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The trip was well organized and everything went well. The first hotel visited was the La Plantation Resort & Spa. The following day we did an inspection of the property and the various room categories, Deluxe, Superior Family rooms and Junior rooms, all with full bathrooms, air-con, private balconies with either sea, river or garden views, satellite Tv,mini bar and coffee/tea maker. . We also visited the Kiddies Club (3- 12 years) which opens from 08h00 to 20h00. The Spa has many rejuivenating treatments all done in the private cabin of the exclusive spa. This 4 star hotel for me was the best out of all we saw, mainly because of what It has to offers and this includes value for money. and their staff gave us the best welcome and its a vibe hotel catering for almost every need from honeymoon, kiddies section, watersport activities, best food and very entertaining especially the evening entertainment like musical shows and discos. I will recommend this hotel clients except those looking for conference facilities as they don't have such facilities. Our next stop the Grand Mauritian hotel followed by the Intercontinental Hotel. These two Hotels are next to each other and both 5 star properties with similar facilities. Both Hotels have conference facilities and can accommodate up to 400 delegates. Grand Maritian has Delux twin, Delux double, Family and luxuary terrance suites. This Hotel also has a spa, filled with exotic aromas and soft music. It is truly exquisite. The Intercontinental had the best beaches and the rooms were modern and totally stunning. There is also a spa on the property. Les Cocotiers was our next stop. This is a small 2 star hotel with limited facilities there is no motorized water sports, no Kiddies Club and also no Conference facilities. A very budget hotel with only one room type the Standard room. The rooms are basic and brightly coloured. This is a hotel for those who want to just relax on the beach away from home. We also went to the One & Only Le Saint Geran, this is a 5 star hotel and very exclusive, this hotel was the best of all the hotels that I saw in Mauritius. It has the best room types, the best kiddies club with movie house and most of their furnishings were just exclusive. Our next visit was the Bougainville Hotel & this is a 3 star hotel with a maximum number of 50 rooms and are all standard rooms and its also a budget hotel with no kiddies section, conference facilities and motorized water sport activities. After that we visited the last hotel on our itinarary The Ambre Hotel this is a 4 star hotel and is best suited for honeymoon couples it offers the good value for money
I was recently given the opportunity to travel to Zanzibar, one of the Islands which we as Coconut Sands Travel & Tours specialise in. A couple of things to be aware of before entering the country is that you will require a Yellow Fever innoculation 10 days before departing South Africa. Malaria medication is also recommended. If you would prefer not to take any malaria medication then it is highly advised that you take ie.Tabard Spray with you especially for the late afternoons and evenings. The country does not accept South African Rands, therefore you will be required to take out foreign exchange and convert the South African Rand into USA Dollars. Most of the hotels do accept the USD currency. The local currency is the Tanzanian Shilling however, should you require your US Dollars to be converted in order to make a purchase at one of the local markets, it would be best to buy something at one of the shops close by who accept Dollars, you will then receive the Tanzanian Shillings in return. It will be alot cheaper converting money that way as opposed to one of the local banks or foreign exchange shops. Starting our trip was a 3 Hour flight from O.R Tambo Airport to Zanzibar on One Time Airlines. Upon arrival in Zanzibar, you are immediately welcomed by the sun and heat that the country owns. It is advised to dress in layers when leaving O.R Tambo, so that you can easily take off any jerseys and jackets etc. when you arrive in Zanzibar. You are then required to make your way to passport control where you will hand your passports in as well as your $50.00 for your Visa which is obtainable upon entrance into the country. You then make your way through to the baggage department and then proceed to outside where you will be met by your representitive who will escort you to your hotel. Zanzibar is a very culture focused country with Swahili being the local language. The culture is definately enforced throughout the country, the hotels etc. Zanzibar is a very poor and under developed country where you immediately realise that South Africa although also a 3rd world country is alot more developed than Zanzibar for instance. Please do bear in mind that although the hotels are rated according to the Zanzibar standard. There are only 2 hotels in Zanzibar which are recognised as 5* international, the other 5* hotels are nationally 5* rated. Zanzibar is a country where you are easily put into a mood where you forget about anything you left behind and you just enjoy every moment of being on the Island. With the sea water in various shades of blue constantly surrounding you wherever you go. It is the perfect place to just relax, read a book, swim in the sea or to even take it easy and to lie on the loungers surrounding the pools. If you are looking for a place to do Scuba Diving, this would definately be the destination for you as most of the hotels have a P.A.D.I dive centre at the hotels. I also would definately recommend to do a day tour whilst you are in Zanzibar. Either a day tour in Stone Town with a guide escorting you around and explaining the history of the town and Zanzibar. While you are in Stone Town you will have the opportunity to purchase real Tanzanite stones at a fraction of the price as well an opportunity to purchase gifts etc. for yourself as well as family and friends. I would suggest to stop at a shop called Memories, as it is a well owned shop and the gifts are very well priced. I would also recommend the Spice Farm tour, where you are escorted around a spice farm where you are shown how various spices are grown, with the opportunity to buy the various spices from the spice shop. You may even see one of the locals climb a Coconut Tree. Zanzibar is definately a country worth visiting. There is something for everyone in this country and something is bound to amaze you. I would say that a 4 night stay would be sufficient to get a feeling for Zanzibar and what it has to offer. If you are able to extend your stay to 7 nights, you will then have the opportunity to add in extra day tours and see more of the Island at a more spread out pace. We look forward to assisting you with your Zanzibar queries and questions and assisting you with your travels to the beautiful country that awaits your arrival.
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