DESTINATIONS ZANZIBAR | INDIAN OCEAN
Spice up your life
Set your sights on the new Emerald Collection resort in Zanzibar for an all-inclusive escape with a cultural twist, writes Katie McGonagle
here’s a teacher at the front and a list of phrases scribbled across a whiteboard, but this is unlike any language lesson I ever had at school. The bright
mid-afternoon sun is high overhead, the tropical scent of frangipani drifts on a balmy breeze and the gorgeous infinity pool a few metres away is abuzz with activity. We’re at the Eclipse Pool Bar in the heart of the Emerald
Zanzibar Resort & Spa, which opened its doors in December, and the daily Swahili lesson I’m engaged in is more like an introduction to local culture. We’ve covered a few basics: habari za asubuhi (good morning), jina langu ni (my name is) and my favourite, rafiki (friend), which brings new meaning to the loveable Lion King character of the same name. Then as we get into the family tree – jotting down bibi
and babu for grandparents, mama and baba for mum and dad – we discover the words for aunts and uncles vary depending on their age and which side of the family they’re from. It’s a much more complex hierarchy than its English equivalent, offering a small but important insight into the intricacies of family life here in Zanzibar.
EMERALD ENCORE This latest addition to the Emerald Collection is set on the northeastern tip of Unguja, also known as Zanzibar Island, the main island in the Tanzanian archipelago. The all-inclusive group is known for its good-value Maldives
flagship, but expanded late last year with a second Maldivian property, Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa, followed by this East African debut. In a sign of Zanzibar’s flourishing tourism scene, it’s
the largest resort on the island and its first member of Leading Hotels of the World, with 250 suites set on the
There’s a balance between
wellness – with a tranquil, 10-room spa – and family fun, including a free kids’ club and separate pool for children
white sands of Muyuni Beach and fringed by a protected coral reef. The resort’s efforts to support the environment include solar panels, on-site water purification and steam cleaning (to avoid using harsh chemicals). Guests will find the deluxe all-inclusive formula of its Indian Ocean sisters perfectly replicated here, right down to the same restaurants – all-day buffet at Aqua, sand- between-your-toes bites at the Beach Club, surf and turf at Carnivorous and pan-Asian with a teppanyaki twist at Le Asiatique. There’s also the same balance between wellness – with a tranquil, 10-room spa featuring products from
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travelweekly.co.uk 3 AUGUST 2023 65
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