DESTINATIONS INDIAN OCEAN | ZANZIBAR
exper experts ASK THE
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Stone Town; spices for sale at Darajani Market; Beach Club Grill Restaurant and reception lounge, both Emerald Zanzibar Resort & Spa PICTURES: Shutterstock/Moiz Husein Storyteller, Ventura
Tommy Compton product manager,
long-haul, Tui
“The resort has its own watersports centre so is perfect for customers who want to enjoy activities in the
Indian Ocean, including diving. There’s lots to see and do
beyond the resort too, so I’d recommend clients discover
the fascinating history of Stone Town, look out for monkeys in Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park or relax on a sunset dhow cruise.”
Diane Prendergast destination manager, Indian Ocean & Africa, dnata Travel Group
“If you want an exotic holiday that won’t break the bank, Zanzibar is ideal – people
compare it to the Maldives and the Seychelles. Visitors can look forward to miles of
pristine beaches, a rich history, delicious cuisine and a warm welcome. At the Emerald
Zanzibar Resort & Spa, you can swim and snorkel all day as the property is on the nicest non-tidal beach on the island.”
South African brand Healing Earth – and family fun, including a free kids’ club and separate children’s pool. Meals, most drinks (excluding some top-shelf spirits, cocktails and premium wines) and the in-room minibar are included, along with non-motorised watersports, a boat tour and a snorkelling trip for seven-night stays. While guests might find it hard to forgo lazy days lounging by the busy infinity pool or the secluded garden pool with its swim-up bar, it’s worth the effort to go snorkelling on the reef at nearby Mnemba Island. Even the journey is a stunner, skimming across crystal- clear waters in a wooden dhow. No sooner had we dipped our masks into the water than we were greeted by huge schools of bright yellow Bengal snappers, striped sergeants and powder-blue surgeonfish.
TRUE COLOURS The vibrant marine life is matched only by the kaleido- scope on land, where lush green fields and bright skies are interspersed with low-rise buildings painted baby pink, bright orange or cobalt blue, and street market stalls sell limes and mangoes in towering stacks. Clients can get a feel for Zanzibar’s cultural heritage
with trips from local provider Sun Tours. Stone Town, the Unesco-protected heart of the capital Zanzibar City, is a must to understand its troubled history as a centre of the East African slave trade, commemorated with a monument on the site of the former trading post. Lighter landmarks and activities include browsing the spice-filled stalls of Darajani Market, admiring the
Zanzibar once supplied the world
with cloves, and farm visitors can see vines of vanilla pods, tiny peppercorns and fragrant cardamom growing wild
elaborately carved teak and mahogany doors influenced by Indian, Arab and Swahili styles, and snapping a shot of Freddie Mercury’s House, where the Queen singer spent much of his childhood. Foodies will enjoy visiting a spice farm; Zanzibar once supplied the world with cloves, and there are community farms across the island where visitors can see twisting vines of vanilla pods, tiny peppercorns in bud and fragrant cardamom growing wild, alongside heaving bunches of red bananas, spiky-topped pineapples and bulging jackfruit. It’s easy to see why the ‘Spice Island’ caught the
attention of the family behind the Emerald Collection for a first foray onto African soil – though if their expansion plans pay off, it certainly won’t be the last.
TW BOOK IT
Gold Medal offers seven nights’ all-inclusive in a Junior Garden Suite at Emerald Zanzibar Resort & Spa from £1,999 per person based on two sharing, including flights from Heathrow (indirect) with Ethiopian Airlines, departing May 17, 2024.
goldmedal.co.uk
66 3 AUGUST 2023
travelweekly.co.uk
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