As the day was rather overcast, we decided to take a slow walk to the end of the beach. Overcast my foot! The sun was really sneaky and at the end of the walk, I was literally chao tar! I wasn't even tanned, I was blackened like chicken on a grill and Silver Bullet looking as pink as a par-boiled lobster. Stick a fork in us and you'll find Silver Bullet medium rare and me way too well-done.
That aside, it was actually quite a nice 45-minutes walk each way. So nice that even a lone dog from nowhere decided to accompany us. She walked every step of the way right with us till when we decided to stop for some refreshments. It was a long walk indeed and she didn't tire! She seems happy to just tote along.
What we found at the end of our walk is just a humble guest house, Kilima Kidogo. The initial thought was just to take a breather after the long walk and head back to our crappy, pretentious resort. We ended up spending a lot of time there (plus the day after for lunch AND dinner!) and was completely taken to Dina, a South African lady who owned the small and cozy establishment. Even the service from the bar-man was friendlier! The guest house was really nothing fancy with only 5 rooms, and apparently the cheapest on this side of the island at USD 35 per night/person. The atmosphere was, however, certainly different. It was much more homely and exudes the kind of warmth we didn't feel at our resort. The room definitely looked better than Ndame Village and the food at Kilima Kidogo were just fabulous! Dina is an excellent host and is very involved with her guests. She spent a great deal of time talking to us and her other guests, making us feel so welcome. Even the guests here were much friendlier and so easy-going. Pretty much our kind of place - simple, fuss-free and cozy. We love her place, her cat, Zimba and her friendly, warm and down to earth personality. Kilima Kidogo rates high on our recommended list.
The discovery of Kilima Kidogo and making unexpected acquaintances from a blasé walk on the beach made our stay in Zanzibar that much more tolerable. Thanks for having us Dina! You are one hell of a host!
View from our resort, walk on the beach with the bitch
The discovery of Kilima Kidogu & its residents:
@ Zanzibar Airport check-in counter - the start of a long, long flight home
No comments:
Post a Comment