the UK!
My days currently consist of waking around 7.30, a lite breakfast followed by a few hours of sunbathing (reading or sleeping), lunch, back to sunbathing and then around 4pm I allow myself to start drinking (1 quid for a very cold 500ml bottle of tasty beer) and I then watch the sun go down. I continue drinking till around 7 then go for some dinner (and more beers) and one of the beach front bars and finally retire to bed no later than 10. I could REALLY get used to this. 🙂
This afternoon I’m off diving again around the local reefs. Whilst great – its a disruption to the day I have come to love – so I was torn whether to do it or not. However, you cant just laze around ALL the time can you? I’m also considering diving again tomorrow but a bit further away – that would be an all day trip! but I have heard the diving at that site is spectacular so its seems stupid to miss out on it. I will still have Friday and Saturday morning for relaxing on the beach. I shall let you know what I decide…
So, some basic facts:
I’m not tanning. I’m still sodding white.
I’ve sun burnt my feet. (note to self: just because your feet have sand stuck to them doesn’t mean you can skip putting sun lotion on)
I’m still white.
I think I am loosing a toe nail on my right big foot. I’m taking a picture diary of it and will post when I return (from a blister under my toenail from trekking kili).
I’m actually starting to like mango. (though banana is still my favourite)
I’m still white.
on that note – I off!
steveslaw 