April 27, 2009
The very first day of our vacation where we don’t have to be on the clock. For us, this is not normal at all; but tolerated it nonetheless, given the fact that safaris are usually scheduled itinerary.
As the day was rather overcast, we decided to take a slow walk to the end of the beach. Overcast my foot! The sun was really sneaky and at the end of the walk, I was literally chao tar! I wasn’t even tanned, I was blackened like chicken on a grill and Silver Bullet looking as pink as a par-boiled lobster. Stick a fork in us and you’ll find Silver Bullet medium rare and me way too well-done.
That aside, it was actually quite a nice 45-minutes walk each way. So nice that even a lone dog from nowhere decided to accompany us. She walked every step of the way right with us till when we decided to stop for some refreshments. It was a long walk indeed and she didn’t tire! She seems happy to just tote along.
What we found at the end of our walk is just a humble guest house, Kilima Kidogo. The initial thought was just to take a breather after the long walk and head back to our crappy, pretentious resort. We ended up spending a lot of time there (plus the day after for lunch AND dinner!) and was completely taken to Dina, a South African lady who owned the small and cozy establishment. Even the service from the bar-man was friendlier! The guest house was really nothing fancy with only 5 rooms, and apparently the cheapest on this side of the island at USD 35 per night/person. The atmosphere was, however, certainly different. It was much more homely and exudes the kind of warmth we didn’t feel at our resort. The room definitely looked better than Ndame Village and the food at Kilima Kidogo were just fabulous! Dina is an excellent host and is very involved with her guests. She spent a great deal of time talking to us and her other guests, making us feel so welcome. Even the guests here were much friendlier and so easy-going. Pretty much our kind of place – simple, fuss-free and cozy. We love her place, her cat, Zimba and her friendly, warm and down to earth personality. Kilima Kidogo rates high on our recommended list.
The discovery of Kilima Kidogo and making unexpected acquaintances from a blasé walk on the beach made our stay in Zanzibar that much more tolerable. Thanks for having us Dina! You are one hell of a host!
View from our resort, walk on the beach with the bitch
The discovery of Kilima Kidogu & its residents:
@ Zanzibar Airport check-in counter – the start of a long, long flight home
April 26, 2009
Departed Ngorongoro and a long drive back to the Watering Hole in Moshi for the night before going onward to Zanzibar.
Zanzibar is an island off Tanzania, dominated by 98% Muslims. It is a half an hour flight from Kilimanjaro airport, comprising mostly of sand and sea. To me, it is just another place to rip tourists off royally.The service of the resort we stayed in, Ndame Village, is nothing to shout about. The room is quite disappointing considering the amount of money we paid at USD 85 per night. The food we had here were mostly over-salted and it doesn’t quite exude a friendly atmosphere. I can safely say that Thailand still has some of the nicest beaches, with better value for money. I never thought I’d say this, but the services we get in Thailand at almost similar resorts are definitely much better! Come to think of it, 5 days in Zanzibar was something we definitely could do without. It was almost unnecessary and rather disappointing.
One of the highlights of Zanzibar is the Red Colobus Monkeys, found only in Zanzibar’s Jozani Forest. They are highly endangered, numbering around 1,500. Apparently, leopards used to roam this forest, but is now, sadly, already extinct. We did half a day hike into the forest just to see these monkeys. They are quite social and are generally non-aggressive. It was a treat to see them in their natural habitat, oblivious to the world. They get so close to you, I can even touch their tails!
Stone Town is also one of the highlights in Zanzibar. We had spent the entire day roaming into the maze of Stone Town with a local guide, immersing ourselves with the unique looking, historical sights of this place.
Way-laid by baboons on the way out of Ngonrongoro; a stop by the shirt shack (literally a shack):
Jozani Forest, Zanzibar:
Sights of Stone Town where slave trade thrived centuries ago:
April 26, 2009
It was really hard to spot the endangered Black Rhinos as they are known to be rather elusive and shy. We did see six rhinos, but they were so far away, we might as say we haven’t seen them at all. We had almost given up looking for a closer view towards the end of the day, but at the eleventh hour, JC spotted one for us. Persistence and patience had paid off and the bugger had unexpectedly decided to cross the road right in front of our car (well, almost!). Clearly, the Rhino looked annoyed – probably agitated and confused with the various scents present as it made its way home into the woods.
A former guide from our safari company claimed that he has only seen rhinos crossing his path FOUR TIMES in his 11 years experience with more than 300 safaris under his belt! Imagine the rarity. Another fantastic sight that was!
