How to help mistreated animals in Zanzibar?

The answer is Zaaso. They are located in a village close to spice farms, so you can include a visit to Zaaso in our Spice Tours with only 15 dollars extra per person. We will donate 10 dollars from the price to the NGO.

Animal lover? When you arrive to Stone Town, you see cats everywhere - absolutely everywhere, especially in the Forodhani Garden during the night market. You find cats behind every corner but the worrying fact is that some of them are in quite a bad condition.

Rescue cat at Zaaso. Picture by: Zaaso

Zanzibar Animal Affection Society is a great NGO which helps mistreated animals in Zanzibar. We decided to visit their facilities and learn more about their organization.


What is ZAASO?

ZAASO is a community based registered nonprofit organization that rescues, adopts, and provides shelter, foster care, medical treatment and valuable services to animals in need.

Everything started in 2003 when a poisoning incident happened to Johanna Maria van Berg's dog Simon. Last turning point happened on December 2009, when Johanna found a donkey on the road in serious trouble. The donkey was overloaded and already collapsing. She was tired of animal abuse in the community, and decided to open a centre for donkeys in bad condition and take ones in the worst condition off the road. 

After the first weeks from the opening there were already 45 donkeys. People started to bring all kinds of different animals in ditress outside her house. She decided to build a clinic in order to treat the animals, and a house for the animals to provide them a shelter.

Some of the donkeys residing at Zaaso. Picture by: Zaaso

What are they doing nowadays?

Zaaso is currently home for 50 animals. They have cows, coats, donkeys, dogs, cats and few horses. Some of the residents are waiting to be re-homed or are living in Zaaso permanently. At the moment, there are 16 cats living in Hedda’s house.

On Saturdays Zaaso has an open Community Clinic where locals can bring their animals for medical treatment along with free dip-washing and rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats. Locals usually bring their dogs, cats, cows and goats there, but sometimes there have been brought chickens, ducks and rabbits.

They also do some consultations which they get some money from. They provide for example sterilizations, vaccines, and emergency operations or treatment. ZAASO provides also shelter, adoption, foster care, rescue, and medical treatment to animals in need.

Small things make a big difference! Picture by: Zaaso

How could we help?

Zaaso is making very good work with animals in Zanzibar and it helps animals on the street for free. It is a society, which still exist because of donations and the clinic. They have been talking about closing if they will not receive more donations. Through donations they can continue to help victims of abuse and accidents, and control the spread of diseases and growing population of non endemic species on the Island.

They have been making very good work and progress for getting donkeys out from the streets. The government has also realized that with traffic increasing, donkeys do not belong there anymore.
ZAASO currently provides veterinary treatment to any animal in need on the Island of Zanzibar. On their website there is a wish list for supplies they need. You can check it here http://www.zaaso.net/wishlist.html

Text by: Katariina K.

Exploring Usambara Mountains - A 3-day hike through Tanzania’s green hills

We depart from Dar Es Salaam with a so-called luxury bus because it’s a long 8-hour ride up to Lushoto. The AC is great – especially in the first 1.5 hours when it was actually working. So the adventure begins…

Lushoto is a beautiful town nestled in the hills of the Usambara mountains and rather cool, compared to other parts of Tanzania. We meet our guide, Christina from the local NGO and spend the evening with good company at her friend’s house. The next morning we rise bright and early – off we go! The first hiking day is 9 hours long. We walk up the hill and down the hill, through maize fields, little villages and pristine forests. Our guide spots shy monkeys and chameleons, which we would have never noticed.

The first night along the hike is a homestay managed by three brothers. It lies on a very steep hill and we decide to allow ourselves a piki pike ride (on the back of a motorcycle). We were promised very simple accommodation, more adventurous than comfortable. The beautifully arranged flowers, towels and sheets on the bed speak a different language. After a 5-course Swahili meal we happily fall asleep.

In the morning we could feel our legs, feet, back, well actually everything was pretty sore. But there is not much time to think about that as it is time to go. Today’s hike is not as long as the first one, around 6 hours plus a longer break around noon when it was getting just too hot.

Tonight’s accommodation is a round little mud hut with neither electricity
nor running water. The owner just recently added a small half open bathroom with a hole in the middle and buckets next to it because she heard that guests appreciate this comfort. Her hospitality amazes us – this woman, around 60 years old, spent hours preparing hot water in the fire pit for our warm shower and plenty of delicious food. This little town makes us feel like time travelers, going back 300 years in the past, when there was no electricity, people naturally used nature for medicine and the man had to work hard on the field to support his big family. This night really made us think about how easy our lives actually are.

Day number 3 and in the morning we get to meet the village’s friendly pastor and his family, shaped by missionaries long time ago. He is delighted that we are German and his very first question is what we know from the bible. The talk gets quite interesting, but unfortunately we cannot stay very long as we need to reach our final destination today.

Along the way we meet surprised school kids that are not used to see mzungu (white man) and observe us carefully.

Then we visit a women’s workshop where locals make and sell pottery. We purchase a small chameleon as our luggage is restricted but the financial gesture is much appreciated.
Finally we reach our destination – Mambo View. The view is incredibly amazing! On a clear day you can see Kilimanjaro in the distance. Now it’s time to rest and relax.

Our hike was only 3 days long but we experienced a completely different world. Usambara has beautiful nature, but we were most amazed by the hospitality of our local hosts. Such kindness to strangers that do not speak the same language and seem to have much more than them was just positively surprising. It was an adventurous but fantastic insight into their world. And there is no need to feel sorry for the lack of modern gadgets – the simple joy of the people warms your heart.

This blog post is written by Kristin, who was hiking at Usambara with her boyfriend in April 2015.

Zanzibari art exhibition

Zanzibar is an island of arts, culture and traditions. Sometimes traditions are stronger than the creation of new forms of expression. That's why this art exhibition is spceial - it's all about experimenting new things. It doesn't repeat the styles of the numerous artists on the streets of Stone Town.
October 21st was the opening of the art exhibition by Hamza M. Ausiy, Ndambe and Dullah Wise. The artists took their time to show visitors around and explained their paintings. Several fine arts students from Zanzibar as well as many other guests from around the world joined the opening.

Ausiy (here in front of his painting “The purple view”) was born in Zanzibar and has been a full time artist for about 15 years. He has participated in various art exhibitions in and outside of Zanzibar.

Mohammed Jaffary Abdalla signs his artwork as Ndambe, a name that comes from a Bantu tribe. He likes to use different materials for his paintings to get an unique art style. His painting “Mjane” (see below) is the face of this exhibition.

Abdulla Khamis Omar uses the artist’s name Dullah Wise. He has been drawing ever since he can remember. He says, on day when he was at the beach drawing a Zanzibar dhow, a tourist walked by and convinced him to sell his painting for 30$. That was when he realized he could make a living out of it.

One of his paintings at the exhibition called “Kuvuna Mwani” (see below).

Until December 2015 the artists’ work will be on display open for public at Emerson on Hurumzi hotel.

Co-author and photos: Kristin Brueckner

Travelling with kids in Zanzibar

Africa might not be on the top of the list of travel destinations for many families with children, but that is not very well deserved. Children are usually very well treated in Tanzania, so families can count on getting help and friendly service. I would like to share some thoughts of what to do on a family holiday in Zanzibar.

1. Forodhani Park in Stone Town

This is where I spend lots of time with my son. Many cafes and outdoor kitchens offer great food (just pay attention to where you buy it from)! Great place to stop for a smoothie or an ice cream. There are also occasional concerts.

In the afternoon around 5 pm the Forodhani playground opens. The entrance fee is 1000 Tanzanian shillings per child, which is around 50 euro cents. This is just a usual playground with some slides, trampolin, swings etc. All with an amazing sea view!

2. Kariakoo amusement park

Just a little bit out from Stone Town is the Kariakoo amusement park, which has just opened after renovations and it's run by the Zanzibar fire department, so I would dare to say it's a safe place. They have plenty of rides for different aged kids, from Farrel's wheel and Merry-go-round to more speedy options. I was personally very surprised by the great variety of rides!

There is also a water park inside the amusement park. It was not opened on my last visit but truly looked like a proper water park with big slides and pools.

You can check out this Swahili blog for lots of pictures.

3. Prison Island

It sounds grim, but Prison Island is not what the name makes you think about. I think this is an interesting destination if your children are a bit older. You can see the giant tortoise, walk amongst them and scracth their shields (they seem to enjoy that). Easy to combine with snorkeling in the rather calm and shallow coral reefs aorund, where you will mostly see small fosh and colorful corals.

4. Zanzibar Zoo

I have not persnoally visited this facility, so I cannot say much. It is a small zoo with animals like camels in it, and includes a water park. Popular destination for local families, much like the Kariakoo amusement park. The zoo is located some 15 minutes ride from Stone Town towards east.

5. Jamhuri gardens playground

Another playground in Stone Town, similar to the Forodhani playground. For a small entrance fee your kids can enjoy the well kept playground. Jamhuri gardens are located near to Vuga area and football grounds just outside Stone Town.

There are also plenty of hotels in Zanzibar that cater toys and babysitting services for families, please contact us at info (at) sansibar.fi and I would be happy to recommend places to stay based on your family's needs!

Oh, and we can also include a baby/toddler seat on our transfers.

More info about holidays with kids in Zanzibar

Should I swim with dolphins in Zanzibar?

Dolphin tour in Zanzibar is a tricky thing. At its best it can be you swimming with 20 dolphins all alone for an hour. At its worst, it can be you with 15 other boats trying to find dolphins, and once you find them, the dolphins are scared by all the boat motors and swim away, very quickly. And even if they stay it would be too dangerous to jump into the water with all the 15 boats around.

We at Colors of Zanzibar have been trying to figure out how to make this a better experience for our clients as well as the dolphins. I just recently took 2 dolphin tours within 24 hours – one in the afternoon and one early in the morning. The experiences were completely different from each other.

Afternoon dolphin safari begins

On the afternoon tour, or safari could be a better word for it, we didn't find the dolphins. They are much harder to find in the afternoons. But if we would have found them we would have been at the scene all by ourselves, with no other boats in sight. Even without seeing the dolphins the trip was enjoyable – the beautiful coast line and the strong Indian Ocean, all for us only. Afterwards we went snorkeling on the lively Kizimkazi coral reef.

Kids playing at the Kizimkazi beach

The next morning we got up at 5:30 am, and were ready on the shore at 6 am sharp. We took the same route as yesterday, seeing only 2 other boats + lots of fishermen. For an hour the dolphins did not show up – when we finally found them, it was us and 11 other boats. We saw 3 dolphins and 30 tourists, some of them in the water, unknowinlgy risking their lives as the boats were in a small space with not much room to go around the people in the water.

Sunrise at Menai Bay conservation area

Our captain told us not to jump. He was also the only one who followed the official instructions and stopped the engine. We stayed at the scene for approximately 10 minutes, and then asked him to go back to the shore. Dolphins were probably already far far somewhere, awayf rom the 11 motors, and we didn't feel too comfortable trying to find them again.

Other boats arrive

This has led us to 3 conclusions.

1. Think about what time you want to do the tour. Either extremely early, or later, let's say after 11 o'clock. If you go very early you have the best chance to see the dolphins. But if you don't find them quickly, you will end up sharing the experience with others. How many others is just about luck – some days there might be just few tourists, and sometimes way too many. On the other hand, if you go after the tourist crowds you will end up with a more enjoyable experience, but with much lower chance to see the dolphins. 
   
   
2. Only deal with professional people, not with just anyone who has a boat. All dolphin tour arrangers in Kizimkazi are supposed to have gotten education on how to approach the animals, but it seems to be long forgotten. There are very few who actually care about the environment. Choose them – we definately do. Also, most of the true professionals have much better facilities.
   
   
3. It is very important to get all the information about dolphins beforehand. This way you understand what is good for them and why you need to be respectful. If the dolphins choose not to be around, then it's their decision. You can still enjoy the beautiful fishing village, the turqoise Indian Ocean, snorkeling at the coral reefs and just being in Zanzibar, relaxing.

5 reasons to use a local travel agent

I value independent travellers, all-inclusive package travellers and everybody in between. But I want to share some thoughts of why it's wise, economical and most sustainable to use a local travel agent or an international agent that uses local companies.

1. You really get to know your destination

For local knowledge and a true cultural experience it makes sense to turn to the locals! You will have better access to places and you will get info of local customs. This is also the best way to get off the beaten track, as your local agent is the one who can arrange you to visit almost anywhere if you just ask them. The ready-made tours and packages are more like suggestions, but many other things can also be arranged.

2. It's economical

Cut the middle man! Big agencies might have even three different organisations that handle your travels – and also need to be paid. If you buy a whole package from a local agency, you might save money compared to doing it all on your own. Prices are fixed and if you by the whole package, there will usually be a discount in service prices.

3. Profit goes to local communities

A local company that is committed to sustainable development is always the best option. They will make sure you get a local hotel, local guides and also local knowledge. Making educated choices independently takes a lot of effort, and booking through big agencies you are most likely to end up in foreign owned big chain hotels.

4. Get the best value for your money

A local agent knows exactly who they are dealing with and can recommend the best hotels and services for your needs. They also know which ones are the best value and use them.

5. Emergencies

If something unexpected happens, you will have someone to call. Someone local, who knows how to handle situations in that environment and who speaks the same language with you.

Swahili fashion gets more recognition in Zanzibar

I just received some great news today - the starting of Fashion Week Zanzibar. It will take place 25th to 26th of October in Zanzibar City.

I am a lover of swahili fashion. The traditional fabrics, khanga and kitenge, have so much potential for high fashion use. So do all the beautiful jewellery and other handicrafts made in the swahili speaking world.

Last February we had a small taste of how the coming swahili fashion week might look like, when there was a swahili fashion awards and show in Mbweni Ruins hotel.

Here are some (not so technically advanced) pictures from the happening.

I will get back to you about this subject! Unofrtunately, I will not be able to attend fashion Week Zanzibar, but I will instead present you some beautiful designs by one of the founders, Farouque Abdela.

If you wish to get the best out of your visit to Fashion Week Zanzibar, contact travel agency Colors of Zanzibar for all the practical arrangements.

Zedio starts with a women's project and welcomes volunteers!

For over a month now NGO called Zedio (Zanzibar Educational Improvement Organisation) has been regsitered and more or less running.

Don't let the title fool you – education is seen as a rather wide thing here. Our pilot project has tarted in Matemwe village, where we gave a chance for artisan women to take part in it. We start with a group of talented and inspired women.

Women from Matemwe at a field trip in Stone Town. With designer Farouque Abdela (left in the background) and Khamis Rashid from Colors of Zanzibar the women got familiar with different workshops and products made in Stone Town.

The aim of the pilot project is to help the women to develop their products and to sell them to local hotels, hotel shops and tourists. Designer Farouque Abdela is in charge of helping the group, and there couldn't be a better person for the job. He is one of the most well-known East African designers. Also founding members of this NGO are Colors of Zanzibar and Panga Chumvi Hotel.

If this pilot project goes well, we are looking forward to expand this program to other villages. We would also like to create more products. Right now the main products are bags made out of dried palm leaf carpet (mkeka). They are beautiful, but so much more could be done!

Bags made out of mkeka. Other ones are traditional, the one in the front in the middle is a Farouque Abdela design bag. See how many possibilities this material has!

At the moment Zedio is working only with donations from theq founder members. We wish to get some outside funding in the future (any suggestions are welcome :)

Also, we would more than appreciate any volunteers with expetise in handicrafts, design, project management, brand and product marketing... anything that could contribute! We know we could learn a lot from each other. And we will of course provide help with all the practical issues.

So if volunteering in Zanzibar is on your wish list, please contact us!

Email: info (at) zedio.org
Also by emailing me or Colors of Zanzibar your message will be received by the right people.

The Future And Past of Colors of Zanzibar

Happy New Year!

This year Colors of Zanzibar starts it's third year in business and I was thinking to reflect a bit on what we've done and what to expect from the future.

Two years ago we were just a very excited young couple who had decided on starting a travel company. We had great dreams of changing tourism to be more culturally aware, to benefit locals and to empower women. Of course we also had a vision of being able to build a good, working, sustainable company.

In our newly opened office in the beginning of 2012!

In the beginning every enterpreneur has dreams that are un-realistic. We definitely thought things would go faster – and kinda also forgot the feared TIA factor (This Is Africa). But as I look back now, I'm very happy with the company we have built!

We have just opened a new tour in Matemwe Village. It's the third cultural village tour we have, and the best example of how easy it is to do good! Just by starting this tour we have encouraged women to merge their businesses, and the local school is happy for the donations every tour gives to them. Also the village tours make tourists and villagers to become closer and to learn to know each other, which is an important thing on an island where locals are not always sure if tourism benefits them in any way, or is it just taking their space and changing their culture.

Matemwe Village Tour, first group ever with the help of Panga Chumvi Beach Resort!

During these two years we have found a wonderful office for ourselves and made it to look like us. We have also found the best team to work with, and I couldn't be more thankful for the people we have in our lives and who care about Colors of Zanzibar!

What will the future bring?

We are preparing a Princess Salme Tour together with the Sayyida Salme Foundation, the best expert about Princess Salme and the royal life in Zanzibar. This will give tarvellers a glimpse to the Zanzibari court, wrapped around the famous story of a Zanzibari Princess who became the first published woman writer from Zanzibar in the 20^th century.

Another big, big thing is the NGO we are starting! It will hopefully help with educational issues in Zanzibar, but more about that later. We are also starting a volunteering program hand in hand with another organisation, but also about that I will be able to tell more in just a bit. Just so you know – you can already ask about volunteering possibilities in Zanzibar, especially in arts or in the social sector.

I hope the future will bring a lot of good things for you all!

East Africa by Bus, part 3: Nairobi and Mombasa

For us used to Tanzania and big cities like Dar es Salaam and Arusha, Nairobi comes as a shock. It reminds me more of some Asian cities than Africa. It's surrounded by parks and modern shopping malls. It has residental areas that have supervision at the entrance, and inside you cannot tell if it is in America or in Kenya. 

Most of our time in Nairobi went just for getting used to it. We saw some very interesting things, such as a photo exhibition called Kenya Burning, portraying the last election riots. Here's the webiste of the exhibition. It was very thought provoking and surprisingly honest, being in a state owned gallery space.

Tall buildings in downtown Nairobi

Street view of Nairobi

The one thing that I didn't like about Nairobi is that it is more expensive than Tanzania or, I guess, rest of Kenya. Taxis in particular are very expensive, but the public transportation didn't look like a very good option either. And the hotels were not cheap. We found some midrange options in the city center, and saw some hostels a bit outside the city. If you want high end accommodation, you will not have any problems finding that!

Check out these cool storks that live in downtown Nairobi!

From Nairobi we took a bus to Mombasa. The company people recommended for us was called ”Coast Air”, even though it was a bus. They promised AC, internet and a luxury bus, so we were ok with paying a bit more than the other companies would take. Unfortunately, this is NOT what we got.

Internet didn't work. Half of the journey the toilet was out of use. Air-con didn't work either. Worst of all, they kept playing same comedy shows and musics very, VERY loud the whole way. The trip was said to take around 6 hours, truth was that it took 8. This, unfortunately, is very usual.

In Mombasa we headed to a hotel in the city center. This was a grave mistake. The city center is busy, noisy, and has next to nothing to see or enjoy. A walk in the Old Town was a spooky experience – after being used to Stone Town, it felt like a ghost town, or an open-air museum. There were people living there, but no hotels, no restaurants, and all the shops were closed in the evening time.

Fort Jesus in Mombasa

Example of an interesting building in the Old Town of Mombasa

We headed back to Old Town the next day, and went to the Fort Jesus – basically there is nothing else to do in the Old Town than to visit different museums. It was enjoyable though, and if we had more time, we would have visited the other museums too.

But we needed to head to the beach to get a look at it.

First we visited Bamburi beach, and did find one nice hotel to stay in. It's just that at that time, we didn't appreciate it enough and decided not to stay there. But after that, we saw what else Bamburi beach had to offer – and we were not too impressed! Depressing, badly planned hotels with ridiculous prices, one after another after another...

We ended up staying in Nyali beach. Not in the beach – it was full of big, big resorts. We stayed a bit behind the beach in a reasonably priced apartment hotel, which actually made us quite happy.

All in all, Mombasa was not the paradise I was expecting it to be. And I left it with a strong feeling that maybe there was more to it, maybe we didn't find the best spots after all. I truly hope so – or I feel sorry for the travelers who waste their money to be in these crowded hotels on this not-so-amazing beach.

East Africa by bus, part 2: Moshi – Arusha – Nairobi

Now in this part there are not too many things to know about the buses. From Moshi to Arusha there are bus connections all the time – just show up and pick a bus. The journey takes around 1,5 to 2 hours.

After the serene and well-planned city of Moshi, Arusha can be a bit of a cold shower since it's freezing in the mornings and the center is somehow chaotic. There are many local hotels to choose from if you're on a low budget. But there are also high-end options.

We found an amazingly beautiful hotel in the hillsaide about 20 minutes drive away. Ecologically build (but with a swmming pool), courgeos views and the most tastefully decorated lounge. This Karama Lodge hotel would be perfect for honeymooners after/before their safari.  (In the near future, we will publish a Honeymoon package where this combination will be included.)

For safaris and Mount Meru climbs, Arusha is definately the place to be. The city itself is perhaps not very interesting, but the location is amazing. And there are some activities that you can do in Arusha. Our minds were blown away by our visit to Shanga Shangaa project, where disabled people make the most beautiful handicrafts. The setting is like you just stepped to Europe – big lawn as a lounge area with nice sofas and great service. But once you see the monkeys playing in the nearby trees, you will remember you're still in Africa.

Another interesting destination within the city is a Maasai Cultural Tour in a maasai village just a bit outside the city. You can just take a tour or you can go hiking with them in the mountains for 3 days – or volunteer and stay for weeks, or months... years?

Kids in a traditional Maasai house called boma

And of course, there are the national parks like Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area just 5 hours drive away. These are some of the Africa's most beautiful safari destinations. The biggest yearly migration of the wildebeest, the ”biggest natural amphitheater” in the crater, all the big 5.

Our safari organizer, Dennis is an amazing guy who owns he's own small ecosafari company. He is born in Kilimanjaro, but knows all the national parks like his own pockets. He can also take people to visit local villages to get an understanding of the lifestyle around Serengeti.

When it's time to head to Nairobi, it's been made quite easy. There are shuttle buses which you can book from most hotels, for example from Impala Hotel. These buses will take you easily to Nairobi through the amazing sceneries. And the road is brand new! This journey takes around 6 hours or more. The good thing abut shuttle buses is also that you can get straight to the airport and some hotels before the bus goes to the city center.

If you are flying to Arusha, keep this in your mind - you might save some money by flying to Nairobi instead. But then you'll have to purchase a visa for three times. Once in Nairobi, once when entering Tanzania and once again when you're entering Kenya again. 

East Africa by bus, part 1: Dar es Salaam - Moshi

This blog has been very quiet for some time, for a good reason – we've been traveling. And now I want to share some travel tips with you.

Now in East Africa (in the world in general?) there are three main ways of transport. The most convenient one is to drive with your own car – you get the scenery, possibility to stop wherever you want and more importantly, whenever you want (toilet brakes are a bit scarse). Second most convenient one is probably flying. Not very cheap, sometimes not on time, but generally quicker than going overland. Then thirdly there's the way most of us use – bus. (There are also some train connections and of course ferries at the coast and big lakes.) Of course the good thing about buses is that they are ecological and you get to travel with locals.

You can also walk like the Maasai or bike or hitch-hike (not recommendable!) or take daladalas (local buses) from one town to the next...

Dar es Salaam skyline

Well, we took a bus to go around the region. The route was Dar es Salaam – Moshi – Arusha – Nairobi – Mombasa – Tanga – Dar es Salaam, and then back to Zanzibar. The aim of our traveling was to meet our cooperation companies and to see some hotels and tourist attractions. But there's a lot in this experience that would be valuable for anyone traveling Tanzania & Kenya by bus!

Dar es Salaam was our starting point. Now, Dar is a very chaotic city with massive traffic jams and plenty of people who are ready to ”help” you in the hopes of some extra money. As for us, we are very familiar with Dar, but less familiar with the bus companies that operate the route Dar – Moshi.

The main bus station, Ubungo, is far from the city center and in the traffic jams it might take an hour to reach the place. Also, the taxi will cost almost as much as your bus ticket. So even though the main bus station is the easiest place to find all the bus companies, compare prices and get tickets (all while at least 5 people explain to you how you should follow them and that and this bus doesn't exist), going to Ubungo is not the best choice. Then again, it is important to get your ticket beforehand, because without it you will end up in the most horrible bus that no-one wanted to book.

There is a place in Kisutu in the city center where there are several bus company offices. This is the place to go, at least if you're heading up north. You will find a square in the end of Libya Street, accross from the petrol station. Go there and ask around to make an educated choice. Dar Express wasn't good but wasn't bad either – maybe Kilimanjaro Express would have been a better choice.

It takes around 10 hours to reach Moshi, there were 2 resting stops on the way. Most buses continue to Arusha, which is another 1,5 extra hours.

Khamis in Moshi with our freshly bought ngoma (drum)

Moshi is a nice, well-organized city and therefore preferrable option over Arusha if you ask me. It's also the best place to be if you're thinking to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. The mighty mountain is very near, but almost constantly covered by clouds. Hint: If you don't have time to climb Kili, you can still get near to it and enjoy some beautiful waterfalls and nature! And if you're too busy to even do that, then at least drink the beer (and if you don't drink alcohol, drink the Kili water). People in Moshi are very proud of their mountain.

There are several nice and budget-friendly hotel options in town. Also there are plenty of restaurants, and if you don't mind the taxi ride to the suburbs, you'll find even more nice restaurants and some popular bars, such as Glacier.

Kilimanjaro in the early morning, just before the clouds get to it

If you are enchanted by the mountain or just by the fact that Moshi is a nice city and the weather in there is somehow human-friendly, there are many volunteering options there. We would recommend Tanzania Volunteers.

We would have loved to stay longer in Moshi. Thanks to our wonderful host! I will come back! And climb Kili!

If you want to climb Kili, please contact Colors of Zanzibar - despite the name, we know these things. And we know the best guides now.

Jahazi – Swahili poetry, book about revolution and jazz every night.

Yet another festival posting! And there are more to come after the Water Sports Festival next weekend. After that, I promise to write about something completely different – I will give you updates from Kenya, North Tanzania and Tanzanian coast. And after that, about a TV show that we are cooperating with.

So please just forgive me for a more serious posting this time. Well, again.

Here's links and more information about Zanzibari festivals!

But back to last weekend and Jahazi. This year was the second year for Jahazi Literary and Jazz Festivals. Everything happend right here in Stone Town, which I of course greatly appreciate. During the day time there were many different discussion and reading sessions, workshops etc. Night time was reserved for jazz music from all over the world.

Now, the star visitors were Americans: Quincy Troupe, Jeffery Renard Allen and Tariq Ali. All very interesting people, but since this is a swahili culture blog, I will not write more about them. You can find someone else who does.

The two main swahili, Zanzibari even, authors were the poet Haji Gora and a writer Fatma Jinja. Both of them belong to the older generation, Gora being 70-something and Jinja 82. What's wrong with the younger writer generations? I think they are all out of the country. Zanzibaris of these days are not the most enthusiastic readers.

Haji Gora is a man whom everybody in Zanizbar knows. Especially those who still remember their school times, since his books and poetry are thought at school. This is because a) he's really good and b) he writes excellent classical swahili.

Gora on the right, Farouque on the left is translating.

Gora red some of his poems to the audience. To me as a Finnish person it was a surprise to hear him actually sing the poems more than reading them – it reminded me greatly about our Kalevala poems (also available in Swahili by the way). It turns out that Gora has a very specific rythm and form in his poems. Here, I'll give you a (very badly) translated example:

Wonder-poem

This poem is very metaphorical, for example this verse:

It is a secret inside a secret
The chameleon passed the car
When you consider this

In this poem, the chameleon represents women and car men. So nowadays women are the ones more advanced.

And this gives me a chance to talk about an advanced woman, mrs. Jinja. In the 60's she opened the first guesthouse in Zanzibar, Malindi Guesthouse. She was also in the frontline of entepreneuring women in her time, and still an inspiration to many. A mother of 10 who lost her father and husband around revolution times, she had to struggle to make her living.

Fatma Jinja on the right. Left is a Ugandan author Doreen Baingana.

At the age of 82, she's now writing her autobiography. She said it's finally a time for that, earlier she could not have done it - it would have been too sensitive subject for many. Now she plans to write down all of it – being a shirazi, the revolution, her view of president Karume. And here's the charm: this book will be in English.

At the same time, she's also still owner of a farm, anf of course a great grandmother of almost 30 children.

As a lighter ending I offer you some jazz, just like in Jahazi festivals. Here's Simon Spang-Hanssen and Rainbow Spirit from Denmark.

And as an extra surprise, a Zulu song :)

Ramadan kareem and Eid mubarak!

I'm a bit late with this one, since it's already the last day of Eid. But what can you do - first I wanted to experience it all, and then I was on a holiday.

This was my first Ramadan in Zanzibar. I was not quite sure of what to expect, and I was positively surprised. First of all, it's the most relaxing and quiet time. Usually I have to sleep with a lot of music coming through the windows, but during Ramadan I could finally sleep. Well, if you don't count in this tradition called dufu:

These musical groups are in the streets every night. The idea is to wake people up for daku, the late night meal which helps a lot when you're fasting. In this particular video you can also find out what happens if the drum brakes!

Every evening after magharib (west, since it happens during sunset) prayer calls people gather at home to have an iftar (meal) together. Later on during Ramadan it's usual to get invitations to other homes. For example, we ended up eating at family and friends on 8 nights.

When the end of Ramadan draws closer, everyone becomes a shopaholic and shops are open late at night. The tradition is that on the first day of Eid, everybody has a new set of clothes. Children get 4 sets of new clothes, one for each day of Eid. This is important, since it's gonna be the number one subject of discussion when the schools start again...

And then, finally, after 30 days of fasting, comes Eid. On the first day, you're supposed to meet family and friends.

Here we are, me and Khamis in our Eid clothes.

In the evening, children are the ones who have the most fun! All the little girls are dressed up and super happy. There's a huge ground full of stalls selling toys and candy. There is amusement, funny photography... and it's so dark that the teenagers have a possibility to date and meet. Unfortunately, due to the darkness, I cannot provide any photos.

Now everything is getting normal again. First day in the office. I already miss the meals when everyone sits together to eat the most delicious foods and milk tea.

 

Sufi tradition in Zanzibar – Maulidi ya homu

(Posted on July 31, 2012 in Colors of Zanzibar)

 

Now it’s Ramadan month. But I will get to that later (with more experience about the subject). This time I want to tell about a performance I got to see twice just before Ramadan, which was lucky since the group doesn’t perform during the holy month.


This sufian ceremony, Maulidi ya homu, is performed by men who chant, sing, dance and play drums. Songs tell about the sufian founder and about God. The whole experience is almost hypnotising as the ceremony starts from slower chanting growing into bigger and more animated performance.

After one of the performances, audience was asked what did they feel. Love and joy was the usual answer.



This particular group has been practicing for long, as the skill goes from father to son. But not only – anyone interested is free to join the group. Maulidi ya homu group has rehersals every night, and the neighbours and others who are intrersted are free to come and see.

The cereomny has had some changes during time. Some say it used to be more serious, as now it’s actually very entertaining.

The group has some sponsors and gets paid for performing outside their own madressa (religious school), so the future of Maulid ya home looks bright at the moment!

Contact us to see a performance!

ZIFF has taken over Zanzibar!

(Posted on July 13, 2012 in Colors of Zanzibar)

I’m happy to start this blog by writing about ZIFF, Zanzibar International Film Festivals. Our office in the Old Fort happens to be in the heart of all action, so I’ve got a close look on what’s going on.

Movie screening in the Old Fort

Firstly, this festival is huge. Besides that there are film screenings the whole day every day for 9 days, there are also music perfomances every night. So if someone decides to come next year to ZIFF, I’m sure you will find enough to see and do.

As a Finnish person, it was a pleasure to get a chance to watch Mika Kaurismäki’s Mama Africa with the mostly African audience. Besides for certain teenagers with their loud mobile phones, there was a great concentration and apllases in the high points of the movie.

Our office has never before been a more interesting place to hang out. It’s been used as a VIP lounge and a press room, so there have been people from all over the world, especially from Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa. And we got a chance to get some Hollywood glamour from the We The Party -movie promoters Mario Van Peebles and Michael Cohen.

Khamis from Colors of Zanzibar, actor-director Mario Van Peebeles and designer Farouque at the film forum

This year there is also lots of excitement around the local movie productions and there was a discussion forum on how to make Zanzibar a more appealing filming location and also how to boost local movie industry. Did you know that the Dar es Salaam movie industry, called Bongowood, has been growing extremely fast? There is nowadays a new movie almost every day!

The thing is, movie industry is still in a very early stage here in Tanzania as there is no proper education provided in Tanzania, and funding is difficult to get. The money comes now from DVD sales, but the DVD prices are very low to avoid piracy. But now a pay-TV called Zuku has promised to stand up and start broadcasting local movies.

Here is one small example of how the local movies here look like:

So this years’ festival has been great, and there is still more to come on saturday and sunday. Those of you who didn’t make it this year, make it next year then!

Colors of Zanzibar provides special packages made for ZIFF visitors, and there is always a possibilty to have a tailor-made holiday including ZIFF. And you East Africans, you should definetely visit this and enjoy the culture of your own district!

Shilole performing in the Old Fort

Colors of Zanzibar - cultural experiences in Zanzibar!