Africa's Finest Paradise Island - Zanzibar

Located just off the coast of mainland Tanzania, around 20 minutes from Dar Es Salaam by plane, lies the paradise island of Zanzibar, which is one of the greatest holiday destinations in Africa specifically for relaxing in a peaceful and warm environment. Many tourists come here solely to take a break from the fast paced effect of modern city life, but there is also much more to see and do whilst on holiday in Zanzibar. 

Spice tour

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Zanzibar was once one of the main exporters of highly popular spices worldwide. The island relies on the spice trade much less there days, as tourism is the main source of income, however spices are still grown, used and exported here.

To get an idea of the types of spices which grow naturally in Zanzibar, see what they look like before being taken from the flora they grow on, and get further background information on them, you can take a spice tour, which is highly educational and also very fun!

Snorkelling and diving

Zanzibar has some absolutely amazing coral reefs, and the only way to explore them is to dive right in, and explore the warm waters of the Indian Ocean! As well as the reefs, you will also be able to see the amazing and vibrant marine life which lives there, including clown fish, trumpet fish, and even giant starfish!

Jozani forest

Jozani is an untouched forest area of Zanzibar which is home to many different types of plants and animals, the most noted one being the red Colobus monkey - which is native to Zanzibar. You can take a tour of the forest, and locate the monkeys, and get close enough to them to be able to observe their habits and life style safely.

Stone Town tours

The main town of Zanzibar is fascinating to walk around, you can even have a guide take you around the area and give you background information on the sights that you are seeing. It is also a good place to shop for souvenirs and African style ornaments and clothing.

Water sports

There are a wide variety of water sports that available for you to participate in when staying on the coastal regions of Zanzibar. More recently, parasailing has "taken off" here, but an existing sport which is particularly popular on the East Coast beaches of Paje is kite surfing. Many people also try their hand at sea kayaking, and advanced kayakers may even attempt to surf the waves as they break on the reef.

Africa's Finest Paradise Island - Zanzibar

WATER AND CHOCOLATE STARFISH

Chincoteague Island Secrets Revealed

If you didn't succumb to the affliction of horse-craziness as a youngster, then the odds are high that you know neither where Chincoteague Island is, nor why it is important. So we're here to fill you in on the secrets that make the seven-mile distance of Chincoteague Island irresistible to over a million visitors each year.

Yes, one of those secrets has to do with horses, which have inhabited Chincoteague and its neighbor Assateague Island for longer than anything can remember. The private lies in how the horses, which are truly pony-sized, came to run free on two rather inhospitable (for horses, anyway) strips of sand and marsh where fresh water is at a superior and the grass comes already salted.

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If, on the other hand, you had succumbed to horse-craziness in your youth, you'd know all about the classic children's book Misty of Chincoteague, published in 1947 and largely responsible for putting Chincoteague Island on the fast track to tourism super-stardom. In her book, Marguerite Henry attributed the existence of the Chincoteague ponies to the shipwreck of a Spanish galleon in the 1600s. While the more likely story is that today's ponies are descendants of ones turned loose by 18th century island settlers to graze in the islands' vast expanses of marsh grass, no one knows for sure.

That may be one Chincoteague Island private forever lost to history, but we're going to delineate a few more which will add a bit of extra island zest to your visit.

The delicately flavored, slightly salty Chincoteague oysters, a specialty at the Island's favorite island eating preparing The village Restaurant, truly do taste dissimilar from oysters you'll have everywhere else. Why? Because all oysters take on the flavor of their surroundings. Fresh Chincoteague oysters will give you a true taste of what it means to live on Chincoteague!

Assateague Island's beaches, just a very short bridge east of the Town of Chincoteague, are truly some of the truly great beaches about which you've never heard. Standing on a stretch of undeveloped Assateague waterfront, which seems to enlarge endlessly in whether direction, you'll be facing an expanse of open ocean which reaches the shores of Europe. Behind you will be sand dune upon sand dune, and if you're in the right place, you'll be able to spot the Assateague Island Light House, which has stood sentinel on the entire scene since 1867. No cabanas, hot dog stands, or boardwalk with souvenir hawkers. Just you, the sea, the sand, and the sky.

The weekly National seaboard campfire put on during the summer by the National Park aid rangers who mouth the Assateague Island National seaboard will give you a opening to lie on the beach under the stars munching on your toasted marshmallows and filling your head with tales of Blackbeard the Pirate's lost treasure as the Assateague Light House beam searches the darkness overhead. (The private location of Blackbeard's treasure, however, remains unrevealed.)

Secret treasure may still be yours, however, if you stop in at Payne's Sea Treasures, a former hot dog stand on Ridge Road in Chincoteague. This odd preparing has evolved into one of the most breathtaking curio shops you'll find during your life. If your shell seeking efforts on Assateague have come up empty, Payne's can provide you with beach glass or any whole of shells-- horseshoe crab shells in particular. Over the street from Payne's is a 20-foot tall Viking statue. Payne's Sea Treasure's late proprietor Mr. Capt'n Bob Payne purchased the statue from a defunct Muffler Man store.

Chincoteague has lots more secrets to uncover, but we'll let you have the fun of discovering them for yourself!

Chincoteague Island Secrets Revealed

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Snorkeling on Boracay Island

I felt like Jacques Cousteau! Thousands of colorful creatures swam all around me. I saw brilliant yellow fins and sky blue bodies. There were purple and orange fish, and some which were chocolate brown with white polka dots. The fish came in an endless array of shapes and sizes and a rainbow of hues, even a lovely neon pink. It was amazing!

Snorkeling off the coast of Boracay Island in the Philippines was a memorable experience. Twelve of us rented a boat one morning to have a look at a nearby coral reef and its interesting inhabitants. Our guide Dee Dee and her brother-in-law Henry took us out to Crocodile Island. There are no crocodiles there, but viewed from afar the outline of the island is truly crocodilian. Outfitted with first class snorkeling equipment we maneuvered our way over the bamboo struts on either side of our boat and plunged into the water. The scene below was like something right out of a Jacques Cousteau National Geographic special. The water around Boracay is pristine, supposedly the clearest in the world, thus providing a spectacular view of the coral on the ocean floor.

WATER AND CHOCOLATE STARFISH

Everywhere I looked there seemed to be a unique kind of coral. Some resembled giant mushrooms; others were more like cauliflower heads or domes with mazes etched into them. I saw inky black coral that had the shape of porcupine quills and others that looked like the human brain. One reminded me of giant fingers and another was imprinted with a design similar to that on a cameo brooch or necklace.

The waters around Boracay are known for their sharks, but fortunately none came our way. We did see a jelly fish but it kept its distance. I was impressed with the royal blue starfish everywhere and a black and white striped sea snake. Only later did I find out it was poisonous. After about an hour our guide Dee Dee said it was time to head back. I was the last one out of the water. I just couldn't get enough of the ocean landscape below us.

Young Boracay men were hovering around our snorkeling boat in little outrigger canoes which were loaded with coconuts. For about fifty cents you could buy a coconut with a straw and drink its juice. It was the perfect way to end our snorkeling experience.

We had more excitement to come however. As we headed home and rounded the end of Boracay Island the waves grew larger and larger. Soon our boat was rocking dangerously from side to side and we could see Henry struggling at the steering wheel to keep us headed straight on into the waves. When Dee Dee instructed us to all put our life jackets on, I got a little nervous. That feeling only intensified when Dee Dee began to finger the cross around her neck and whisper, "Jesus save us. God protect us." I admit I pretty much held my breath till we rounded the cape of the Boracay and entered more placid waters. Although I wouldn't want to live through those tense fifteen or twenty minutes again they did help to insure that snorkeling on Boracay Island in the Philippines is not an experience I am likely to ever forget!

Snorkeling on Boracay Island

WATER AND CHOCOLATE STARFISH

Coney Island Hot Dogs - Mouth Watering Nostalgia From Days Back When

Almost in a by-gone era are the dairy bars and Tastee ice huts from my childhood; the kind of eating preparation with those large silver dairy dessert machines that swirled ice cream into a cone. The menus of the food fare offered were ordinarily mounted high on the wall at the front of the building.

hot dog flavored gum

Visitors settled their orders at sliding glass windows, gazing up at the menu to make their selections before informing the order clerk what they would like.

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There are still some of these joints in existence, but many of them also have boarded up over time or the food fare has changed and adapted throughout the years as generations came and went.

Most of these Dairy pleasure joints offered items like Coney Island hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, and a wide collection of ice cream style desserts such as dipped swirl cones, banana splits, and hot fudge sundaes with chopped nuts. One of my favorites was all the time the vanilla swirl cone dipped into that quick dry butterscotch, caramel, or hot fudge topping.

Other items on the menu of many of the frosty Pal style establishments ordinarily consisted of onion rings, corn dogs, and something called a "scrambled dog."

What is a Scrambled Dog?

There are distinct renditions of the scrambled dog. Basically it involves a warmed hot dog bun settled open faced on a plate. The hot dog goes on the bun and the combination is cut into bite sized pieces, bun and all. This is then sprinkled with oyster crackers. Add mustard, then coleslaw and chili con carne (meaning with beans.) Top with cheese, diced onions, and jalapeno pepper slices (optional).

Some people prefer the order of the additions to be different, but the notion is the same. It resembles a scrambled mess, to be honest, but it is very tasty and is eaten with a fork.

Coney Island Hot Dogs

The Coney Island hot dog formula I use is very delicious and includes the formula for the chili sauce that goes on top of the "dogs." Unlike the scrambled dog, the chili is meat only and contains no beans. It is a quick and easy formula and allows the cook to have evening meal on the table in 30 minutes or less.

The dogs are served on buns, along with ketchup and mustard, the easy homemade chili sauce, and topped with cheese and sliced green onions.

Other Dairy Hut Style Food Fare

Other hot dog versions at many of these snack bar style eating establishments included slaw dogs, kraut dogs, and relish dogs. There are the Cincinnati style hot dogs also but that is something distinct altogether.

In one of the Carolina towns I lived in during my teens, there was an old fashioned ice cream parlor that served hand dipped ice cream. The house hamburger was served in a traditional fashion except it also came with grilled onions and a heap of meaty chili. This was delicious with a soda shop style authentic milkshake and French fries.

Writing this record sure did make me hungry. How about you?

Coney Island Hot Dogs - Mouth Watering Nostalgia From Days Back When

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