Kendwa Beach

Since we had a few extra days before heading up country to Arusha to link up with our safari, we decided to go to the beach. We are now at the north end of Zanzibar Island, at Kendwa. After spending one night in a dubious establishment we found a much nicer hotel, locally owned, right on the beach. The Kendwa Breezes Beach Resort Hotel, although somewhat grandly named, is quite new, and small but very nice. The resort hotel chains have not yet discovered this place, but it's probably only a matter of time. The beach is gorgeous white sand, and goes on for miles.

On the way here, we stopped at a spice farm. They grow a whole range of spices here, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, of course, but also cardamom, turmeric (a root), vanilla, ginger, peppercorns and lemongrass. It was fascinating to see how these familiar ingredients grow, and how they are prepared.

The seafood and fish curries served in the hotel restaurant are beyond delicious, and are flavoured using most of these spices.

This morning I went snorkelling for a couple of hours. The reef, about 500 meters off the beach, is teeming with fabulous fish and beautiful corals. The fish are quite amazing, with brilliant jewel-like colours, or opalsecent and luminous.

This may be the last posting for a while, as the propect for internet connections in the Serengetti (which is where the lions are, if you were wondering) is uncertain at best.