Steppes In Africa; A Disney-inspired Safari-X is for: Xfer to Zanzibar & Y is for: Yes, I Finally Rested on this Trip! (11/9)

[Steppesister]

It looks like a really nice hotel, too.

It was by no means a 5-star, but was clean and well kept. Lots to do but mostly just a beautiful spot to relax, even if it was super tough to get to.

The open-air dining was one of our favorite things about Hawaii.

Same with me in Bali. So relaxing!

I've heard that name but knew nothing about it. It sounds like a very versatile fruit.

It really does! I've never tasted it and am not sure why it's not more of a popular offering. Huh!

Why are the cattle on the beach when there is nothing for them to eat or drink there?

This is what I found and honestly had NO idea it's actually a thing to seek out on Zanzibar and thought it was just a weird, one-off lucky things I'd seen.

Cattle are on Zanzibar's beaches because they are local farms animals that graze and cool off on the sand. The practice is common for locals, but a unique and popular sight for tourists. The cows are often seen in the early mornings and late afternoons, when they avoid the midday heat and can be seen peacefully walking or resting along the shorelines of popular beach areas like Paje and Nungwi.

• To cool off: The animals come to the water's edge to cool down from the heat, which is a common practice for local livestock.
• To graze: They can be found grazing along the shoreline as part of their daily routine.
• A common sight: This is a normal and long-standing part of the local landscape, predating many of the tourist activities.
• Popular with tourists: The sight of cows on the beach is a unique and memorable one for visitors, who often take photos of the animals, especially the calves.

The sound of rain can be very relaxing when you are safe and warm.

It sure can! Trust me, it was a wonderful short power nap!

 

[zanzibar138]

I’m exceptionally happy I’d built in this day as one entirely made for resting.

You were definitely well due for a rest day

It was quite spacious, clean, bright, and well-decorated. I really liked it and was very comfortable during my stay here.

Looks lovely!

My favorite part was the balcony and it came in handy for people and storm watching several times….

A balcony is a definite necessity at a tropical beach resort.

I adore eating in these al fresco places, especially when the air is warm and there is a light breeze, but equally love them during a good tropical thunderstorm.

Not gonna lie, the open-air buffet breakfasts can be one of my favourite parts of a tropical holiday!

Mind you, when I’m in Asia, I do not eat an American breakfast.

Nothing better than dim sum for breakfast! Not sure what Zanzibar-ian cuisine is like, but your plate looks delish!

I found myself on the beach and was immediately approached by several men who had bags of souvenirs they had for sale.

Ugh. Definitely one of the more annoying things in these types of destinations.

There wasn’t anything to see really other than the treacherous road I’d turned down the night before. I remember thinking to myself, “Surely this can’t be right! This isn’t even a road!”.

Yep, I don't see no road there!

Drinks were very good and reasonably priced and it was nice that there was a server who came around to take your order.

Sounds delightful.

There were probably 10 or so other guests lounging and I had to roll my eyes a little.

I was wondering - all your photos look like you were the only one there! I've got nothing against little kids enjoying their holidays too, but it does irk me when their parents just let them bother other people. Definitely would not have flown when I was a kid!

The hotel was constructing another building of guest rooms and a crew was busy on the roofing:

Always spins me out seeing construction workers in developing countries with absolutely NO safety gear (or even shoes lol!).

The cattle were still there and it appears it was lunch time for both man and beast.

Love the cattle on the beach!

I could see the wall of rain moving in quickly and decided to make a hasty exit in the direction of my room and literally made it just in time with not even one minute to spare.

Yes, that does look very ominous indeed! Well timed.

I finally got my new laptop on Thursday and have been scrambling to get it all up and running.

I've been reading along on your other TR, just haven't commented yet. Sounds like a bit of a nightmare, but glad you're at least back online! Hope the reimbursement process isn't too drawn out for you.

 

[Paulaparm]

Those storm pictures are great!

 

[pkondz]

no people were harmed in the travel

"but several cats, dogs, and one gecko were."

(oh, and that 1 hr and 4 minutes? That’s a load of manure. It took me 2 ½)

Just due traffic, I presume... And Google telling you to turn where you couldn't.

Pretty room!

when I’m in Asia, I do not eat an American breakfast. I can get that 365 days a year if I want,

That makes sense.

This does not look like a typical American breakfast.

At first, I thought the two that hung on longest were escorts from the hotel, but soon realized that they were beach hawkers and ended up being quite annoying fairly quickly.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here... wait..."

You drove on that?!?!?

Those are cool!

She slips on slippery steps by the sea shore.

One couple had a little girl who was in a floatie who only seemed to want to swim and splash about 2 feet from other folks in the pool. Like, you have an ENTIRE pool to paddle around it, why next to me!?!

Google tells me it’s a Pandanus Fruit. Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of this… no one?

Nope!

Just... wow.
1. Fascinating. Would've been fun to watch.
2. No one has a safety line!

the impending tempest about to unleash itself.

I noted it was getting dark in the first photo even before I read that. I thought "Uh, oh..."

So dark!! RUN!!!!!

I never, ever got tired of the sunsets or sunrises.

There ya go!!! This one doesn't look like it was made over a fire though?

Well, the thing is supposed to be used over a fire, but they probably lightly, and carefully toasted it for the photo.

My luck? Yeah, mine had been booted. I was told that the cargo holds have YxY dimensions and that's it. If it doesn't fit, sucks to be you.

There ya go. I would've followed the rules too and then not have to worry about my bag being left behind.

It just was always unclear which line to stand in, when and where to go through the security check, my porter didn't speak English and hand gestures only go so far. I lost my tip money for him

ah

Which is true too. BUT, would have been nice to be stated in the contract too.

I don't think I've ever seen a contract that states the car will have a set amount of fuel when picked up. It's usually just "Return the car with the same amount of fuel that you picked it up with." (words to that effect, anyway.)

Like, the peds would be walking on the sides of the roads in dark clothing IN the dark and appear out of nowhere. There are no sidewalks whatsoever. Added to the fact, that the roads are narrow with no stripes and the oncoming traffic WILL NOT budge, so there was a lot of brake slamming and last second swerving.