November/December, 2025
Our birthdays are six days apart, and we travel to celebrate. This one was so special. It was our first birthday with our baby. December last year, he was still tucked away in my belly. This time, he was here for the adventure.
We landed in Zanzibar at 7 a.m. on a Saturday. As we came down the airport escalator, we spotted a man waiting with a sign which he held upside down. Rather confidently, too. It read, “Here for quick transfers.” When we gestured that the sign was the wrong way round, he flipped it over, looked at it for a second, burst out laughing, and without missing a beat said, “Hakuna Matata, welcome to Zanzibar!”
And honestly, that set the tone for the entire trip.
Zanzibar is an island that dressed well. Colour was everywhere, especially on people. One of the first things that truly caught my eye was the women’s clothing. Though modest in form, they were anything but dull. I saw deep blues, warm browns, soft purples, and an endless play of patterns – florals, geometrics, and gorgeous, bold prints.
The locals carried the same boldness and brightness into their personalities too. We found ease and warmth in every encounter. The conversations were easy, and everyone was exceptionally kind to our smallest, 5 month old traveller.
Coming from Maldives, a beautiful sea + beach combination is difficult to impress us with. Zanzibar managed to please us quite well, anyway. During boat rides, with the salt in the air and the wind coming off the sea, I was reminded of Maldives. It felt so much like home that it made me homesick, and a little sad too, realizing that our baby had not yet seen the islands we call home. There was something bittersweet about watching him experience that familiarness somewhere else, first.
Zanzibar fed us very well. We had the sort of meals you remember separately from the holiday itself. Simply cooked, but heavily spiced. Most of the restaurants we frequented at were by the water, and we took our time over it.
…except for that one grilled octopus which had me fighting for my life.
Anyone who has visited Zanzibar will definitely carry the memory of the warm, funny and incredibly funny Maasais. Their bright red shucks were impossible to miss against the blues and whites of the island. We made friends with a few we met along the way, who made bracelets for the three of us – which became one of our favorite things we brought home.
Pole pole, slowly slowly. It wasn’t something we kept hearing, it was the rhythm of Zanzibar itself. Nothing felt hurried.
Two birthdays celebrated during the two weeks we spent in Zanzaibar. But perhaps, the best part of this story is how we booked the trip to Zanzibar.
We were merely considering going to Zanzibar, and I was simply looking at stays when I found a beautiful villa online – huge private pool, private chef, and slightly over budget. I left the page open, put my phone aside to play with my baby, and picked it up minutes later to find the villa booked, paid for, and non-refundable.
I panicked. Fai suggested perhaps a tiny baby foot had hit the right button. Nobody else believes me, probably not even Fai. To this day, they insist it was a very convenient “accident.”
Anyway, we booked the flights and were in Zanzibar two days later.
I maintain my innocence.
No Comments