Travel Agent Plettenberg Bay

27 Mar ’09: I winged my way from George to Joburg on 1Time Airlines, having to overnight due to the early departure the following morning. I stayed at the City Lodge OR Tambo & found it an ideal hotel, close to the airport with a shuttle service to and fro, and very attractive accommodation.

28 Mar ’09: 1Time’s direct flight from Johannesburg to Zanzibar makes the journey so comfortable. Arriving in Zanzibar I was struck by the quaintness of the airport. The excessive humidity together with the heat was quite a challenge!

Arrival forms are not available onboard. They are completed on arrival. Visa’s are granted on arrival at a cost of US$50.00

Having collected my luggage, together with the rest of the Travel Counsellors group, we made contact with Gallery Tours & Safaris who were waiting to escort us for the duration of our stay. I was struck by the extreme friendliness of our Swahili guide who was most informative.

This educational trip gave me the opportunity to inspect and gain firsthand knowledge of the 4 Planhotel resorts in Zanzibar.

We were given an overview of The Planhotel Dream Resort, which is still under construction. It is due to open in July ’09, and it is intended as the flagship of the group. Certainly the grounds had a tropical feel.

Our first night was spent at the most cost effective hotel in the group - Planhotel Mapenzi Beach Club. Lady porters carried suitcases on their heads in this very large beautiful property, where everything is under thatch. Our air-conditioned beachfront rooms were spacious, with an unobstructed view of the beautiful turquoise ocean.

29 Mar ’09: Sightseeing day in Stone Town and the Spice Farms. This tour gives an insight into the lifestyle and traditions of this predominantly Muslim island – Stone Town market, the monument to the slave trade in the grounds of the Anglican Church, the slave quarters – where they were kept (under horrific conditions) until they were auctioned off – and the Catholic Church. We walked through the rather quaint streets, some needing serious TLC, and we did a little shopping – Gallery & Memories of Zanzibar (fixed prices in US$). We had tea at the Africa House Hotel which affords a beautiful view of fishing boats and dhows in the turquoise ocean. An interesting fact for modern music lovers is that Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar. The 5 Star Serena Inn is a very beautiful hotel in the heart of Stone Town where we were served a delicious lunch. Afterwards we went to The House of Wonders (museum), home to 2 of the past Sultans of Zanzibar. This was the first East African house to have electricity, running water and a lift! The top floor holds beautiful views high above Stone Town. After his death in Zambia, the remains of Dr David Livingstone, who was greatly involved in the abolition of the slave trade in Zanzibar, were brought to a house outside Stone Town before being returned to England.

After Stone Town we enjoyed a very informative tour of the Spice Farms with their traditional mud huts.

The beautiful resort of Planhotel Neptune Pwani Beach Resort & Spa awaited us for the rest of the day and night.
The spa is absolutely amazing. An example of pricing: Back and neck massage US$50 for 30 minutes. This stunning resort is located on a huge property.

30 Mar ’09: We moved on to La Gemma Dell’Est Resort & Spa. This is a huge property with lots of walking, it is very spread out, but absolutely stunning! It is the resort with powder soft sand on my favourite beach. The jetty on stilts extends into the sea resembling a huge still pond, whereby one can enjoy magnificent sunsets! There are lots of stalls on the beach, where you can barter. Things to buy - kikois, wooden carvings, leather beaded sandals, t-shirts. Massages are offered on the beach, for a very modest US$10 for 1 hour – it is more like a rub than a massage though.

31 Mar ’09: Gallery Tours & Safaris transferred us back to the airport where 1Time was waiting to fly us back to Johannesburg after we had paid our US$30 departure tax.

Malaria precautions are recommended, but yellow fever injection is compulsory 10 days prior to departure from South Africa.

Hospitality and facilities at all resorts were outstanding!