My Zanzibar Wedding

Getting married in paradise

, 1 January 2007

by Rochelle van der Merwe

No hot water? Excuse me? How can anyone expect me to have a decent honeymoon without any hot water? Is Zanzibar really so out of touch that they don't even understand a traveller's basic needs? "Shame", I thought, "they probably don't know any better. We'll sort this out when we arrive at our hotel."

Little did I know that the one who was going to do the most learning wasn't any of the Zanzibar locals.

The Motive

My then-fiancé, now-husband Andre and I had decided to elope to Zanzibar Island, videotape the wedding, then come home to throw a huge wedding reception and show our wedding video to our family and friends.

The warmest welcome

The moment we set foot out of the plane when we landed in Dar Es Salaam, we were enveloped by a soft breeze of tropical heat and humidity. It felt almost as if someone had bubble wrapped us and bundled us into a mobile sauna.

We soon figured out that if you move around as little as possible and do everything - if anything at all - in slow motion, you can just about convince yourself that it is a few degrees cooler.

Looking back, I now believe that it is the humidity and heat that gently coaxes the racy rhythm of urban tourists like me into the laid-back, relaxed pace vital for the enjoyment of idyllic island life.

Hakuna matata

Of course, it takes a little more than an overwhelmingly tropical temperature to calm down someone as over-eager and excited as I was. "Pole, pole", I heard whenever I did anything.

About a day or two later (everything happens in slow motion on this island), I found out that this does not mean "hello" as I thought, but is actually Swahili for "slowly, slowly". Obviously my frenetic activity levels were of some concern to the local people.

Another remarkable discovery for me was that the phrase "Hakuna Matata" is not something Walt Disney invented for The Lion King. It really does mean "no worries" in Swahili, and people really say it. In fact, they say it alot.

Hakuna Matata is used on its own, when you are wondering aloud whether you are in the right taxi, when you're asking whether someone can remember taking your meal order almost an hour ago (a common occurrence in Zanzibar, as the preparation of food adheres to the "pole, pole" order of things), or in conjunction with the phrase "pole, pole" itself.

Chicken, children and cows

One aspect of the island that did not hold fast to the "pole, pole" maxim was the traffic, which can be described as, well, "lively".

"Mambo! Jambo!" (the traditional Swahili greeting) was shouted enthusiastically from all corners of the island by the local children as our fearless Formula-1 inspired taxi whizzed through the island's chickens, children, bicycles, cows and other interesting transport contraptions.

Fortunately, traffic is not that heavy, as cars are a luxury here. Let's just say that finding yourself on Zanzibar's only main road gives you a new perspective on highway regulations and the concept of creative overtaking.

Shower of bliss

Arriving at our hotel, I did not speak to the management about the hot water, not only because they surprised us by upgrading us - at no extra charge - to a deluxe honeymoon suite that actually did include the much-wanted hot water, but also because I couldn't for the life of me imagine ever freezing from the cold again or wanting a hot shower.

Those cold showers were like a dream, welcoming us into a world of pure, cool bliss. Zanzibar is the perfect tropical paradise, especially for a girl like me. (I usually sleep with a microwave-heated beanbag and an electric blanket throughout the year.) I guess the locals know a bit more about tourists' needs than I originally suspected.

Karibu - you are welcome

In fact, from amongst all the the people on all the islands I've been to, which include Greece, the Seychelles and Phuket, the Zanzibar locals were the friendliest bunch I've ever met by far.

We would walk down the beach and children would bounce up to us, offering deliciously fresh coconuts, exotic shells, handcrafted ornaments, sarongs, henna tattoos, and many other unusual treasures for next-to-nothing prices.

A bounce in their step

You might think that you would get irritated or put off by people constantly approaching you for this and that. But the fact is that the sincerity of their warm and friendly manner is extremely endearing and contributes to the whole mood of this paradise island. Their eyes speak not of suffering, but of hope and openheartedness - something that may just explain that bounce in their walk.

We became quite good friends with some of the people we met who offered their services for exciting excursions. One of these was a sailing trip on a dhow, the local wooden sailboats used for fishing. Watching its great sail flare up into the wind, gracefully spreading itself out against a picture postcard background, was a sight we will remember forever.

We sailed out into the sea until we reached a coral reef. There we laid anchor, got into our snorkelling gear, and followed Captain Chorro as he ventured into the exotic world of sea corals and neon-coloured fish.

Armed only with an odd-looking wooden spear, his goal was to catch an octopus for our lunch and take us back to his village where his wife would prepare our meal for us. The bonus was that during this hunt we were treated to a colourful and exotic snorkelling expedition.

Food that walks off your plate

Our octopus meal under the shade of Captain Chorro's beachfront shack with its million-dollar view was exquisite - as all meals are in Zanzibar. Food in Zanzibar, even in the restaurants, always has a certain homemade quality. You can taste that the food was prepared with love, for friends to share. That's probably why it often takes some time before appearing at the table.

I think our most special meal was when we befriended Eddie, one of the friendliest locals in the area. On our last night in Zanzibar he invited us to his brand new restaurant, which we discovered was in his village, under a gazebo that he had set up in his back yard. We had ordered our meals the day before so that Eddie could purchase all the necessary ingredients his wife was to use for cooking the traditional Zanzibar meal, Pilau.

Seated at the modest table in his garden, we were far from disappointed. There under the stars, with faint-burning candles and giggling children hiding shyly in the shadows, we found the true heart of Zanzibar. We were welcomed into its generous presence, and we were humbled.

Heavenly spices

Yes, in Zanzibar they make sure that you are never bored or hungry. Most of our excursions included generous amounts of food. One of these was the Spice Tour - which no trip to Zanzibar would be complete without. We went to a spice farm where a guide showed us Ylang, Ylang, Nutmeg, Vanilla, Pepper and Cinnamon trees, and explained what each spice is about.

It was the most sensory tour I had ever been on. I got to see the trees and feel, smell and eat the spices. As we made our way through the jungle, children adorned us with little palm leaf accessories they had made for us. Ties, rings, bracelets, glasses - you name it, the kids went wild with those palm leaves.

At the end of the tour, looking like tropical Christmas trees, we were treated to a meal that included all the spices we had learned about. Afterwards we could indulge ourselves at the on-site spice market, where we bought the most amazing goods at even more amazing prices. Zanzibar coffee, 100% pure Ylang Ylang perfume, soaps, teas, vanilla pods, cloves - I could hardly get enough.

Tiny islands

Another tour that I highly recommend (and which also involves a lot of food), is the tour we did on my 30th birthday, The Blue Safari. We were taken out by boat to an island which was really just a piece of white sand sticking out of the ocean, and which is completely covered at high tide. All that surrounds it are other tiny islands, some as small as a medium-sized rock with a tree on top.

Our hosts put up a rustic gazebo, and fed us coconuts, mangoes and other things I always thought belonged on an exotic island. We spent the next few hours snorkelling our hearts out amongst the coral reefs and their circus-like marine life. I even saw my first devilfish in its natural habitat!

Time flew by as we explored the depths of the ocean. Eventually, our hosts convinced us to get back into the boat and tooks us to another island, this time a little bigger. Awaiting us was a feast of fresh seafood, spiced rice, potatoes, fruit and other things I couldn't actually identify, but which tasted delicious. I was surprised that I didn't sink right to the bottom when the water lured us back for some more snorkelling.

I found Nemo

The visibility in that part of the ocean was excellent - 10 meters or more. I thought, "Surely since I've snorkelled almost every day now, nothing can surprise me anymore". But every snorkelling expedition had its own story to tell. Each time I thought it couldn't get any more beautiful, it did.

The underwater scenery was particularly remarkable. The multicoloured corals came out of the sand like giant mushrooms. Their sizes ranged from as small as my hand to some as big as minivans! Each "mushroom" had its own ecosystem, where every colour of fish imaginable did its own thing. It was like "Finding Nemo" - without the sharks.

It was the best birthday I had ever had, especially when we ended off the evening by lying on hammocks with our new friends, sipping on out-of-this-world cocktails and counting shooting stars.

Mystical safari

It's true that Zanzibar offers you enough adventures to make your head spin with wonder. I'm still dreaming about the day I swam with dolphins.

To swim with these friendly and intriguing mammals has always been one of my "before I die" wishes, and I was so happy to be alive when I shared the ocean with these remarkable creatures. Swimming above a mother dolphin and her baby is something that words would not do any justice to. Some things are best left to experience for yourself, and I believe my dolphin friends would agree.

The big day

But the most special evening we had in Zanzibar was our wedding night. The setting made it the ultimate dream for a romantic like me.

Standing there under a palm-leafed arch bedecked with bougainvilleas, I said my vows to the love of my life as the Zanzibar sunset illuminated the sky and our hopes for the future. Anything felt possible. I knew this was the day I could never really imagine, yet had waited for all of my life. With our bare feet in the sand and champagne in one hand, we headed for the beach and felt like the happiest two people in the world.

I have often been asked whether we minded not having our family and friends at our ceremony. Sharing such an intimate experience with someone I care for so deeply, I wouldn't have wanted it otherwise. We could simply enjoy each other's presence and be in the moment where our hearts were given centre stage.

When we returned to South Africa for our celebration, we could focus our energy on sharing this joy and excitement with our family and friends. It never felt as if they missed out on anything, as our Zanzibar video captured everything so well. Sometimes, you need a moment alone together in paradise when something miraculous has just taken place.

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