Nungwi

Nungwi is a small town on the northern tip of the island. We found a budget bungalow practically on the water that we shared with a Canadian guy and his mom to lower costs. The white-sand beaches and turquoise blue waters were perfect for the R-and-R we needed fresh off of Kilimanjaro. The first day even a rain cloud couldn’t ruin things. Instead we caught a 30-minute, full-body massage for less than $5!
For one day we took a snorkel trip to Mnemba Atoll off of the island's eastern coast, which is well-known for its beautiful white-sand beaches and abundant reef life. The boat stopped halfway down the beach to pick up a huge tuna fish that would later be barbecued on the beach for lunch. We snorkeled for a couple hours and enjoyed smooth sailing on our return since the wind was perfect for putting out the sail. Rasta Mike hung out with us and some Swiss boys on the upper deck where we enjoyed the sun and refreshing breeze. That night our Danish friends and a British boy went to dinner where we celebrated Katie's birthday three days early. Complete with a monkey "birthday" hat, spiced cake with candles, a crazy waiter (that would only whisper or talk in a high-pitched squeal), and a wasted Rasta singing "Happy Birthday" in Swahili--the celebration was nothing short of entertaining. Cholo's even topped it off with a complimentary, yet perverted-themed drink. The other day was spent relaxing on the beach or catching up on the blog at our office--a daybed at a restaurant on the water--not bad for "work". We walked down the beach and got a glimpse of locals hard at work building dhows, which sail out in a large fleet right before sunset and do not return until dawn the following day. We shortened that excursion to a sunset cruise with our friend Ndumi (sounds like do-me). We sailed along the beach all the way down to Kendwa and back to watch the pink, orange, and golden sky change hues and fade away. Nungwi is therapeutic.