<p>Gleaming white sands, crystal waters and luxury beach villas are all part of Zanzibar, but there is a lot more to the island than that.</p>
<p>Zanzibar has a rich history—the island is home to the first mosque in the southern hemisphere, built between the 11th and 12th centuries. From the 1st century AD, it was a trading post for Arabian and Indian merchants.</p>
<p>There are two main islands: Unguja, or Zanzibar Island, and smaller Pemba Island; plus 51 islets. The Zanzibari archipelago offers rich pickings in terms of accommodation, ranging from private boutique villas to large, internationally branded and managed hotels and resorts—of which there are many. If seclusion is what you’re after, some of the smaller islands present the perfect spot. Set among a series of coral atolls, Mnemba Island Lodge, on Mnemba Island—4.5km from Zanzibar Island, has 10 individual ‘bandas’, or chalets, in a beach forest. The bandas are constructed using hand-woven structures made from natural material. Each has its own sprawling bedroom, verandah and private walkway that leads onto the beach. While there is a selection of activities to choose from on Mnemba Island, a trip to the island when the green turtle lays its eggs in February is a must.</p>
<div id="attachment_577" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-577" class="size-large wp-image-577" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/New_Mnemba2-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="474" height="316" /><p id="caption-attachment-577" class="wp-caption-text">Dive Centre</p></div>
<p>There are plenty of hotels in Zanzibar but most tourists prefer the north-west and east coast of the island, with the Diamonds range of hotels among the nicest.</p>
<p>Your stay in Zanzibar would be incomplete without a trip to Stone Town, where the island’s early Arabian and Indian influence can be seen in the architecture. Stone Town, or Mji Mkongwe—Swahili for ‘Old Town’—grew into what was a booming city center during the height of its spice and slave trade in the 19th century. UNESCO named Stone Town a World Heritage Site in 2000 and it forms part of the New City, Ng’ambo, meaning ‘the other side’. Most entry and exit points into Zanzibar are in, or close to, Stone Town so planning cleverly will allow for a few hours to be spent browsing through the East African city’s history.</p>
<h3>The logistics</h3>
<p>Set 35km off the coast of Tanzania, the Zanzibar islands can be reached either by boat or air. KLM (with Kenya Airways), Gulf Air, Ethiopian Airlines and Air Mauritius fly regularly to Zanzibar International Airport. Be prepared for a lot of traveling if you’ve chosen Zanzibar and any of its surrounding islands as a holiday destination. Car hire is an option for those individuals feeling brave enough to navigate Zanzibar’s poorly maintained roads, but there are also minibuses, operating from Stone Town, that take sightseers to visitor hotspots around the island.</p>
<p>Tourism in Zanzibar peaks in July and August, the dry season, and again between December and February, so a more expensive trip during these months can be expected. Zanzibar offers splendid scuba diving and snorkeling, particularly during the hot, humid months from December to February, and it is well worth paying the higher rates, as the warmer waters attract a wide variety of marine life.</p>


Zest For  Zanzibar

<p>“WHEN ALIVE, HE LIVED,” reads the memorial to FORBES’ late editor-inchief, Malcolm Forbes, on a palmshaded lawn overlooking his beloved, green-as-money Laucala Island, a 3,000-acre shoe-shaped Valhalla in the eastern Fijian islands. Since 2003 Austrian tycoon Dietrich Mateschitz, who owns the wildly profitable energy drink Red Bull, has lorded over this isolated paradise, and now he’s opened it up to people who want a taste of billionaire life.</p>
<div id="attachment_355" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-355" class="size-large wp-image-355" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/FO011612_036-1024x469.jpg" alt="" width="474" height="217" /><p id="caption-attachment-355" class="wp-caption-text">Take traditional Fijian architecture (timber beams supporting sea grass roofs), sprinkle with 38 pools and a dozen beaches, and add magnificent South Pacific views.</p></div>
<p>Mateschitz built 25 sprawling guest villas in traditional Fijian style, with timber beams tied together to support sea grass roofs. Their connected pavilions—bedroom, bathroom and living room—encircle private pools facing the beach. I kept my sliding doors open to let the sea lull me to sleep, though civilization was close at hand with Wi-Fi and satellite TV. A light switch turned on a dozen tiki lamps, converting the place into a one-man luau.</p>
<p>You could easily hole up in your compound and have everything brought to you, and you might not encounter anyone even if you went out for a swim. The island has a dozen beaches and 38 pools that blend into the tropical surroundings while delivering distinctive wow factors. My favorite was a clear glass cube discreetly jutting above the beachfront like an aerial aquatic sculpture.</p>
<p>Serving the privileged few—this must be the world’s highest staff-to-guest ratio—are an astounding 350 uniformed attendants with an arsenal of high-powered toys from Jet Skis to shotguns. There’s a fully stocked golf pro shop on the edge of David McLay Kidd’s immaculate 18-hole Scottish carpet carved through Laucala’s dense jungles.</p>
<p>“This bewilderment of choices on such a small island—it’s like the Swiss Army Knife of vacation spots,” a guest told manager Maja Kilgore, who, with her husband, Thomas, runs the place with a panache that makes Fantasy Island’s Mr. Roarke seem like a slacker. “Then we must make sure to make good use of the corkscrew,” she responded, opening the umpteenth bottle from the island’s bountiful cellar to serve with yet another feast in one of its five restaurants.</p>
<div id="attachment_354" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-354" class="size-large wp-image-354" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/FO011612_035-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="474" height="267" /><p id="caption-attachment-354" class="wp-caption-text">The result: luxe, Laucala-style.</p></div>
<p>At 6 a.m. the day after we’d arrived, a jet-lagged friend and I decided to circumnavigate Laucala on the brand-new mountain bikes parked outside our villas. We pulled up to the gleaming white, formal Plantation House restaurant and knocked gingerly, wondering if anyone would be up at this hour. We were whisked inside like long-lost relatives, white tablecloths were laid, and a gorgeous array of local fruit appeared, along with—gasp!—just-baked croissants whose crispness I’d have trouble matching in Paris. “We have two bakers from Germany who get up early every morning in case someone drops by,” our waitress explained.</p>
<div id="attachment_356" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-356" class="size-large wp-image-356" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/FO011612_037-1024x474.jpg" alt="" width="474" height="219" /><p id="caption-attachment-356" class="wp-caption-text">$3,800-$35,000 per day, includes all food, drinks and activities. 011-679-888-0077, laucala.com.</p></div>
<p>That breakfast encapsulates Laucala’s greatest luxury: spontaneity. Like tropical genies, the staff stays mostly invisible until you give voice to your whims. Then things happen very quickly and very well. On a single day I managed to ride a horse, grab a round of golf with resident PGA-circuit pro Tony Christie, get reinvigorated with a better-than-in-Thailand Thai massage, and water-ski around the island—with just a few minutes’ notice between adventures. By the time I’d toweled down for a late-afternoon scuba dive (thank God for the Red Bull in the minibar), magic hands had already equipped the dive boat with gear in my size and sushi to eat when I bubbled back up from the Technicolor reefs.</p>


Tag: Travel

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Zest For Zanzibar

The Dream Island