The magical motorcycle tour

Nipun Srivastava is an India-based travel photographer who came to Zanzibar in early 2011 to do a one-month internship with Mambo magazine. One of his internship jobs was to go on a six-day motorbike tour of Unguja island, take photographs and report back on his experiences. This is his story, in words and pictures.

Nipun Srivastava and his ride

The run up:

For the first time in my life, having never been abroad, I am a foreigner, although I hope that my many travels across my own country of India on two fast wheels have prepared me enough to take on a Zanzibar grand motorcycle tour. If you really want to know a place, a motorbike ride is like hitting the refresh button on a web page.

So far I have been on some small cultural tourism trips, such as doing Swahili cookery classes and a tour of Bwejuu village on the south east of the island, but I want to see how mainstream tourism operates and see some higher-end hotels.

The bike rides that I love taking, I hope, will be a perfect way to break the ice between me and Zanzibar.

My ride:

The Z68, I am going to call her. It isn’t much of a name as these are just the first three characters on the licence plate, but it somehow suits her. She is a Honda 250cc dirt bike, a rental; these Hondas are the most popular motorbike rentals with the “wazungu” (foreigners) in these parts.

First day: Riding out

The editor of Mambo has planned a route for me and places to stay. This is a relief as I have minimal Kiswahili and know little so far about the island, having only been on a couple of short cultural tours. As a soldier’s son, I like to follow a plan.

Men playing dominoes at Jaws Corner, Stone Town

My journey is to start from Stone Town, the historical heart of Zanzibar. Around mid-afternoon, I bid farewell, saddle up and ride off. After that, it is just me, my motorbike, and the open landscape of this island. Zanzibar has good tarmac almost everywhere, other than approach roads to hotels and villages. It’s the open stretches of road I love here; the distances are not massive as the island is a compact 150km in length and 70km in breadth. But despite its small size, there is much to see and experience in the birthplace of Swahili.

I am riding to Fumba, a village on the south-west coast of Zanzibar about 20km south of Stone Town. It’s the middle of the day and the sun is shining straight down on me as I ride close to the equator but the ocean breeze keeps me cool.

It takes only 20 minutes to reach Fumba. The road ends near the beach. I gesture to a couple of locals and ask them where the nearest hotel is, or a place to eat. They point towards an off-road path, leading into a mass of shrubbery. I ride cautiously in the direction they indicate and pass a group of people riding bikes in the opposite direction. They give me the ‘thumbs up’ as they pass me.

The beach at Fumba

Now I know there is something interesting up that path. I twist the throttle and the Z68 starts flying on the gravel. We fly together through bushes and around puddles and pot holes until eventually I find a small board reading ‘Fumba Beach Lodge’. I turn in. Despite being so close to town, I feel as if I am in the middle of a forest.

I order a steak sandwich and a glass of wine, and sit facing the beach. Lounging in my chair, I think to myself about what I actually feel about Zanzibar. For the first time in my life, I want to wait, not reach a snap judgement. I want to see what this island has to show me. Maybe this isn’t yet the right time for introspection, a given on most solo motorbike rides.

The pool at Fumba Beach Lodge

I ride back into town to check in to Mashariki Palace Hotel, next to the House of Wonders - the first place in Zanzibar to have electricity and also the first building to have an elevator. I’m not sure what to expect, as I have been staying in a village since my arrival in Zanzibar.

I am greeted with fresh mango juice and cold towels at reception, then taken to my room, which is quiet, cool and with a ceiling almost as high as the building itself. The design of the hotel is luxurious but minimalistic, a theme that runs throughout the hotel.

The House of Wonders seen from Mashariki Palace Hotel

By now, it is early evening, time to head to the terrace and take in the sunset. I climb the steep stairs and ascend to the bar, which overlooks the famous street food market at Forodhani Park and the Indian Ocean. I explore the surrounding areas, capturing the atmosphere of the place with my trusty Nikon, then succumb to sleep.

Silhouettes at Forodhani waterfront, Stone Town

Waterfront scene with car ferry, Stone Town

Livingstone's bar and restaurant, Stone Town

Beach at sunset in Stone Town

Second day: Unguja Ukuu and Kizimkazi

In the morning I climb up to the terrace restaurant for breakfast and talk with the manager of the hotel. We discuss how Zanzibar is catching the attention of big international hotel chains. As I see it, Zanzibar is a small island that runs the risk of being taken over by the explosive growth of the tourist business and must strive to maintain the more authentic tourism experience it is still possible to experience here.

Today I ride out to Unguja Ukuu, a small but funky village on the south of the island. Mohammed, my contact here, is tasked with taking me around a little and showing me the usually unseen. We meet up on the roadside as I approach the village.

He explains that for him this village is the best place in the world. “I have everything I need here,” he says. As a village relatively untouched by tourism, people here lead their lives here living, for the most part, off the land. A Swahili fervour and cheer is very visible in Mohammed and the people I meet in the village.

After meeting, we cut on foot through the bush next to the road and through it to a ‘healing cave’ used by villagers. Down by an overhang of coral rock lined with pieces of red cloth and offerings to please the spirits, from sacrificed hens to Coca Cola bottles, Mohammed explains why this cave is important. People believe the cave has supernatural healing powers and that if the spirits are placated with offerings and prayer, they will assist with earthly problems.

Outside computer classroom being built in Unguja Ukuu - Mohammed, Mr Suleiman and Nipun

Mohammed takes me to meet Mr Suleiman, a local businessman and social worker. We walk into the courtyard of his house and he shows us a new room he is building. Why is this room so important? The idea is that it will become the village’s computer centre - a place where the children of the village can familiarise themselves with the internet and become confident with computer skills. This ‘classroom to be’ isn’t completely built yet, but as I stand here among roofing materials and shovels, I sense that this place will be very helpful to the village in the future.

Next, Mohammed and I get onto the Z68 and ride through the village to the beach. A useful driving fact about Zanzibar is that most roads only last until you arrive at a village; after that, it’s either sand or stone. We ride on the paths through the village sharing the occasional ‘mambo’ greeting with the villagers. As we ride to the beach, I ask Mohammed what it is that make people like Mr Suleiman come back to the village when he has a successful business and can afford to stay in town and enjoy the good life there. But Mohammed’s reply is that “Swahili people are simple. Swahili people like a simple life. Coconut trees, simple food and a big family make the Swahili complete.”

View from beach, Unguja Ukuu

We ride back to the village and the bike stalls on its way through the thick foliage and deep sand that lead to Uzi island. Mohammed tells me it’s possible to drive to the island when the tide is out. The name ‘road’ is a euphemism as it’s really just an off road track. It runs through a 15-foot high mangrove swamp, which makes for the most awe-inducing approach. The mangroves go underwater every time the tide comes in and the road disappears.

Forest view, Unguja Ukuu

After our mangrove expedition, Mohammed pushes the bike while I clutch it into life and we make our way to the village, bid our goodbyes and I am off riding solo again. I am both physically hungry and also hungry to see the rest of the island, so I make my way quickly past the village of Kitogani and head on my way to Kizimkazi in the south of Zanzibar.

On the road I pass the Bi Khole Ruins, a historical place where a former princess of legend lived. One of the many rumours about her is that she killed many men by beheading them, planted them along the side of the road, and there sprung up the majestic mango trees that line the road to this day.

Bi Khole ruins, Bungi

Beach behind Bi Khole ruins

When I arrive in Kizimkazi, the sandy lanes of the village are empty, all the shops are closed and although I try to follow the signs to my hotel, a couple of wrong turns and not paying attention to the route mean I am swiftly lost. I can’t find a single person to ask for help, and my bike stalls again. I put my bags down, and decide to let her cool while I try to figure out where I am. Tiredness and humidity are getting to me.

As I sit there next to my bike, I hear a faint roar. It is as if a group of people are cheering for something. A football match! That’s it! I think. That’s where all the people must be. Football is the most popular sport here in Zanzibar. It’s similar to how we worship cricket in India.

Saddled up and even more hungry, I drive at a crawl, following the sound of the cheering. After a long series of wrong turns, I finally locate a horde of people jumping and dancing as a local game of football unfolds in the field ahead. Beside it, thank you fate, stands Karamba, my hotel for the night.

Motorbike at Kizimkazi beach

My mind is on one track only, I want food. Baraka, the receptionist, shows me to my room, I unceremoniously dump my luggage and walk back out to the restaurant. After ordering a cold beer and a Swahili pizza, I sit back and close my eyes. That very second, the voice of the ocean starts singing, as the waves break on the coral rock.

One of the many places to lounge at Karamba

Karamba is an attractive hotel in Kizimkazi, well-equipped and maintained. It isn’t five star accommodation, and doesn’t pretend to be, but it’s a lovely place to spend a weekend, situated as it is right next to the beach, lined with local fishing boats. With simple, clean bungalows, a pool and lots of trips on offer, it’s good value for money.

After lunch, I go for a power nap and wake up a little later with the sun’s rays searing through the window onto my eyes. It is as if the setting sun is calling out to me to come and play. Who am I to question? I spend the rest of the afternoon and evening taking photographs. Every time I’m with my camera, no matter what I’m doing or where I am, it feels like I have nothing to worry about, it’s like an intoxicant without the side effects.

Kizimkazi sunset

After the sunset, Kizimkazi

Follow the tour onto Pongwe and Matemwe >>