The Spice Island of Zanzibar
We flew with 1Time Airlines who have direct flights to Zanzibar every Saturday and Tuesday which means that you could easily go over for a quick break of 3/4 nights or extend to 7/10 nights.
After obtaining a visa on arrival for US$50 we were whisked away by our Ground Handler through the middle of Stone Town to our first Hotel inspection at the 4 Star Serena Hotel, located on the water's edge with a panoramic view of the ocean and nearby islands. The Serena Hotel has an old world charm to it with an original wooden staircases and door frames with a definite Arabic / Indian influence. It is a perfect stopover hotel if you are wanting to explore Stone Town. Our walking tour of Stone Town was extremely interesting, winding our way through narrow streets while our guide explained the history of the buildings and the famous wooden carved doors. We also paid a visit to the Anglican Church erected by Sir David Livingstone after the abolishment of slavery.
Our first night was spent and the newly built 5 Star Seacliff Resort, located just outside of Stone Town. Their rooms are extremely spacious with tropical gardens, a rim flow pool & a wooden jetty where they offer sundowners over the ocean every night. Their beach is slightly further away from the hotel, they also offer mountain bike hire, horseback riding & a squash court over and above the normal non-motorised water-sports as well as a free transfer into Stone Town with every 3 nights spent at the hotel.
Our second day we travelled to the East of the Island where we stayed over night at the 4 Star Neptune Pwani Resort & Spa. I loved everything about this hotel, it has a real resort feel with stunning Swahili style rooms, all have unbelievable views of the ocean. Another perfect resort for families and couples alike with daily entertainment and an animation team, you can end your day with a cocktail at their pool bar or a relaxing spa treatment.
On our third day we travelled to the North of the Island to view a few 5 Star properties. First on our list was La Gemma Dell'Est. This is a fairly large hotel but the biggest advantage is their beach. It is not affected by the tides as with the East Coast of Zanzibar, therefore guests can swim at any time of the day. With a range of watersports, an Mvua Spa and immaculate gardens, this hotel is well recommended.
Located within La Gemma Dell'Est is the exclusive Star of the East Hotel. Extremely upmarket and serene, all villas are modern & contemporary African style, each villa has a private garden with plunge pool and jacuzzi and a personal butler service.
Our next visit was at the Doubletree by Hilton Resort. This hotel is slightly more intimate with each room offering a sea or pool view with private balconies. Again a range of water-sports are offered, however this hotel is affected by the low and high tides.
After lunch we paid a visit to the 5 Star Diamonds Dream of Zanzibar and the 3 Star Mapenzi Beach Resort, both located on the East Coast of the Island. Diamonds Dream is a fairly large hotel with the rooms located on a hill top overlooking the entertainment / restaurant areas. It does however have a beautiful beach, again affected by the low & high tides, as does Mapenzi Beach. Mapenzi's rooms are more of a Bungalow style, having a few bungalows located right on the beach. Mapenzi has a great range of water-sports and activities, perfect for the family getaway.
Our last night was spent at the 4 Star Azanzi Beach Hotel (South African owned), this boutique style hotel had a very welcoming homely & intimate feel to it. Wooden walkways line the rooms down to the pool & restaurant / bar areas located right on the beach. Azanzi have their own dive centre located at the hotel as well as their own boat for sunsets, a rubber dingy for diving and snorkelling trips and very unique glass bottom canoes. They also offer kite surfing along the beach over and above the normal water-sports. This hotel is popular with Honeymoon couples or divers alike and is another property that is on the top of my "To Stay" list.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for further info.
Regards Natalie