uencer Cedtripping Takes 20 Travelers to Zanzibar
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me, it’s a personal connection that runs much deeper than the people, the history, and the food. This could only be found in the Motherland.” Woods led the group on excursions throughout the stay that took them all over Zanzibar. Guests enjoyed beachside massages to unwind before taking sailboats out on the Indian Ocean. They also swam with sea turtles at an aquarium and learned more about the region’s culture in a traditional Swahili class. The entire stay was packed with excursions from sun up to sundown. Although this meant very little sleep for Woods, the influencer wanted to ensure his guests got the most out of their trip and that they understood they were in control of their itinerary. “I expected them to do as much as possible on the itinerary but I encouraged them to make this trip everything they wanted,” he said. A unique facet of Woods’ trip itinerary was that all combinations and excursions were selected specifically for creating travel content. Not only that, Woods accommodate every traveler’s need by having videographers and photographers on deck to help guests with producing their social media content while in Zanzibar. While the trip was content-driven, participating in content curation was optional for all guests.
“Whether it was their pose, posture, or just directing, they helped the guests with what to do to capture great, beautiful content,” he said. During the trip, the guests were able to experience the market at Stone Town as well as have lunch at the most famous restaurant in Zanzibar, The Rock Restaurant. Knowing how some group trips can be centered around hotel food and buffets, Woods wanted his travelers to experience the flair and flavor of Tanzanian cuisine. “I wanted this group to have great food and great options and to experience different restaurants,” he said. “So I basically had us dine at different places in Zanzibar, so we could experience different types of foods, different spices, different menus, and different dinner scenery.” Once apprehensive about group excursions, Woods has found a new appreciation for traveling with a diverse group of individuals. Guests have been raving about their experience since returning to the US, and many expressed how the trip was life-changing in more ways than one. “Many of them were going through issues or something at home, so it was such a peaceful experience for them to get away and basically a great way for them to cope with some of the stress that they were experiencing,” he said. Realizing the impact tailored and detailed travel experience curation can have, Woods, left Zanzibar with a fresh perspective and plans to have more Cedtripping group trips in the future. He believes travel is transformative and, although he has experienced it himself, was amazed when he saw it manifest in other travelers. “You can really design travel experiences in a way where it really helps people cope with stress and make their lives more manageable and better,” Cedtripping said. “You can design a travel experience that saves someone’s life and frees someone who has depression. You can provide that space to clear their heads and give them time to think and give them more hope.” https://travelnoire.com/travel-influencer-cedtrippingtakes-20-travelers-to-zanzibar Image credit: Courtesy of Cedric Woods
25 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | May 2022
