Good mid range resort hotel with lots of toys
Guide Price: From: $150 To: $295
Breezes is set on the south east coast of Zanzibar on Bweju Beach. This is one of Zanzibar’s finest beaches - 20 kms of power white sand beach, which is rapidly attracting numerous plot purchases but for the moment, Breezes and it’s sister hotels, The Palms and Baraza, have an enviably uncrowded beach front.
Breezes is a resort hotel of the first class. It has been cleverly designed to hide the fact there are 70 rooms. Each villa has four standard ground floor rooms and two suites above, set out in boungavillea filled gardens. The design is very Zanzibari and at dusk the whole hotel takes on a 1001 Nights look with huge brass lanterns hanging low over tables and long cotton hangings billowing in the sea breeze. There is a large free form pool and next to this is the main restaurant and two separate themed bars.
Entertainment is plentiful both day and evening. An excellent watersports centre provides kayaks (free of charge), sailing, kitesurfing, snorkelling and a Padi dive centre (the only National Geographic dive centre in East Africa), the Frangipani Spa offers a huge range of treatments. In the evening various dance troupes entertain diners, if that's your thing.
The hotel has two restaurants for more intimate dining, the Sultans Table which seats 12 and Tides, a thatched and flower decked banda right on the beach which seats two, a table at which needs to be reserved when first booking. This is an ideal hotel for families and for couples alike who want a traditional hotel in which to crash out after a week in the bush, on one of the best beaches on the island.
From: 150 To: 295
Good mid range resort hotel with lots of toys
Zanzibar, along with nearby Pemba Island lies just off the coast of Tanzania and is a heady mix of tropical island life and historic Swahili culture that has beckoned travellers for centuries. During our years of living and working in Tanzania, we often took time out here, and have wound our way through Zanzibar's crumbling streets and padded along the miles of soft white beaches working out how to make the most of this fabulous island. In a nutshell, the first basic choice you'll need to make on Zanzibar is between beach and heritage - and you can, luckily, do both. Zanzibar's Stone Town is the vibrant, cultural heart of Zanzibar, the ancient capital of the sultans and site of the main trading port. As it has been a major hub for traders, explorers, and invaders for centuries, it boasts most of the historic buildings. As the island's only proper town, it is still very much alive and bustles with activity. Many visitors choose to stay a couple of nights here to really get the vibe of the place. There are also a number of beaches near Stone Town, either a little way north or south of the town,or on small islands that lie a short distance from the harbour in the Zanzibar channel. These places offer a great way to get a bit of everything, with private hotels that allow an easy trip to Stone Town at any time of the day, and peace and quiet for some blissing out at the beach. Serious beach fanatics will head for the east coast of Zanzibar, which is lined with long white stretches of fabulous sands, the clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean and a good variety of beach hotels. Though development has been fast and dramatic along this coastline in recent years, many of the beaches are still pratically empty of tourists, and traditional coastal village life continues unabated. Some of the most lovely beaches are to be found on the north coast of Zanzibar,which because the island ends here in a sharp point, encompasses some eastern and western coastline. Here the sea is textbook turquoise, the beaches smaller, often more exclusive, and, most importantly for underwater adventurers, yields a wide and wonderful choice of snorkelling and dive sites within easy reach of all the hotels. As Zanzibar is a small island - 53 miles long by, at its widest point, 23 miles wide - these beaches are far flung enough to feel well castaway, yet they are still less than two hours' drive from the airport and Stone Town. The largest island beyond the main island of Zanzibar (or Unguja) itself, is Pemba Island,which lies 25 miles north north east. A little smaller than Zanzibar, and much, much less developed , it has superbly beautiful seas, world renowned diving and real tropical tranquillity, and is one of the most stunning islands on the whole African coast. Read more?
Tanzania safaris rival a safari any other country in Africa in terms of sheer wilderness, formidable landscapes and volume of wildlife. At Natural High, we have travelled all over the country, worked in some of its best Tanzania safari camps and lodges and flown all over as bush pilots so we feel qualified to venture such opinions. Read more?
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Catherine's long experience of, and enthusiasm for Africa, makes her a mine of travel information. Add to the mix her vivacious character and inscrutable attention to detail and there are few people you'd rather have plan your holiday.
At Natural High, we've had long experience putting together trips in Africa that really work. Whether it's intimate bushcamps in out of the way places, or a private lodge in one of Africa's top-billing wildlife areas, light mobile camping or remote island escapes, we know there is a lot to choose from. We're absolutely confident that we can recommend the right places for you.
