The Insider ZANZIBAR
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Luckily, our place of refuge, nestled within the Menai Bay Conservation Area off the southwestern coast of Unguja – the largest island in Zanzibar’s archipelago – is the designated lunch stop on local operator Safari Blue’s ocean tour. We’ve simply arrived earlier – and a little more theatrically – than planned. Indeed, the downpour does little to dampen everyone’s mood, so easy is it to slip into the unshakably positive, carefree spirit of the Zanzibari people. A hand-painted sign above the beach reads ‘always UOKNKPIo s CPF KV EQWNFPoV DG OQTG ƂVVKPI +VoU C UGPVKOGPV I’ve felt since arriving in Zanzibar from strangers quick to smile, burst into song or joyously shout hakuna matata – the Swahili mantra that translates to ‘no worries’. Soon, the rain softens to a drizzle and we’re
ushered to a secluded spot where a table sits overlooking the calming sea, laden with sesame and EQEQPWV DTGCF TGF NGPVKN FJCN CPF ƃWHH[ TKEG 6JG CTQOCU HTQO C DCTDGEWG QXGTƃQYKPI YKVJ NQDUVGT prawns and seared tuna make my stomach growl in anticipation of our feast – and just like that, I’m thankful that we waited for the storm to pass.
SHIFTING TIDES By the time our plates are clean, the clouds have vanished as if they were never there, leaving blazing sun in their wake. It’s a striking, but not surprising, shift according to the locals. It’s June when I visit and Mother Nature is slightly more unpredictable than during the dry season from July to October. Not wasting a moment
of her generosity, we clamber back on board the dhow and cruise to Kwale Island’s mangrove lagoon – a glassy pool dotted with tangled roots and swaying greenery. 6JG NQECN EQOOWPKV[ YKVJ VJG UWRRQTV QH VJG
World Wide Fund for Nature, works to protect Kwale Island’s natural beauty – and their efforts don’t go unnoticed. It’s an idyllic location, thick with vegetation, from the lagoon’s twisting tendrils to the ancient and gnarled baobab tree standing proud in the island’s centre. Souvenir stalls spill out from the UJCFG CPF C YGNN YQTP DTKIJVN[ RCKPVGF ƂUJKPI DQCV has been charmingly fashioned into a beach bar. Over the years, Kwale Island has become a staple stop for ocean tours, with Safari Blue bringing up to 20 boats to the island per day in peak season. As such, it can feel a little crowded, but private tours can be arranged. Ours, organised by the EQPEKGTIG VGCO CV 6JG 4GUKFGPEG <CP\KDCT s QWT home during the trip – offers exclusive access to quieter shores and a discreet lunch spot. 6JG NKXGN[ CVOQURJGTG KU RTQQH VJCV <CP\KDCToU appeal is on the rise. In April, the destination marked a 28% year-on-year increase in visitor numbers, with the UK its fourth-largest source market. What’s more, 88% QH VQWTKUVU CTTKXGF XKC KPVGTPCVKQPCN ƃKIJVU TGƃGEVKPI Zanzibar’s growing status as a standalone destination – something to which Syed Aftab, general manager at 6JG 4GUKFGPEG CVVGUVU p2TG RCPFGOKE OQUV IWGUVU visited Zanzibar as part of a safari twin-centre with 6CP\CPKC DWV PQY VTCXGNNGTU UVC[ NQPIGT CPF GZRNQTG the island on its own,” he says, noting that the average NGPIVJ QH UVC[ JCU KPETGCUGF HTQO VYQ VQ ƂXG PKIJVU While excursions don’t yet feel entirely geared
towards luxury travellers, Zanzibar has its sights set on attracting high-spending visitors through investment in tourism infrastructure. New high-end hotels are also QP VJG JQTK\QP (QWT 5GCUQPU 4GUQTV <CP\KDCT CPF
ª OPPOSITE, FIRST ROW: A dhow; red colobus monkey; pool at The Residence Zanzibar
SECOND ROW: Luxury Garden Pool Villa; writer Charlotte Brook prepares for a cookery lesson; market in Stone Town THIRD ROW: The Residence Zanzibar’s spa; the streets of Stone Town; hotel chef in the Earth Basket Credits: Shutterstock/Prokop Harazim, vberl; Keegan Checks/Studio V; The Residence Zanzibar
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ASPIRETRAVELCLUB.CO.UK THE INSIDER SEPTEMBER 2025
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