Safari and Zanzibar Tour Diaries – Second Week Recap

Our Tanzanian holiday has come to an end and we are very happy to be back home. We spent the entire second week in Zanzibar. After days of roughing it up on safari, waking up super early and dealing with cold mornings, it was nice to relax and enjoy the sunny beach weather in Zanzibar.

Here’s an overview of week 2

Day One: Arusha – Zanzibar
We flew out of Arusha (with Precision Air) and arrived Zanzibar pretty early. It took us about an hour and some minutes to get to our hotel in Jambiani. The rest of the day was spent around the resort.
Day Two: Eat, Sleep, Repeat
DSC 0277

We spent the entire day lazying around. We had breakfast, walked around the resort a little. By morning, the water level had been pushed back, so we were able to walk further into the sea. We had lunch later and got free mocktails from the bar. Wasn’t a bad day at all…

Day Three: Spice Tour, Prison Island & Stone Town

spice%2Btour%2Bzanzibar

This day was spent day-tripping from Jambaini to Stone Town. We also did a Spice Tour of Zanzibar and took a boat to Prison Island. We left the hotel at exactly 8:30 am and rode for about an hour to a farm for the spice tour.

A guide took us around the farm showing us different spices and fruits locals use in their foods and cosmetics. Can I just say that I like the way tourism is packaged here? For me, it felt like I was walking through my grandmother’s farm back home, yet, I paid to do this.

After the tour, we had a Zanzibar-style lunch that managed to involve most of the spices we had just seen. The entire thing was quite interesting, a bit tiring in some parts but I would definitely recommend it.

Our next stop was Stone Town.

boats

There, we hopped on a boat to Changuu Island (aka. Prison Island). Before getting on, I was pretty confident but once I was inside the boat, fear crept in. There were life jackets inside but we weren’t offered them. I’m usually extremely safety conscious but I didn’t ask for one either.

We rode on this boat for about 30mins before getting to the Island. We were riding against the waves on our return leg and that was a bit terrifying for me. To be honest, I’d have been very happy to pass this part of the tour up. I didn’t quite enjoy visiting this Island. I know a lot of people do though and they have good things to say about the turquoise waters and nice beach.

Anyway, we did a brief tour of the Island, spent some time viewing and feeding the giant tortoises before heading back to the mainland for a walking tour of Stone Town.

stonetown
Day Four: Butty Chronicles
I had to go to the clinic today because my sister’s reacting to something. We don’t know what but it probably has to do with something she touched or ate during the spice tour yesterday. We got her some meds and she’s fine now. All is well that ends well.
Day Five: Lobsters & Homeward Bound
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Last night in Zanzibar and we treated ourselves to a lobster dinner. The four-course dinner was served on our bungalow balcony, romantic setting and all. It was certainly a pleasant end to a remarkable holiday in Tanzania.
I’ll be writing in details about the different places we visited (and what we missed) and will also be breaking down costs to help you plan your own trip. If you have never considered Tanzania as a holiday destination option, you totally should!
 
I hope you enjoyed reading. If you did, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to share!

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Guess where! πŸ‘€
Guess where! πŸ‘€
19 hours ago
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1/9
Let me be honest, that tripod was never going to see the light of day! 🀭
Let me be honest, that tripod was never going to see the light of day! 🀭
2 days ago
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2/9
What a beautiful city! 😍

#kamoriver #kyoto #japan
What a beautiful city! 😍 #kamoriver #kyoto #japan
3 days ago
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3/9
Clear views of Mount Fuji, a beautiful lake and swans... what more could I possibly ask for? πŸ₯°
_____________________

If you visit the area, here are some places you'll find the swans + a perfect view of Mount Fuji πŸ”πŸ¦’

πŸ“Œ Hirano Beach η™½ι³₯桜: There's an elderly gentleman who comes to feed the swans from around 8:30am to 4pm, so you're likely to see flocks of swans here
πŸ“Œ In front of Koyu Club Hotel (コーユー倢ζ₯½ιƒ¨ε±±δΈ­ζΉ–畔ァロン)
πŸ“Œ A little further down the road from the last location is a dock where you can also rent swan boats.

For clear views of Mount Fuji, winter, spring and autumn have the most days with clear visibility. You can always look up the weather forecast to see what the day's going to be like before you visit. 

Early mornings and evenings give you the best chance of seeing the gorgeous mountain without any cloud coverings 🀍 On this particular day, Mount Fuji was clearly visible throughout the day!

#lakeyamanaka #fujifivelakes #swanlake #japan
Clear views of Mount Fuji, a beautiful lake and swans... what more could I possibly ask for? πŸ₯° _____________________ If you visit the area, here are some places you'll find the swans + a perfect view of Mount Fuji πŸ”πŸ¦’ πŸ“Œ Hirano Beach η™½ι³₯桜: There's an elderly gentleman who comes to feed the swans from around 8:30am to 4pm, so you're likely to see flocks of swans here πŸ“Œ In front of Koyu Club Hotel (コーユー倢ζ₯½ιƒ¨ε±±δΈ­ζΉ–畔ァロン) πŸ“Œ A little further down the road from the last location is a dock where you can also rent swan boats. For clear views of Mount Fuji, winter, spring and autumn have the most days with clear visibility. You can always look up the weather forecast to see what the day's going to be like before you visit. Early mornings and evenings give you the best chance of seeing the gorgeous mountain without any cloud coverings 🀍 On this particular day, Mount Fuji was clearly visible throughout the day! #lakeyamanaka #fujifivelakes #swanlake #japan
4 days ago
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4/9
This town was a beautiful surprise in Japan 😍

To get here, we travelled from Kyoto to Nagoya and from there to Nakatsugawa. From Nakatsugawa Station, we had to take another bus to Magome-Juku but the commute was so worth it!

-------‐‐‐--‐

Magome forms part of the Nakasendo Trail, a historic route that once connected Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo) during the Edo period in Japan. It traverses the mountainous heart of Japan, offering breathtaking views of forests, rivers, and traditional villages.

The trail is known for its 69 post towns where people would rest along the way. Today, parts of the Nakasendo are well-preserved, allowing hikers to experience a mix of nature and history as they walk through charming old towns like Magome and Tsumago, where time seems to stand still amidst the preserved traditional architecture.

#travelinspiration #japantrip #magome #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
This town was a beautiful surprise in Japan 😍 To get here, we travelled from Kyoto to Nagoya and from there to Nakatsugawa. From Nakatsugawa Station, we had to take another bus to Magome-Juku but the commute was so worth it! -------‐‐‐--‐ Magome forms part of the Nakasendo Trail, a historic route that once connected Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo) during the Edo period in Japan. It traverses the mountainous heart of Japan, offering breathtaking views of forests, rivers, and traditional villages. The trail is known for its 69 post towns where people would rest along the way. Today, parts of the Nakasendo are well-preserved, allowing hikers to experience a mix of nature and history as they walk through charming old towns like Magome and Tsumago, where time seems to stand still amidst the preserved traditional architecture. #travelinspiration #japantrip #magome #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
6 days ago
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5/9
Black Crow Castle, standing strong since the 1500s β€” a true Japanese gem!
Black Crow Castle, standing strong since the 1500s β€” a true Japanese gem!
6 days ago
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6/9
Travel Amarachi is VERY different from Home Amarachi! Am I living a fake life?πŸ˜­πŸ˜‚

Because,my ideal day will start at 10 or 11am and end at 2am. I'm a night owl πŸ¦‰, not an early bird 🐦 - a complete opposite of who I become when I travel!

Tea or Coffee? No, thanks! I'll take a glass of orange juice please! 🍹 But "Travel-Amarachi" will take that matcha 🍡, with the beautiful cafe to matcha! See what I did there? πŸ˜‰ #thefunniestgirlinNigeria #MFGNπŸ‘‘

I only hike for love ❀️ and my Love can faint if he goes on a trip that doesn't include any bit of hiking. So here we are!

+1: I am also a big home buddy. If you catch me outside, I must really love you! But Travel-Amarachi can't stay put in the hotel!
_____________________________

Over to you! What are some ways travel-you differs from home-you? Let me know in the comment section below!

#travelinspiration #japantrip #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
Travel Amarachi is VERY different from Home Amarachi! Am I living a fake life?πŸ˜­πŸ˜‚ Because,my ideal day will start at 10 or 11am and end at 2am. I'm a night owl πŸ¦‰, not an early bird 🐦 - a complete opposite of who I become when I travel! Tea or Coffee? No, thanks! I'll take a glass of orange juice please! 🍹 But "Travel-Amarachi" will take that matcha 🍡, with the beautiful cafe to matcha! See what I did there? πŸ˜‰ #thefunniestgirlinNigeria #MFGNπŸ‘‘ I only hike for love ❀️ and my Love can faint if he goes on a trip that doesn't include any bit of hiking. So here we are! +1: I am also a big home buddy. If you catch me outside, I must really love you! But Travel-Amarachi can't stay put in the hotel! _____________________________ Over to you! What are some ways travel-you differs from home-you? Let me know in the comment section below! #travelinspiration #japantrip #travelwithapentojapan #travelwithapen
1 week ago
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7/9
An absolutely wonderful time in the most stunning country! 😍😍

#japantrip2025πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅πŸŒΈβ›©οΈ
An absolutely wonderful time in the most stunning country! 😍😍 #japantrip2025πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅πŸŒΈβ›©οΈ
1 week ago
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8/9
Public holidays should be your best friend if you work full time and love to travel. Eid and Easter fall between the months of March and June.

If you plan out your vacation time properly, you can:

🌸: get 24 vacation days ✈️ by taking only 12 days off! 🀯. Perfect for your Asian odyssey or West African road trip from Nigeria to Cote D'Ivoire 🚌

You can also split this time, taking shorter breaks in addition to the public holidays.

Take 12 days off from March 31 to April 21 to get 24 vacation days (including weekend and public holidays)! πŸ˜€ 

Mar 31 - Apr 01: Likely Eid Al Fitr
Apr 18 - Apr 21: Easter

Send this post to your manager immediately! πŸš€
Public holidays should be your best friend if you work full time and love to travel. Eid and Easter fall between the months of March and June. If you plan out your vacation time properly, you can: 🌸: get 24 vacation days ✈️ by taking only 12 days off! 🀯. Perfect for your Asian odyssey or West African road trip from Nigeria to Cote D'Ivoire 🚌 You can also split this time, taking shorter breaks in addition to the public holidays. Take 12 days off from March 31 to April 21 to get 24 vacation days (including weekend and public holidays)! πŸ˜€ Mar 31 - Apr 01: Likely Eid Al Fitr Apr 18 - Apr 21: Easter Send this post to your manager immediately! πŸš€
1 month ago
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9/9
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