Quality Hotels and Resorts: Nairobi vs Zanzibar

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Catching the Lost Train of Zanzibar​

Zanzibar may not have a train now, but the island was the first to establish railway lines in Eastern Africa
ZANZIBAR
Tanzania Times Last updated Jun 12, 2022
The Railway line which connected stone town to rural precincts

Zanzibar Island was the first precinct in East and Central African Region to have a train.

Yes, the Indian Ocean archipelago introduced the steam locomotive back in 1879.
It was the first railway in East Africa and third in the African continent behind the Egyptian and South African railways
During that year (1879) Sultan Barghash bin Said ordered the construction a seven-mile railway from his palace at Stone Town to Chukwani.

Initially the railway was served by two Pullman cars that were hauled by mules.

Mulling to replace the mules with steam engine?

Two years later, the Sultan decided to upgrade the technology.

In 1881 the Barghash placed an order for a tank engine from an English locomotive building company.

In 1904 the Zanzibar government signed a contract with the American Firm, Arnold Cheney and Co. to build the famous Bububu railway that connects the Zanzibar Urban Municipality to ‘Mashambani’ or rural area.

In 1905 ‘Arnold Cheyney and Company,’ succeeded in extending the track by constructing another piece of railway.

Arnold Cheney and Co. was the agent for New Zealand of the Colonial Oil Co. formed in New York to supply New Zealand and Australian markets with oil.

Cheyney made the connection from Stone Town via sea-front to the village of Bububu.

Reports has that, the railway was susceptible to series of fire incidences.

All the same, despite causing fire hazards to the properties surrounding countryside into which it cut through, the contraption would run for quarter-a-century, that is twenty-five years, until 1930.

During its days in commission, the Zanzibar train was quite popular and largely served the local communities.

Actually the village of ‘Bububu’ acquired its name from the locals who used to refer the train as ‘Bu-Bu-Bu,’ imitating the chugging sound coming from the steam engine.

The railway line crisscrossed some parts of the town streets, causing interest among residents.

The railway would also play an important role of aiding the general electrification of the island.

Zanzibar had electric powered street lights long before London City acquired the technology.

The Government took total control of the railways system in 1911.

Ten years later, the passenger service stopped, essentially in 1922. Apparently increased and improved roads network opened up new and alternative modes of transport.

People would be moved on faster machines such as motor vehicles and cycles, later introduced onto the Island.

Zanzibar Railroads

The upgrading of the Zanzibar Port required heavy shifting of materials including rocks and gravel and the train was converted into construction site wagon.

After the work was done, the train was retired from service in 1930.

But the Bu-bu-bu area exists to date and can be reached by public transport from Zanzibar’s stone town.

Catching the Lost Train of Zanzibar

Zanzibar may not have a train now, but the island was the first to establish railway lines in Eastern Africa

tanzaniatimes.net

 

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RIU Opens the Riu Jambo, Its Second Hotel in Zanzibar​

RIU | June 20, 2022

The hotel Riu Jambo has an unbeatable location in the north of Zanzibar’s largest island, Unguja, on the idyllic Nungwi beach. The 4-star, 24-hour all-inclusive hotel has a total of 461 rooms. The main feature that sets it apart from other RIU hotels is the stilted structure that stretches out from the beach over the sea, where guests will find some of the hotel’s dining services. The new Riu Jambo is right next to the Riu Palace Zanzibar, which was refurbished in 2019 and has luxurious facilities. This new opening enhances the chain’s range of hotels in the destination with an establishment where guests can enjoy a family holiday.

The main building, with five and six floors, houses the hotel’s reception and most of the rooms. It boasts a spectacular façade with murals inspired by African culture, and several of its towers are crowned with masks. Sustainability and energy efficiency also play an important role in this building. The lobby is completely open-plan with natural cross ventilation and plenty of natural light thanks to numerous openings, which also allow customers to see different areas of the hotel and the amazing views from the moment they arrive. Apart from its impressive height, the main showpiece in this area is a large skylight in the middle of the lobby. Natural materials are used in the furniture, decoration, floors and coverings alike.

The hotel has 461 rooms, 93 of which are at ground level on the seafront. These rooms are staggered so as to not obstruct views of the surrounding landscape. They are all fully equipped to ensure that customers enjoy maximum comfort during their stay. The rooms are decorated in earthy tones and wood once again plays a central role. This combination, along with paintings of typical Tanzanian scenes, creates a welcoming atmosphere.

The hotel has a unique dining area on a stilted structure. It is an original wooden construction that is accessed by a walkway and stretches out over the sea. Two of the hotel’s three restaurants are located here — the Italian restaurant “il Panzotto” and the fusion restaurant “Kulinarium” — as well as the “Bahari” bar. Customers will be able to enjoy an exquisite dinner or savour a delicious cocktail over the beautiful waters of Zanzibar with spectacular panoramic views. The hotel also has an Asian restaurant, “Yunnan”, and the main restaurant, “Maisha”, with a terrace and international cuisine. Guests will also find the “Bongo Flava” lounge bar with a terrace and the “Hakuna Matata” pool bar with a swim-up bar, as well as “Rafiki”, a snack bar on the beach.

Customers will find a total of five pools in the hotel’s outdoor areas, one of which is exclusively for children. As for entertainment, there is a RiuLand children’s club, with RiuArt and RiuFit areas. What’s more, guests will be able to unwind in the spa area located next to the gym or try out water sports with Scuba Caribe.

The plot where this new establishment has been built was previously home to the La Gema dell’Est hotel, which RIU bought in 2019. Certain elements of the previous hotel have been maintained, such as the spectacular stilted structure.

RIU Opens the Riu Jambo, Its Second Hotel in Zanzibar

The hotel Riu Jambo has an unbeatable location in the north of Zanzibar’s largest island, Unguja, on the idyllic Nungwi beach. The 4-star, 24-hour all-inclusive hotel has a total of 461 rooms. The main feature that sets it apart from other RIU hotels is the stilted structure that stretches out...

www.hotel-online.com

 

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8 Luxurious Resorts You’ll Want To Experience On Zanzibar​

SARAH KINGDOM
MAR.30.2022

ASILI VILLA AT MATLAI HOTEL, ZANZIBAR (PHOTO CREDIT: MATLAI BOUTIQUE HOTEL)
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Just the name Zanzibar evokes images of a tropical paradise with white sand beaches, shimmering turquoise waters, beautiful sunsets, and palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze — all kissed by the spice-laden East African trade winds. And the “Spice Island” is all that, but it is also more. This is an island steeped in culture and history. With a mixture of cultures from African to Arabian, some Indian, Portuguese, and English are thrown in for good measure.

Trade of one kind or another is an intrinsic part of the island’s culture and has shaped its history for thousands of years; from its dark past in the slave trade, to its position as a trading hotspot in the spice trade thanks to its abundance of valuable spices including cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. All this has culminated in an island that is a heady mix of sights, sounds, and smells.

When it comes to where to stay in Zanzibar, there’s something for everyone. If you like “castaway cool” then you’ve come to the right place, or if you’d prefer something more luxurious and special, then let me tell you about some of my favorite spots on the island for a truly memorable holiday.

Stone Town, Zanzibar Resorts​

Stone Town, a World Heritage Site, is Zanzibar’s historical capital. No visit to Zanzibar would be complete without exploring Stone Town’s jumble of narrow, cobbled streets, its people, the mosques, churches, bazars, architecture, and food.

PHOTO CREDIT: HILTON DOUBLE TREE STONE TOWN

1. Double Tree By Hilton Hotel Zanzibar Stone Town​

The Double Tree By Hilton is housed in the old court house, a building that had fallen into disrepair before being renovated and brought back to life to become a hotel. It’s perfectly situated in the heart of Stone Town, amongst the winding alleyways and historic buildings. Wake to the muezzin’s call to prayer as the day dawns and the town wakes up for the day.

The hotel is in my favorite part of Stone Town, hidden away in the maze of streets, with a feeling of old world timelessness. Breakfast on the rooftop terrace is a fabulous way to start the day. Looking out over the rooftops towards the beautiful blue of the ocean, you are bound to spot a white-sailed traditional dhow or two while you enjoy your morning coffee. As an added bonus, hotel guests have access to a beautiful indoor swimming pool, perfect for cooling down after a day of wandering through town.

Pro Tip: The slices of smoked tuna available on the breakfast buffet are delicious. Get some before it disappears onto someone else’s plate!

ROOFTOP BATHROOM (PHOTO CREDIT: ZANZIBAR PALACE HOTEL)

2. Zanzibar Palace Hotel​

The Zanzibar Palace Hotel, a boutique hotel located right in the heart of Stone Town, is a small and personal hotel with only three rooms on each of its three floors. The building was built between 1885 and 1890 by an Indian merchant and is still full of original features, including a solid wooden staircase that runs through the center of the building like a spine, to the thick walls, tiny wooden balconies, wooden shutters, and old hooks and pulleys left over from its trading past. Following the revolution in 1964, the building was abandoned for many years. In 1978, it was restored, ultimately becoming a hotel in 2005.

We stayed in a suite on the very top floor with a huge traditional wooden Zanzibar bed, so high off the ground that we had to climb into it using old wooden trunks positioned on either side of the bed, like a step ladder! Our bathroom was on the rooftop terrace and had views looking out over Stone Town and down to the port.


Pro Tip: With all the old world charm of an antique building, the Zanzibar Palace Hotel does not have a lift. So if stairs are not your thing, this is not the best place for you.

EMERSON ON HURUMZI ROOFTOP (PHOTO CREDIT: EMERSON SPICE)

3. Emerson On Hurumzi​

Rooftop sundowners are an essential part of a Stone Town experience in my opinion, and one of the best places to do this is at the beautifully restored Emerson on Hurumzi hotel. Come for cocktails and stay for dinner in the Tea House Restaurant with 360° views of Stone Town and across to the ocean. Arrive for cocktails at sunset and know that dinner starts promptly at 7 p.m. Remove your shoes and sit on the floor carpets and cushions to dine (or take your place at a table if you prefer). Dinner is a three-course set menu celebrating Zanzibari cuisine and combining Swahili, Persian, and Omani influences. Dinner is accompanied by traditional music and singing by musicians from the Dhow Countries Music Academy.

Pro Tip: Before dinner, call in at the Princess Salme Museum (beside the hotel’s main entrance) and learn about one of Zanzibar’s most famous women, Sayyida Salama bint Said (Salme), Princess of Zanzibar and Oman. Born in 1844, she was the youngest of Sultan Said’s 36 children. She fell in love with German merchant Rudolph Reute, becoming pregnant with his child and causing such a scandal that she had to flee Zanzibar and settle in Germany. She married Rudolph, bore him more children, and, after his death, wrote Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar, published in 1886.

DOORWAY TO HEAVEN AT MATLAI HOTEL (PHOTO CREDIT: MATLAI BOUTIQUE HOTEL)

Head To The Beach – Zanzibar Beach Resorts​

Beautiful white sand, lapped by azure and turquoise waters, and fringed with palm trees swaying in the warm breeze, the beaches of Zanzibar are stunning, and equally stunning are a number of resorts found at these beaches. Whilst I’ve been visiting Zanzibar for more than 20 years now, on our latest trip, my husband and I left Stone Town behind and worked our way around the island clockwise, staying in a variety of special properties.

PHOTO CREDIT: CHUINI BEACH LODGE

4. Chuini Zanzibar Beach Lodge​

Our first stop was the island’s west coast. There are fewer lodges here and it feels a little more remote. The west coast is home to Stone Town, so we only had to travel for 20 minutes for our first night out of town.

In 1873, the second Sultan of Zanzibar — and brother to Princess Salme mentioned above — built the Chuini Palace, perched on the rocks right on the very edge of the island. The palace was an impressive complex that occupied both sides of a small protected bay. Mysteriously, most of the buildings burnt down in 1914. Chuini Beach Lodge is built amongst the ruins of the royal complex, giving it a rather unique outlook and feel. There’s a small, private beach beside a tiny working bay where local fishermen moor and repair their boats.

NUNGWI POOL PATIO (PHOTO CREDIT: NUNGWI DREAMS)

5. Nungwi Dreams​

An hour’s drive north, we reached Nungwi Beach, and Nungwi Dreams exceeded my expectations. Our room was modern, sleek, bright, and positioned just a few feet from the beach. With two swimming pools to choose from, and the beautiful warm ocean just steps from our room, we were spoilt by a choice. At low tide, I walked along the white sand and had it pretty much to myself, except for a few friendly fishermen striding along the beach and chatting as they went. My husband spent a day scuba diving at nearby Mnemba Island while I relaxed at the spa. They had great food and a great atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed all the seafood while cocktails on the hotel’s rooftop “Sky Bar” were delicious.

With 56 rooms and one villa, this is a modern resort-style place, with all the comforts you’d expect from a luxury resort, yet it’s still small enough to feel friendly and personal.

Pro Tip: As a general rule, the north and northeast coasts tend to be the island’s prime locations, and most of Zanzibar’s high-end accommodations are found here. The diving is also excellent here, there’s not much tidal variation, and the archipelago’s best reefs (around Mnemba Island) lie not far offshore.

VILLA PAVILION WITH A POOL AT ELEWANA (PHOTO CREDIT: ELEWANA KILINDI)

6. Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar​

Just a short drive away — nestled in a tropical garden on a secluded stretch of beach on the northwest coast of Zanzibar — is Kilindi. This is an oasis of luxury. Fifteen white-domed, multi-story villas set in 50 acres of natural bush and tropical gardens, this is a haven of tranquility in what has become a rather too busy northern part of the island.

Originally designed for Benny Andersson, of 1970’s pop group ABBA, the architecture is dramatic. Wooden shutters and arched glassless windows look out over the ocean. With our private plunge pool, rooftop verandah that overlooked the ocean, and a private butler, we rarely needed to leave the villa. The open plan rainfall shower room, combined with visits from brightly colored geckos, bushy tailed squirrels, and the rare Sykes’ monkeys really had us feeling like we were a part of the surrounding nature. This really is a special place.

ASILI VILLA AT MATLAI (PHOTO CREDIT: MATLAI BOUTIQUE HOTEL)

7. Matlai Boutique Hotel​

The next stop on our circumnavigation of the island was Matlai Boutique Hotel on the northeast coast. There are two villas at Matlai: the four-bedroom Asili House and the two-bedroom Villa Kidosho, both of which have beautiful views out over the beach and ocean. Each villa has its own beautiful private pool, as well as well-positioned hammocks and sun loungers. There’s also a spa and a private open-air cinema — all this just a few steps from the beach.

A short wade and then swim off the beach lies a small but gorgeous patch of coral, complete with tiny bobbing seahorses, colorful fish, and tentacle waving anemones — we had it all to ourselves. Dinner on the beach with warm sand underfoot and the gentle sound of the waves just a few feet away was a perfect end to our stay.

PHOTO CREDIT: LE MERSENNE

8. Le Mersenne​

A couple of miles further south on the Michamvi Peninsula is Le Mersenne, a larger style resort with a variety of different sized rooms to choose from. Ours was spacious, airy, and modern. Up on the rocky cliff overlooking the water, Le Mersenne has views out over the seemingly endless ocean. Being on the east coast, the views of sunrise were spectacular and definitely worth waking up for, though luckily we could see it from bed and didn’t need to actually get up.

The hotel has a long pier that stretches out over the water with some innovative villas currently under construction above the water. We borrowed masks and snorkels and went down the wooden steps, directly into the water, and a short swim had us amongst colorful clumps of coral. After our swim, a long beach walk at low tide kept us busy until the early afternoon.

Zanzibar can be the perfect destination, perhaps as an add-on after a safari, or maybe as a place to recover after a challenging climb up Kilimanjaro, or just as a stand-alone destination in its own right. This is a beautiful island with fabulous people, fantastic food, terrific sights to see, things to do, and if you choose the right place to stay, you will really enjoy the barefoot luxury of this destination.

For more advice on Africa’s array of destinations, check out these stories:

8 Luxurious Resorts You’ll Want To Experience On Zanzibar

This is a beautiful island with fabulous people, fantastic food, and terrific sights to see, so make sure you choose the right place to stay.

www.travelawaits.com

 

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kaZanzibar pekee kameishinda Kenya

 

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1000 rooms RIU Hotel, the largest in East and central Africa

 

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As tropical Zanzibar eyes a comeback, Israeli investors see a paradise in the making​

Asset management fund focusing on real estate is putting a big chunk of money into the Tanzanian archipelago, betting its brilliant beaches will be the next big tourist destination​

By Danielle Nagler 1 September 2022, 11:52 pm

New beach resort in Zanzibar, August 2022 (courtesy RM Group)

With COVID travel restrictions falling by the wayside, Israeli tourists are heading back to the tropical island of Zanzibar. But alongside the sun worshipers are a new type of visitor — Israeli investors.

A few years ago, Zanzibar reported thousands of Israelis visiting a month, with only Germany, Italy, the UK and US sending more people to the Tanzanian island. Those numbers began to fall off in 2019, according to official statistics on arrivals collected by Zanzibar’s semi-autonomous government, and by the time the coronavirus pandemic began to shut down airports only a few hundred were making the trip each month.

The pace of arrivals from Israel has now begun to rebound, albeit at a fraction of what it once was. In March of this year, the last month statistics are available, 171 Israelis visited Zanzibar, up from 83 in March the year before, but well below the 1,980 that visited in March 2017.

With tourists from other countries heading back as well in even greater numbers, an Israeli investment group is looking to cash in on the potential sun-kissed tourism magnet by shifting a substantial part of its $500 million portfolio into hotels and resorts on the island.

“We see potential there for large numbers of tourists – and that is also the government’s ambition,” Matan Pertman, who runs RM Group together with fellow co-CEO Ran Harel, told The Times of Israel.

According to Pertman, over three-quarters of Zanzibar’s economy is based on tourism, but it lacks the offerings to make it into a world-class destination.

“The rooms currently available aren’t great and it needs to upgrade to compete with places like the Seychelles and Thailand. As well as hotels, it’s lacking in tourist infrastructure like restaurants,” he said.

A holiday resort in Zanzibar, August 2022 (RM Group)

RM Group has spent the last decade seeking out underpriced real estate assets in the US and Greece and developing them into cash cows. The company’s research and analysis suggests that Zanzibar is the next wellspring of untapped potential, and could soon be a top tourist destination.

Located 23 miles off the African coast, Zanzibar is highly dependent on attracting international tourists to its white sandy beaches. Reaching Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar archipelago, is relatively simple by plane or ferry from Dar es-Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city, or even directly from Istanbul, Dubai or a few other international locations with flights to Zanzibar’s small airport.

The island is often promoted as a prime spot for rest and relaxation after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest free-standing mountain; going on safari in Serengeti National Park, home to over 2 million ungulates, 4,000 lions, 1,000 leopard, 550 cheetahs, and 500 bird species; or other adventurous exploits.

A lion seen drinking from a puddle in Serengeti, Tanzania. (Haim Shohat/Flash90)

“South Africa is the vegetarian version; Tanzania offers the real thing in terms of safari, and then there is Zanzibar for three or four days of true tropical relaxation,” said Shlomo Carmel, whose Another World tour company specializes in bringing Israelis to the region.

Official government figures show the island offers just over 600,000 hotel rooms. In 2019, nearly 540,000 foreign tourists visited the island, most staying for six to eight nights.

To help make up for what it says is a shortage of rooms, RM Group is putting money into new hotels and resort complexes in the beach towns of Pongwe, Kiwengwa, Nungwi and elsewhere, much of it with Israeli money under the fund’s management. It has already worked on an 84-room four-star resort. Also in the pipeline are a further 450 rooms in Zanzibar, delivered in partnership with local businesses and tourist authorities, as many of its projects are.

Among the upgrades its hotels are bringing to the local tourist scene is air conditioning, something many hotels rooms there have lacked in the past.

Carmel says business has picked up since the pandemic ended, and he believes that several thousand Israeli tourists will ultimately visit Tanzania this year.

He is not the only one that sees an influx on the horizon. A local Chabad house, which caters to Israeli and Jewish tourists on Zanzibar (there is no native Jewish community) reopened late last year after closing during the pandemic and is planning to invest in a kosher restaurant there. And the government has made clear it is eager to promote an Israeli return to Tanzania post COVID.

RM Investment Group founders, Matan Pertman and Ran Harel

Back in 2016, 15,000 Israeli tourists a year visited Tanzania, and before the pandemic, Israel was the sixth most important source of tourists for the country.

A relatively stable democracy with a constitution and solid legal framework, and without the ethnic divisions that plague some of its neighbors, Tanzania can be an attractive draw for investors looking to Africa.

The government encourages and supports foreign investment in real estate, offering both incentives and assistance.
“We see an exceptional real estate development opportunity for our investors and for us,” said Pertman.


This October 12, 2010 photo shows a villager walking along a deserted beach at Kiwengwa Strand Hotel Villagi Bravo, a seaside resort on the East African archipelago of Zanzibar. (AP/Rodrique Ngowi)

Tanzania has a relatively developed financial and investment framework, with low inflation (4.2%), a stable exchange rate, and what it claims is a streamlined investment process with a one-stop facilitation agency for businesses looking to invest.

It is also possible for foreign businesses operating in Tanzania to get credit from domestic financial institutions to leverage their investment effectively. In real estate, that is an important consideration.

Collaborations between Israel and Tanzania in the past have mainly focused on agriculture, helping Tanzanians improve sugarcane production more than fivefold and bringing hundreds of students to study in Israel. The countries have not always seen eye-to-eye on the world stage, but in recent years Jerusalem has focused more attention on sub-Saharan Africa, forging new relationships and expanding its diplomatic footprint where it can, often in exchange for friendlier votes at the United Nations where Tanzania has been known to go against the crowd and vote in support of Israel, despite having a majority Muslim population.

In May, Yair Lapid, who is today prime minister but then was foreign minister, told the 2022 Africa-Israel Conference, that “Israel is back in Africa.”

“That is not a slogan. It is a diplomatic, economic, and social reality… Today, Israel understands the power of Africa. And Africa understands that Israel is a force for good: We are working together in the spirit of partnership and cooperation, and harnessing our expertise, experience, and technology toward addressing shared challenges.”

As tropical Zanzibar eyes a comeback, Israeli investors see a paradise in the making | The Times of Israel

www.timesofisrael.com