Stone Town Cafe Bed & Breakfast

Jan 12, 2014

Despite Zanzibar being a last minute destination we did a good amount of research on places to stay and Stone Town Cafe Bed and Breakfast was a clear favorite for affordable, safe, with a friendly staff and clean rooms.

It definitely delivered. An amazing deal for $80/night which gave us a queen (or is it a king?) bed, balcony, wi-fi (that’s a bit spotty), safe, closet and satellite TV (which has maybe 3 channels in English) and a great shower/bathroom so we were happy. They also offered complimentary breakfast up to $6.50 per person which is more then enough for a big meal including coffee, and bottled water or juice. It’s probably the best deal in the area but space is very limited.

The Doors of Zanzibar, Tanzania

Jan 11, 2014

After a grueling flight (that included an emergency landing) we made it to Zanzibar in Tanzania. The start of our trip was in Stone Town which is a historic beach town. Walking the streets we encountered some of the most beautiful doors — all with different colors, styles and carvings!

Inside the Sheraton Kampala

Jan 10, 2014

After 3 days in a hut in the mountains we returned to Kampala and were in need of an upgrade. A private shower and bed that didn’t require a mosquito net was the dream. And while I’m rarely the American yearning for something familiar, this was a rare exception.

The Sheraton Kampala was everything I could hope for and more from an upscale US Sheraton. It’s practically identical however, given the circumstances it felt more like the Four Seasons. Gorgeous lobby, great food, swimming pool, clean sheets, comfortable beds and dream showers. They also have a fly and $25 massages for 50 minutes.

James is a Starwoods member and has the credit card (which is great for travelers). It gets free upgrades and instead of paying $250/night, we had the option of using 5,000 points and paying only $65/night. Not only were we given the Diplomat Suite, complete with 2 bathrooms, a living room, balcony (with great views) and separate shower and bath tub, we also got club floor privileges which has complimentary snacks, drinks and computers for guest to use (there’s wifi in the entire hotel). Breakfast buffet is also included in this rate and does not disappoint. And best of all we got a perfect nights sleep before heading to Zanzibar, Tanzania the next day.

Day 5 – 7: Uganda Safari

Jan 9, 2014

After a much needed resting day at the Sheraton in Kampala, our crew headed to the town of Masindi to see the White Rhino’s (and cows with the most amazing horns!), the Budongo Central Forest Reserve to see the Chimpanzees, hiked Murchison Falls and did a safari in the area seeing lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos, water bucks, wart hogs, and baboons. It was incredible!

It’s a solid 2 days trip to do it all and we booked with Yebo Tours which for $390 took care of all the arrangements, transportation and accommodations (we slept in private huts in the mountains!). If you’re headed to the area, I highly recommend them. There was also a camp ground and housing facility at Budongo that looked very promising. We had lunch there before tracking the Chimps and their food and coffee we’re great. They also had wi-fi which was unexpected considering we were in nature.

I’ll fill in links and more details soon! At the moment I’m blogging from my phone so you can imagine the challenges. You can also follow me @prettyconnected for the latest in my adventures!