Zanzibar is an island where less is more. When the water is so turquoise that it looks photoshopped, or you just can’t wipe that smile off your face every time you share a ‘Jambo!’ with a local, then you know you are closer to understanding the meaning of life.

[Jambo = ‘Hello’ in Swahili, the language spoken on Zanzibar island]

Here are some important tips for traveling to Zanzibar:

1. You can get your visa at a Tanzanian consulate prior to arriving, or receive it at any of the following border points:

• Dar es Salaam International Airport
• Zanzibar International Airport
• Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA)
• Namanga Entry Point (Tanzania-Kenya boarder point)

You can find detailed visa information here. The visa fee depends on your nationality. 

Zanzibar | © 203Challenges.com

2. Consider the seasons before you plan your trip to Zanzibar:

• The dry season or ‘winter’ in Zanzibar is from June to October – the weather is sunny and dry, and the temperature hovers around 25ºC (77ºF)
• The peak rainy season (with long rain storms) – from March to May
• The lesser rainy season (with shorter rain storms) – from November to December or the beginning of January
• The short dry season or ‘summer’ in Zanzibar – January to March

3. What clothes to take to Zanzibar: Take light clothes, but remember to pack long sleeves and trousers/skirts. These are a good idea because Zanzibar is a Muslim state, and you should take care to dress modestly. Another option is to get a large shawl (or kanga as it’s called Zanzibar) to cover your shoulders or wrap around your waist.

4. Every hotel on the island offers more or less the same tours to the best attractions in Zanzibar. If you’re traveling in a group of more than three people (or if you can make friends with other people in your hotel), feel free to negotiate with your tour operator to get a cheaper price.

Zanzibar | © 203Challenges.com

5. Take the Safari Blue tour if you are into boats, snorkeling, swimming in lagoons, hugging huuuge baobabs, feasting on seafood on the beach or basking on a sand dune in the middle of the ocean. We haggled the price of this tour down to $60 per person, but later we heard that we could have got it for as little as 50$.

6. Visit the house where Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar City. Be warned though, that this is a place for true worshipers, as there is not much to see. The house has been turned into a hotel and there’s only a small sign and a few posters for decoration. After you’ve payed homage to the Queen vocalist, continue to the old part of Zanzibar’s capital, known as Stone Town. Sit down for a cup of coffee on a terrace with an ocean view and you’ll be rewarded with a memorable sunset.

Here’s the address of Freddie Mercury’s House in Zanzibar City:

7. The fish market in Zanzibar City is one of the main attractions on the island, but this is no place for the fainthearted. The stench is horrible and some of the sights are hard to swallow (we only recommend swallowing them after they’ve been cooked). If these lines make you cringe, you’d better head to the spice stalls and skip the fish area.

8. Speak with the locals. Those who work in the tourism industry speak English fluently and, more importantly, are very friendly and open-minded. It’s a good idea to take a few small souvenirs from your country and give them to locals you’ve befriended. This is something very few tourists do, and I can assure you it will bring a broad smile to the face of your new friends.

Zanzibar hammock life | © 203Challenges.com

9. What to eat in Zanzibar: Zanzibar is a foodie’s heaven, especially if you like fresh tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, coconuts, passion fruit, etc). Fish and seafood dishes grace menus everywhere and are always delicious, but you might struggle to find proper meals if you don’t eat fish. Local beers typically consist of drinkable lagers, while the wine is usually imported from South Africa and is suitably tasty. I can thoroughly recommend trying a cocktail made of Tanzanian vodka and fresh mango juice.

Zanzibar beers | © 203Challenges.com

10. A packing list for Zanzibar:

– water shoes

– antibacterial gel or wet wipes

– mosquito repellent (but double check if it’s specially formulated to ward off tropical mosquitoes)

– beach towels

– snorkeling mask and flippers

– sunscreen with the highest available factor

– sunglasses (according to research, this is one of the most common items for travelers to forget at home)

– enough money in cash, as ATMs are scarce on the island and, due to some sketchy technology, better avoided altogether

– yellow fever vaccine (although this is not obligatory for Zanzibar)

– malaria prevention medication (there are pills you can take in advance)

Fun fact:

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. Its name is composed of zengi (the name of the local people) and barr (meaning shore). Back in 1964, the states of Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to form one country, Tanzania, whose name is a clipped compound of the two former states.

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It turns out that the humble bicycle is the perfect muse that has inspired many songwriters, composers and bike enthusiasts in all musical styles. Here’s a pick of our favorite cycling-themed songs:

Listen to the playlist:

Learn the stories:

In the 1960s and 1970s, the topic of cycling was covered by rock legends like Queen with their bike-ode Bicycle Race and Pink Floyd with their song Bike, dedicated to the then-girlfriend of the band’s founder, Syd Barrett.

In the 1980s, Tom Waits wrote the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola’s musical One from the Heart, which includes the jazz/blues track Broken Bicycles.

Scottish hard rock band Nazareth adds to the cycling playlist with its cover version of My White Bicycle. The song was originally released by the band Tomorrow, marking their debut in the 1960s.

German pioneers Kraftwerk expressed their interpretation of the joy of cycling in their 1983 single Tour de France, dedicated to the iconic French race.

The Pushbike Song is the bubblegum pop Australian entry in this two-wheeled playlist. The original by The Mixtures has been performed by many, but we particularly like the cover by British band Mungo Jerry.

Juan Lusi Guerra is a Dominican singer telling the story of his trip on a bike to Niagara Falls in his song El Niágara en Bicicleta.

Is your bike a muse? | Photo by Brennan Ehrhardt/Unsplash

If you like the soft jazz-pop grooves of Katie Melua, you may know her song Nine Million Bicycles. What you may not know is that the song was written after Katie’s trip to Beijing. The title was inspired by the words of her Chinese guide, who mentioned that more than nine million bicycles are used in Beijing.

Switching to dance-reggae, Culcha Candela – with members from Uganda, Poland, Colombia, Germany, and South Korea – illustrates how global the love of cycling is with their song La Bicicleta. 

The Flobots’ members have composed a special song to brag about their ability to ride without hands in Handlebars.

If the last handful of band names don’t ring a bell, don’t worry, it’s not just you. We embarked on a dedicated musical journey to find the best bicycle songs for you. To keep the balance, we present you Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Bicycle Song.

Of course, we couldn’t skip the grunge legends of Ugly Kid Joe and their Bicycle Wheels.

Ralph’s World’s confession called Banana Seat Bike reminds you of the times when this was “as close to a motorcycle as any kid is gonna get”.

And finally, two fresh and fun melodies to very much get you on your bike.

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl join the party with the classic: The Bike Song. Attention! Beware of becoming addicted to the video, melody and lyrics of this upbeat song.

We finish on a fun, pop note: Bicycle by BC Unidos. The Swedish duo’s debut will get you on your feet – or more likely on your bicycle – with its upbeat grooves.

The post Travel playlists: 15 bicycle songs to hum while riding appeared first on 203Challenges.

Bulgarian wine in short

These lands have been covered in vineyards since the time of the ancient Thracians. Besides world favorites like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, you can taste local wines from a bunch of Bulgarian grape varietals. There are scores of wineries inviting visitors for wine-tasting tours in all corners of Bulgaria.

Mavrud

This varietal is grown only in Bulgaria and it’s one of the oldest grapes found in the country. The grapes are tiny, dark blueish to black, sweet and covered by a thick skin.

How to combine Mavrud and food: pizza Margherita, smoked and semi-matured yellow cheese, all kinds of pork, kebapche and kyufte (local barbecue-grilled minced meat), moussaka (a local baked dish with potatoes and minced meat), lamb.

Misket

There are many varieties of Misket (a grape similar to Muscat) that are widely grown all over Bulgaria. If you can’t try them all, make sure you at least sample Red Misket (Cherven Misket). Fun fact: Red Misket is actually used to produce wonderful white wines. You will recognize a Misket wine by its saturated hay-yellow color and intense aroma.

How to combine Red Misket with food: pasta cooked with savory or red sauces, Shopska salad (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and fresh cheese), vegetarian dishes with broccoli and cauliflower, fish, grilled seafood, poultry dishes, served in special covered serving dishes based on the bento box design for example 🙂

Dimyat

Dimyat is another ancient varietal that is also grown in Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, Turkey and Russia. Its green-yellow grapes are used to create dessert white wines.

How to combine Dimyat with food: vegetarian dishes with maize and peas, salads containing onions and mayonnaise-based salads, grilled fish, chicken dishes.

Rubin

Rubin (or Ruby) is a hybrid created in the 1940s in the Bulgarian city of Pleven using Nebbiolo and Syrah. It is used to produce delicious sweet and semi-sweet wines.

How to combine Rubin with food: pasta and risotto with cream- and cheese-based sauces, vegetarian dishes with peppers, mature yellow cheese (cheddar, gouda), smoked meat, pork and sausages.

Shiroka Melnishka Loza (Broad-leaved Melnik)

This old-time Bulgarian varietal ripens late – in October – and in the 20th century it was used as a base for many hybrid varietals. One of these hybrids is Melnik 55, grown only in the valley of the Struma River and a symbol of the Melnik wine region.

How to combine Shiroka Melnishka Loza with food: fresh cottage cheese, feta cheese, vegetarian dishes with mushrooms, dishes with red meat.

Pamid

Pamid was cultivated back in the times of the Thracians and it used to be the most widespread Bulgarian varietal. Its tiny red grapes with thin skin are used to produce red table wine for mass consumption.

How to combine Pamid with food: banitsa (a local baked pastry made with cheese, spinach or cabbage), cheese fried in egg and bread crumbs, fish with tomato sauce, fish soup, baked chicken with potatoes.

Gamza

Another old-time Bulgarian varietal that makes an aromatic red table and dessert wine. You will recognize a good Gamza wine by its pale ruby color and dominant raspberry aroma.

How to combine Gamza with food: pasta, risotto and vegetarian dishes with mushrooms, soft cheese like camembert and brie, lamb, sweet baked pumpkin with honey and walnuts.

The Wine Day in Bulgaria, Trifon Zarezan

Bulgarians cherish their wine so much that they have a special day dedicated to it: Trifon Zarezan, February 14. Trifon Zarezan coincides with the Valentine’s Day celebrations to melt in the perfect combination of love and wine.

>> Read more about Bulgaria.

Secret places in Sofia: 10 fun travel challenges for true explorers (+map)

How to practice aylyak and be happy in Bulgaria

The post 7 Bulgarian wines to taste (and what to eat with them) appeared first on 203Challenges.