The Funky Site - Jambiani

Jambiani

Created 8th October 2004, last updated 8th October 2004.

After a few days wandering the alleyways of Stone Town, we headed to the eastern coast of Zanzibar, to Jambiani. This is one of the slightly quieter resorts with a good beach - perfect for our post climb relaxation. We'd picked a hotel out of our LP, but the taxi stopped at the Blue Oyster hotel first to drop off the other two passengers. We took a quick look around and decided it looked good enough for us too, and in hindsight that was a good decision. It's a lovely hotel, the staff were great, and the price was just right. It also helped that the most photogenic palm tree on the whole bay was just a five minute walk...

The Blue Oyster hotel

The Blue Oyster hotel again

Relaxing in paradise

Sunbeds

View from the Blue Oyster hotel

The village of Jambiani consists of around 2000 people clustered along the shoreline in rough stone houses, often with palm thatched roofs. Many of the villagers make their living by harvesting seaweed which is then exported to countries including the UK and the US. Seaweed contains carrageenan, a key ingredient in the cosmetics, manufactured foods, and pharmaceuticals industries. See the article at the OceanUs online magazines website for more information about this industry and it's associated problems.

Dawn on the beach

Early morning fishing

Rush hour!

Sunrise over the beach edited

Calm waters

Cycling along the beach

A young girl harvesting seaweed

Working at low tide

A catamaran beached for repairs

A traditional catamaran in the bay

The whole bay is beautiful, and we spent most afternoons strolling along the seafront. Clean white sandy beaches lined with palm trees, turquoise waters, and a quiet calm ensure that you have a relaxing time here. There is a coral reef about a mile offshore and it's possible to take a trip out in a boat to see the varied marine life while snorkelling. It's a very strange sight, seeing a second surf crashing down on a beach, yet still a mile offshore!