I’m that girl who knows exactly what I want when putting a trip together. I don’t leave a stone unturned when it comes to cool little hotspots and hidden gems on my trips, and there’s a specific kind of travel-addicted women that I create these trips for!
Whether you are itching to join me on a future trip, or you want to use this itinerary as a guide to create your own experience, I have no doubt that this blog with encourage you to travel far and wide in the very very near future! 😏
It’s time to stop dreaming and start doing!
I hosted this particular trip in February 2024, which was hot, somewhat humid and not overly busy. We could get a seat in most places as a group of twelve and getting around was no issue.
The Girls Trip
Day One - Stone Town (*Click link for videos!)
We arrived into the stunning Unesco World Heritage Site of Stone Town and checked into Seyyida hotel. This was where the group of guests for my girls trip arrived - I could tell instantly that the vibe was perfect!
The tour took us through the historical maze of crumbling buildings that were bursting with character and stories. We learned a lot about the dark history of Zanzibar and how it has shaped the island over the years.
A huge highlight for me was having the Stone Town divers put on a show for us and plunge enthusiastically into the water - it’s a must when you visit!
We rounded up the day with a delicious Welcome Dinner at the Archipelago Cafe and I gave the girls their personalised goodie bags and we played some fun games to kickstart the adventure.
We started the day with a private yoga session on the beach, then headed off on a boat to Prison Island for a tour. It’s a beautiful island surrounded by turquoise water yet the juxtaposition of it’s original purpose (a quarantine island for sick slaves) is a stark contrast to what we see today.
Here we saw the huge African Tortoises, some of which were over 100 years old, seeing them up close was fascinating.
We then got back onto the boat and headed to Nakupenda Island (Nakupenda means “I Love You” in Swahili) and it truly was an island that you can’t help but fall in love with! It’s a sandbar that’s surrounded by warm, shimmering water and we spent the afternoon cartwheeling along the beach, eating lobster and calamari, snorkelling, giggling and having the best time.
We had dinner at Cape Town Fish Market, which has incredible views!
We spent the day in Ndijani Village which my local friend had organised for us by getting permission from the chief. We spent the day renovating a classroom and the children were beyond fascinated to see us. We also provided enough food to feed 250 people in the village and were showed how to cook a traditional Zanzibari dish. It was an extremely rewarding experience that served as a unique highlight of our trip.
That evening we made our way to Paje and celebrated one of the girls birthdays at Bento - a foodie spot made up of shipping containers as different food vendors. The brownies are DELICIOUS!!
We woke up super early and headed to Kizimkazi for a sunrise boat ride that took us to the deep blue waters where the dolphins hang out. I’ve seen dolphins in the wild before but I’ve never swam with them. Jumping in and seeing them up close and underwater while I swam around on the surface was super fun.
We had a chilled afternoon relaxing in our private pools and catching up on some much needed R&R before heading to The Rock Restaurant to check at the views and Kae Funk Beach for sunset and to party the night away. Easily one of my favourite nights in Zanzibar.
A Spice Tour is a must on any visit to Zanzibar - it honestly blew my mind to see where and how some of my favourite spices and vegetables were grown. We got to taste things in their rawest form straight from the ground - we tasted teas, coffee, fresh fruit, coconut water and even tried natural ingredients on our skin.
Later, we arrived at Sunset Kendwa and spent the evening watching the sunset from the pool and dancing on the beach. This was one of the ‘pinch me’ days!
This was a full day snorkel tour to Mnemba island, the most beautiful water that I have ever seen! We spent the day jumping off the boat and snorkelling in crystal clear waters with brightly coloured fish, sunbathing on the deck and, of course, eating freshly cooked fish that our chef prepared and barbecued on the boat.
Later that evening we had a sunset dhow boat ride (only half the group attended due to seasickness and sunburn - it was wild!). We picked up a local band and sailed between Kendwa and Nungwi dancing and watching the sunset.
I organised our sunset themed Farewell Dinner at the Z Hotel, and we spent the night indulging in delicious seafood, drinking cocktails, recapping the highlights of our trip and getting emotional in the all the best ways. The girls on these trips truly are my people!
Part One of the trip wrapped up today, and we said goodbye to two of the girls who were heading home and onto their next adventures. For the rest of us, we went back to Stone Town and checked into the historical and beautiful Tembo House Hotel - which was like stepping in to a time capsule.
That night we headed to The Secret Garden Restaurant at Emerson Spice. The food and the atmosphere was lovely!
Originally, this was supposed to be our safari day, but due to a sick pilot and fully booked planes that meant we couldn’t get to mainland, we shuffled things around a little and did our Safari Blue Tour.
It’s a magical experience, my favourite snorkel trip to date! Again, the water is like no other, and draws you in like a magnet - it was also much calmer on this trip, so snorkelling was relaxing and way less chaotic than our other tours.
We played around in the mangroves, swam with vibrant fish, had an incredible seafood platter on the island and climbed a giant baobab tree. I swear everyday felt like a dream, and I still can’t quite believe it even as I write this now…
There was a lot of scrambling happening in the background to make this work - but we managed to upgrade the safari!! (woohoo!) Instead of a one-day trip to Mikumi National Park, we went to Arusha and visited Tarangire National Park. We were picked up at Arusha airport by our safari guides and driven straight to the park.
This was a major ‘pinch me’ moment! Experiencing this unique activity with a group of new travel friends from all over the world was priceless. We saw zebras, elephants, baboons, giraffes, warthogs, lions - there was even a pregnant lioness getting shade in a tree!
The whole experience was breathtaking and if you have never done a safari before, or even if you HAVE, you need to book one!! There’s nothing like it, and it was so different from the safari I did in Kruger National Park, you never know what you’re going to see and that’s what makes it so special.
We travelled back to Zanzibar from Arusha - the airport itself is a unique experience that I highly recommend!
The rest of the day we splashed out by the pool, spent the day writing postcards and shopping for souvenirs and reminiscing on the amazing memories we’d created in the past ten days.
Here’s my thoughts…
Travelling is a fascinating peek into a world or a life that’s far removed from our own. When we look at the world through a travellers eyes, we notice things that we don’t see in our day-to-day lives. It’s an opportunity for expansion, connection, perspective and experiences that allow us to be more present and embrace the joy that our world offers.
Combine that with the fact that this trip is completely bespoke to my brand and tailored to suit the personalities of the girls that joined me and it's a win-win. It’s a major passion of mine to curate experiences and bring people together in the most unique ways, and designing these trips is one of the ways I do this. (Shout-out to the amazing women who joined me on this breathtaking trip - I’m still not over it 🥹)
If you want to experience special moments like this and meet people who will become your future travel besties, without having to plan every detail and trying to convince your friends to travel - let me do it for you!!
You might have missed out on this one, but you don’t have to miss another! I have some trips up my sleeves that will blow your mind and show you a whole new way to travel, whilst connecting you with incredible women from all around the world! Be sure to join us on the next one!
My Top Tips for Zanzibar:
Move around the island. You’re missing a trick if you stick to one spot, the variety that each part of the island offers is vast, so don’t miss out
'Pole Pole' life… There will be power cuts, air-conditioning faults and delays. Patience is not only a virtue, it’s a necessity.
Be prepared to think on your feet. There were many times that I had to change plans around and move the dates or times of activities - it’s a destination that flexibility and adding in additional days or overestimating time-windows will serve you well.
Dance like there’s no tomorrow! There is music playing everywhere in Zanzibar - the locals dance, the tourists dance, the waiters dance, the children dance. Embrace music everywhere you go and don’t be afraid to create a dance-floor wherever the music calls you.
If you liked this blog, be sure to let me know! Drop me a message on The Gram, I’m always down to connect with travel addicted women and find out what trips you’ve got planned!
