My mother and I flew to Zanzibar for the first time and during quarantine. Basically, it doesn't affect anything. The flight is long, but that shouldn't stop you. Believe me, having settled in, you will feel all the beauties of Africa at once and fall in love at first sight! It took about an hour to get to the hotel.
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My mother and I flew to Zanzibar for the first time and during quarantine. Basically, it doesn't affect anything. The flight is long, but that shouldn't stop you. Believe me, having settled in, you will feel all the beauties of Africa at once and fall in love at first sight!
It took about an hour to get to the hotel. You land and then the whole procedure of filling out paperwork, buying a visa ($50 per person) takes about an hour (the airport is small, but there are a lot of people, + heat and lack of water coolers, but the workers do everything quickly and do not delay). Then you are told which bus to take to get to the hotel.
So the hotel. The territory is huge and there are TWO hotels on it: Samaki Lodge and Palumbo... The first is 4 stars, and the second is 3. We bought a room in Samaki, but when we arrived, the room did not impress us much: no windows and no extra square meters. We, indignant, went to the reception and asked Ali (he is in charge here) to move us. He naturally began to say that this was all for a fee, but in the end he said that he would do it for free. In Palumbo, the room turned out to be much better: a spacious bed for two and another single, a safe, a refrigerator, which was later brought to us upon request, a bath, a toilet in excellent condition, a balcony overlooking the rest of the hotel, air conditioning. Despite the fact that one star less, the conditions are better. Therefore, when choosing a hotel, stay at Palumbo (it will be cheaper there).
Cleaning was done every day and with high quality.
The ocean, like fresh milk, is not refreshing, but beckons with its beauty. The ebbs and flows bring a lot of algae and it seems like you are swimming in borscht, but this is not always the case. When the tides are low, you can collect shells, look at the crabs.
Food. The restaurant is located on the territory of Palumbo and the residents of Samaki also ate there. There are a lot of pastries for breakfast, omelettes, fried eggs, vegetables, potatoes, fruits, oatmeal, cereals, nuts, tea and coffee (not very tasty, at first it was normal custard, and then completely soluble, so bring your own). For lunch, there is always pasta with sauces, rice, potatoes, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, salads, fresh herbs and vegetables, fruits, legumes. For dinner, too, pasta, other cereals, fish and meat and much more, legumes, desserts, fruits. There are also two snacks in the form of fruits and muffins or nuts. There is enough food. What is remarkable is that there is no meat or cheese cutting, although the cuisine is Italian. Many went with theirs in the form of sausage or cheese in a vacuum. There are options for vegans and vegetarians too.
The All Inclusive does NOT include alcoholic beverages. You can take your own and come to the restaurant and drink, as many did, or you can buy at the bar, but the price is too high. Free of charge drinks are water, fruit juices, tea, coffee, soda, which are poured into a glass.
There are three swimming pools on the territory, without slides. The depth is different: for both children and adults (2 meters). Towels can be borrowed from reception for $10, but are then returned when you check out. All staff are welcome.
There is also a gym above the restaurant: a couple of treadmills, an orbit track, a bicycle, barbells. That's enough. Also at 21:00-21:30 almost every day some interesting show starts, they are worth watching, there is also yoga, aqua aerobics, volleyball. Visitors 95% Russian. Mostly people 35+ years old. I have never seen drunk people! This is rest for the soul.
There are no longer any monkeys on the territory, but there are lizards, spiders, crabs, lemurs, which must be fed on the roof at night and they will come running.
Excursions. DO NOT take through guides because the price is three times more expensive than through local ones, although the content is the same. The locals themselves find you when you swim in the ocean and begin to offer. The average price is somewhere around $30. Everything is civilized: the bus is clean, the locals speak good Russian, they serve fruits and seafood, disappearing islands and boat trips to the sights.
Also near the hotel there is a local settlement where you can buy cheap fruit, and on the ocean they keep their souvenir stalls, where they have everything: paintings, bracelets, key rings, masks, clothes, figurines, cognacs (their local drink, reminiscent of gin ), even grass (not spinach). You can and should trade with them. They also have a restaurant nearby where you can order a huge plate of seafood for two for $20.
We ourselves chose the hotel only based on the reviews, so take this one! I recommend!! ! I want to come back again and again!
It took about an hour to get to the hotel. You land and then the whole procedure of filling out paperwork, buying a visa ($50 per person) takes about an hour (the airport is small, but there are a lot of people, + heat and lack of water coolers, but the workers do everything quickly and do not delay). Then you are told which bus to take to get to the hotel.
So the hotel. The territory is huge and there are TWO hotels on it: Samaki Lodge and Palumbo... The first is 4 stars, and the second is 3. We bought a room in Samaki, but when we arrived, the room did not impress us much: no windows and no extra square meters. We, indignant, went to the reception and asked Ali (he is in charge here) to move us. He naturally began to say that this was all for a fee, but in the end he said that he would do it for free. In Palumbo, the room turned out to be much better: a spacious bed for two and another single, a safe, a refrigerator, which was later brought to us upon request, a bath, a toilet in excellent condition, a balcony overlooking the rest of the hotel, air conditioning. Despite the fact that one star less, the conditions are better. Therefore, when choosing a hotel, stay at Palumbo (it will be cheaper there).
Cleaning was done every day and with high quality.
The ocean, like fresh milk, is not refreshing, but beckons with its beauty. The ebbs and flows bring a lot of algae and it seems like you are swimming in borscht, but this is not always the case. When the tides are low, you can collect shells, look at the crabs.
Food. The restaurant is located on the territory of Palumbo and the residents of Samaki also ate there. There are a lot of pastries for breakfast, omelettes, fried eggs, vegetables, potatoes, fruits, oatmeal, cereals, nuts, tea and coffee (not very tasty, at first it was normal custard, and then completely soluble, so bring your own). For lunch, there is always pasta with sauces, rice, potatoes, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, salads, fresh herbs and vegetables, fruits, legumes. For dinner, too, pasta, other cereals, fish and meat and much more, legumes, desserts, fruits. There are also two snacks in the form of fruits and muffins or nuts. There is enough food. What is remarkable is that there is no meat or cheese cutting, although the cuisine is Italian. Many went with theirs in the form of sausage or cheese in a vacuum. There are options for vegans and vegetarians too.
The All Inclusive does NOT include alcoholic beverages. You can take your own and come to the restaurant and drink, as many did, or you can buy at the bar, but the price is too high. Free of charge drinks are water, fruit juices, tea, coffee, soda, which are poured into a glass.
There are three swimming pools on the territory, without slides. The depth is different: for both children and adults (2 meters). Towels can be borrowed from reception for $10, but are then returned when you check out. All staff are welcome.
There is also a gym above the restaurant: a couple of treadmills, an orbit track, a bicycle, barbells. That's enough. Also at 21:00-21:30 almost every day some interesting show starts, they are worth watching, there is also yoga, aqua aerobics, volleyball. Visitors 95% Russian. Mostly people 35+ years old. I have never seen drunk people! This is rest for the soul.
There are no longer any monkeys on the territory, but there are lizards, spiders, crabs, lemurs, which must be fed on the roof at night and they will come running.
Excursions. DO NOT take through guides because the price is three times more expensive than through local ones, although the content is the same. The locals themselves find you when you swim in the ocean and begin to offer. The average price is somewhere around $30. Everything is civilized: the bus is clean, the locals speak good Russian, they serve fruits and seafood, disappearing islands and boat trips to the sights.
Also near the hotel there is a local settlement where you can buy cheap fruit, and on the ocean they keep their souvenir stalls, where they have everything: paintings, bracelets, key rings, masks, clothes, figurines, cognacs (their local drink, reminiscent of gin ), even grass (not spinach). You can and should trade with them. They also have a restaurant nearby where you can order a huge plate of seafood for two for $20.
We ourselves chose the hotel only based on the reviews, so take this one! I recommend!! ! I want to come back again and again!
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First time in Africa. Delight cannot be described! Emotions run high. Went with my husband and 7.5 year old son. The hotel was not chosen for a very long time, mainly based on reviews. We arrived at 5 am, settled quickly) though the room is old, with a large dead African cockroach, dirty towels, etc. This is their marketing, they say pay extra and change for better.
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First time in Africa. Delight cannot be described! Emotions run high. Went with my husband and 7.5 year old son.
The hotel was not chosen for a very long time, mainly based on reviews.
We arrived at 5 am, settled quickly) though the room is old, with a large dead African cockroach, dirty towels, etc. This is their marketing, they say pay extra and change for better. Although the Travel Agency offered to pay extra, we decided, as usual, to choose on the spot.
While we were waiting for Ali (the main one) by 9 am, we managed to have breakfast, meet the dawn (and he is there, believe me, incredible).
New room with ocean view, one large bed and a small one. The room has everything you need: air conditioning, ceiling fan, safe, refrigerator, shower, toilet.
Cleaned every day and treated for mosquitoes. Although, for the whole rest, no one has ever bitten us, and I have not seen a single mosquito.
Nutrition. Breakfasts are mostly omelettes, buns, fresh juices, juices. Local coffee - buee. Of course, you could buy lavazza, but somehow the toad crushed. Therefore, take it with you)
Lunches: soups, whatever meat you want, vegetables, sweets, fruits, fish. Believe me, there is enough.
Dinner: seafood, potatoes, risotto, always spaghetti (with seafood or other additives). Large selection of salads and desserts. And meat)))) is always in abundance.
Fruits from morning to evening: bananas, grapefruit, mango, passion fruit, watermelon.
Between main meals, they always bring croissants, pizza, fruits, chips, nuts, etc. to two bars.
All drinks except alcohol are free until 22.00.
Water. There is a cooler (several) from which we took water into the bottle (and brushed our teeth with it)
The hotel is located far away from the rest, it's so cool, you feel somewhere on a wild island) one artificial village near local workers.
The rest of the hotels (communicated with people) next to each other. So we are very lucky. The territory of the hotel is large, which was not immediately noticed, but on the third day. There are 3 pools. Every day from 12 to 13 aquajim. In the evening, always at 21.30 show.
The hotel is home to 2 monkeys, who periodically went to the lobby bar, and lemurs.
Excursions. Since with a child, they chose for him. The first was to the park, with monkeys and further to Prison Island, to watch turtles. I liked everything, they took it through Ali.
The second, to the famous Kendwa beach. What can I say, the beach is like in Odessa) people lie on towels, merchants are everywhere. I don’t even know how people lived in hotels there. Compared to our hotel, this is far from Africa ????
A friend of mine with her son (10 years old) went to Stone Town, but it turned out to be too hot and a long walk, so we returned much earlier to the hotel.
Honestly, I really like to choose always different hotels (Turkey, Egypt), but then, finally and irrevocably fell in love. And if someday you are lucky enough to return, then only here.
And those who write: far from service, conditions. I'm really sorry for you??
This is a rest for the soul and body, and not in a drunken stupor to cut through the dance floor with the same ones.
By the way, that Ukrainians, that Russians, for the whole hotel, only we, and mother and son from Russia) and everything. Incredible.
The hotel was not chosen for a very long time, mainly based on reviews.
We arrived at 5 am, settled quickly) though the room is old, with a large dead African cockroach, dirty towels, etc. This is their marketing, they say pay extra and change for better. Although the Travel Agency offered to pay extra, we decided, as usual, to choose on the spot.
While we were waiting for Ali (the main one) by 9 am, we managed to have breakfast, meet the dawn (and he is there, believe me, incredible).
New room with ocean view, one large bed and a small one. The room has everything you need: air conditioning, ceiling fan, safe, refrigerator, shower, toilet.
Cleaned every day and treated for mosquitoes. Although, for the whole rest, no one has ever bitten us, and I have not seen a single mosquito.
Nutrition. Breakfasts are mostly omelettes, buns, fresh juices, juices. Local coffee - buee. Of course, you could buy lavazza, but somehow the toad crushed. Therefore, take it with you)
Lunches: soups, whatever meat you want, vegetables, sweets, fruits, fish. Believe me, there is enough.
Dinner: seafood, potatoes, risotto, always spaghetti (with seafood or other additives). Large selection of salads and desserts. And meat)))) is always in abundance.
Fruits from morning to evening: bananas, grapefruit, mango, passion fruit, watermelon.
Between main meals, they always bring croissants, pizza, fruits, chips, nuts, etc. to two bars.
All drinks except alcohol are free until 22.00.
Water. There is a cooler (several) from which we took water into the bottle (and brushed our teeth with it)
The hotel is located far away from the rest, it's so cool, you feel somewhere on a wild island) one artificial village near local workers.
The rest of the hotels (communicated with people) next to each other. So we are very lucky. The territory of the hotel is large, which was not immediately noticed, but on the third day. There are 3 pools. Every day from 12 to 13 aquajim. In the evening, always at 21.30 show.
The hotel is home to 2 monkeys, who periodically went to the lobby bar, and lemurs.
Excursions. Since with a child, they chose for him. The first was to the park, with monkeys and further to Prison Island, to watch turtles. I liked everything, they took it through Ali.
The second, to the famous Kendwa beach. What can I say, the beach is like in Odessa) people lie on towels, merchants are everywhere. I don’t even know how people lived in hotels there. Compared to our hotel, this is far from Africa ????
A friend of mine with her son (10 years old) went to Stone Town, but it turned out to be too hot and a long walk, so we returned much earlier to the hotel.
Honestly, I really like to choose always different hotels (Turkey, Egypt), but then, finally and irrevocably fell in love. And if someday you are lucky enough to return, then only here.
And those who write: far from service, conditions. I'm really sorry for you??
This is a rest for the soul and body, and not in a drunken stupor to cut through the dance floor with the same ones.
By the way, that Ukrainians, that Russians, for the whole hotel, only we, and mother and son from Russia) and everything. Incredible.
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