Let me just start by saying the vibe in Zanzibar is VERY welcoming.
Sometimes when I go on a trip internationally for more than 2 weeks, I'm ready to go home by the time the end of the trip is near. I never really get that feeling of wanting to stay in a place forever before. And I expected the narrative to stay the same on my first solo trip to Zanzibar, Tanzania.
That couldn't be farther from the truth though! My whole perspective changed while being on Zanzibar island, a small island about 2 hours off the coast of Tanzania's mainland. As an African American, there's something special about being on an island, with people who look just like me, thriving in a community and culture that is unfamiliar to me.
The language, the food, the landscape, the social cues, are all different from what I know. And despite that I still felt like I belonged. The warmth and friendliness that the Zanzibari people showed me was unmatched. Honestly, it meant so much to me because I was a solo traveling and before my trip, many people warned me of negative stigmas in East Africa about foreign women visiting solo. So, I will share my real experience in Zanzibar with you in this blog post.
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