Backpacking In Zanzibar: Staying At Bottoms Up Backpackers In Stone Town, Unguja Island

“I ain’t got no time for no monkey business” – Freddie Mercury.

After a horrific time trying to get out of The Maldives through India and Ethiopia, I never thought I’d actually make it to Zanzibar, which was supposed to be new country two on the Rainy Summertime tour. In the end, I had 6 flights booked to get here from The Maldives, 3 of which I never took despite having boarding passes for all six. Nuts trip.

Corruption to the core in The Maldives, yet somehow, alive and well I finally got out of the shithole shitstorm, and ironically on the flight they said I couldn’t take. It’s funny and shit what bribery does. Even after the bribe, I was still banned in Mumbai from both flight connections I had boarding passes to. Mumbai has changed for the worse and so has India. So I decountrified their ocean – welcome to the Africalasian Ocean! Through corruption, I also ended up backpacking Dubai again and buying a new phone there.

So when I finally got out of the shitbrace, I ended up in Dubai with no money, a broken phone and a non-responsive laptop. I wasn’t even supposed to be in Dubai, then I walked out the airport into the heatshine.

I managed to fluke my way onto the next flight, losing only a day in the end and still having enough time for a night in Stone Town. I still did the Freddie Mercury pilgrimage but ran out of time for the national football stadium and other museums. As a consolation I did see the national football stadium and made a video from the car as we were leaving at sunset.

So where to stay in the capital city of Zanzibar archipelago? Bottoms Up is the place to be. Bottoms Up is located in Stone Town, on Unguja Island, which is the largest island in Zanzibar.

“And it stoned me” – Van Morrison.

Bottoms Up is a text old school hostel / backpacking joint. It’s bang in the centre of the old poky streets of Stone Town’s fabulous Old Town.

It’s round the corner from the Old Fort. It’s halfway between Freddie Mercury’s house/ museum and Mercury’s Bar and Restaurant. It’s a perfect location, and cheap too, and it has Wi-Fi.

I was in a room with an ensuite, with a double bed, the room was up the stairs and was called Paradise.

There are a range of rooms including dorms.

Bottoms Up was a perfect spot for a quick night. Sadly I lost a day in Zanzibar due to corruption, but as Queen once sang, “the show must go on”.

It has WiFi too and welcoming staff. Plus a resident Grey African Parrot!

Here are the details for booking a room at Bottoms Up, Stone Town, Unguja Island, Zanzibar:

Here are some videos from my stay at Bottoms Up, Stone Town, Zanzibar: