DOLPHIN VILLAGE

One of the places and tours we visited during our holidays in Zanzibar was the dolphin village in Kizimkazi. 5.30 in the morning they picked us up from the hotel and we drove from Stone Town to Kizimkazi. Only a few other tourist boats were outside and I am happy for that, because this was one of the few things I disliked of the whole trip. Chasing dolphins to swim with them.
Yes indeed they are free and can actually swim away from us people but I do believe they don't need a bunch of tourist boats chasing them all day long, all year long.
When the captain of our 9 persons little boat said "Now, jump" it was like a race who is first in the water, who is first at swimming, seeing the dolphin.  Yes I saw 2 of them, but I am not proud and I hope if you ever consider going to Zanzibar to not join this tours. I don't think its worse the money.

Moby dick, our boat for the trip with the crew preparing for departure.

Grap your equipment before jumping into the boat!

Captain and seaman happy after all of us guests saw the dolphin in the water

Fast they are, so this is all I got from that moment that early morning!

GAP OF DUNLOE

Patrick and Queeny

We just arrived in Killarney and check in at Elyod B&B for the night. Mary the owner explains that she won't be there the next day, coz. she invited her friend for the GAP OF DUNLOE TOUR. We listen carefully and during the evening we decided that that would be a great thing to do, even though touristic and not really a bakpacker solution.

The next morning a small bus comes to pick us up and in Killarney centre we change to a bigger bus until we reach the Kate Kearneys Cottage. Here we change once more to a jaunting car that has place for 4 sitting person and our driver Patrick, a real irish farmer. The jaunting car is led by a lovely irish pony, Queeny. A 1 1,5 hour ride through valleys and mountain, lakes and rivers, an amazing landscape that reminds me a little bit of my home country Switzerland.

The ride stops at the Lord Brandons Cottage where we eat a warm soup and enjoy the company of the others sitting in the sunshine. To go back to Killarney a small boat waits and we drive slowly but surely among the zig-zag lakes of Killarney. Our driver is a well preserved man in his 60ies that jokes all along the trip. The sun is high in the sky and a few of us for sure gets a sunburn while back on land. Who would have thought that one can get a sunburn in Ireland!

The journey of 6 hours is worth all the investment done in the early morning. It's something special and it's a MUST while staying in Killarney. We arrive at Ross Castle where a bus is ready to bring us back to our B&B.