Postby den2 » Tue Feb 01, 2011 2:25 pm
Just back from Paje, on the east coast of Zanzibar. I spent 10 days there from mid-January. Great spot: long and large beach of white sand (unlike Margherita in Venezuela...) and shallow beautiful turquoise water with a 1 mile large lagoon. The wind was there nearly every day (no wind on 2 days) but often late in the afternoon and not very strong. I stayed riding after sunset, thanks to the moonlight, to take advantage of the wind... 12 sqm or above is a must. I did not use my 9 sqm. But when the wind arrives, it is really a dream to ride on this translucid water! The tide has a big effect: the water is pulling out by 500m! But you can still ride, just have to walk over the lagoon and to be careful of not riding over the high sand. Best place for beginners! There is just the middle of the lagoon where you have to be careful because local farmers have planted sticks to grow up seaweed. However, these fields of seaweed occupy a small place and once you know where they are, you have a lot of space to ride in peace!
Hotel: I went to the Kinazi hotel. The wooden bungalows with palm tree roof are the best choice. Rooms with concrete walls are too hot. The rooms are very basic but confortable enough. At $45 including breakfast, it is a good deal. If you look at a little bit more comfort, the sister hotel, the cristal is more sophisticated with rooms at $65 (and a swimming pool + internet). Both hotels are straight on the beach. Security is very good. Each hotel has their security guards 24h a day and you are not annoyed every 10m on the beach.
Partying: great nights at Teddys place or Paje by Night. Good music, fabulous atmosphere: really fun!
Flights: I took KLM from London. They were very helpful to secure my 2 hold bags including the kite bag from the local airline flying the last bit between Nairobi and Zanzibar. This airline (Precision Air) would give you only one bag if you book directly with them and I was not sure about their acceptance of a kite bag. Virgin has a very good price to go to Nairobi + 2 bags including a kite bag but they cannot arrange the last bit to Zanzibar, hence KLM.
Other: Change your money at the airport or Stonetown because the local change is, let's say, variable. Also, ensure that you take recent US$ notes. Older notes (2006?) are not accepted.
Conclusion: a very beautiful place where you can ride nearly every day (at least in January). If you want to spend the maximum time riding, Brazil north east (Prea!) is the best place I know but only July to mid-Jan.