Stay Report: Maru Maru Hotel (Zanzibar, Tanzania - January 2014)

Stay Report: Maru Maru Hotel
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Just steps from the Fordhani Gardens, seaside, and the Fort is a great boutique hotel - Maru Maru. The hotel is situated next to Fordhani Gardens and the Fort and the hotel is centrally located to walk anywhere around Stone Town from here.  I found the hotel through my search for places to stay in Zanzibar, and it was very easy to book the hotel online.  After booking, I communicated with the general manager via email who was very responsive and nice. I had also booked an airport transfer from hotel, and the car was there when we landed.  It was a nice and smooth transfer to the hotel.

The only negative aspect about the hotel is the location, as it is located down a street but a little off the main road.  During the day it is fine, but at night it can be a bit tricky to walk from the street to the hotel.  The hotel looks updated but it is an older building in Stone Town so the lobby is a bit narrow.  The lobby contains a small waiting area, the check-in desks, as well as stairs to access the upper floors.  Check-in went smoothly and we were shown to our room.

As I was traveling in a group, I had booked 2 rooms – and the rooms were available either had 2 twin or 1 Queen bed; I had booked one of each.  Both rooms were nice and a good size, but the room with the 2 twin beds was a little bigger.  The rooms were centered around an open courtyard so it was nice to have an inside/outside feel.  For the room with the Queen bed, as you entered the room the bed was to the right while to the left was a chest with a TV on top.  There were nightstands on either side of the bed and a mosquito net on top of the bed.  Further into the room, you stepped up and on the right was the bathroom while on the left was the armoire/closet.  The bathroom was nice, modern and updated and had nice toiletries that were made by a local women’s group.  The room was nice but it was a bit compact so while it easily fit two people, it felt cramped when more people were in the room.

The room with the twin beds was laid out differently and had significantly more space.  As you entered into the room, in front of you were the two twin beds, with a nightstand on each side and each had a mosquito net.  Against one wall was the armoire/closet, while next to the door was the chest with the TV on top.  Further along this wall was the entrance to the bathroom, which contained a sink, a toilet, and a shower – all were modern and nice, and again toiletries were made by a local women’s group. 

Breakfast was included and that is served on the rooftop lounge/restaurant which had amazing views of Stone Town and the ocean.  The lounge was also open in the evening so you could enjoy an amazing sunset – the only downside at night is that there is not enough lamps/candles/light so its pretty dark up there.  Breakfast was standard cereals and toast, with fruits and an egg station.  Coffee, and hot chocolate, were made by a machine.  In addition to the breakfast, another amenity provided by the hotel was wifi.  The complimentary wifi was available in the room and it had good speed. 

Overall, it was a nice stay at the Maru Maru.  The hotel is nice and modern, the service is very good and attentive, and the location is very good.  As I said, the hotel is located only a couple of steps away from Fordhani Gardens and the only negative thing about the hotel is the entrance/lobby. To get from the seaside/Fordhani Gardens to the hotel, you have to walk up a road that a night is dimly light (during the day, this is where all the taxis hang out so creates easier access to taxis). There are plenty of people walking and we never had a security issue, but it is something to consider. The lobby is right off the street so there is no major entrance nor a big sitting area; not a big deal to me but some in my group cared about that.  If you can overlook that, you can enjoy a really nice boutique hotel in Zanzibar.

Stay Report: Park Hyatt Zanzibar (Tanzania - April 2018)

Stay Report: Park Hyatt Zanzibar
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was traveling to Zanzibar for one night so was looking for a hotel that was near Stone Town.  When I had previously traveled to Stone Town, I stayed at Maru Maru (check out that review here) which was nice but I was looking for something more upscale and more centrally located.  During my previous stay, in 2013/2014, the Park Hyatt was just announced to be built and it was being built in a central location so I decided to look the hotel up.  The hotel was having a rewards discount night – possibly due to rainy season when occupancy is lower – but whatever the reason, I was able to book a reward room.  It was very easy to navigate and book the room through both the Hyatt’s website and the app, and when we had an issue and needed to call customer service, they were very responsive and friendly.  

The hotel is located in Stone Town and is about a 10-15 minute walk from the ferry terminal.  From the outside, you cannot tell it is a hotel as there is no grand entrance.  To me, this is a good thing as the hotel blends into the surrounding areas.  As you walk into the hotel, you enter into the open lobby.  The hotel’s design definitely has Arabic/Middle Eastern influences, a nod to Zanzibar’s own Arabic/Middle Eastern heritage.  In the middle of the lobby is a fountain with the check-in desks on the right, the fitness center on the left, and the ocean and other spaces straight ahead.  The lobby seems bright and open with the high ceilings and windows on the roof which let in natural light.  There are two check-in desks, so it creates an intimate experience but could be a lengthy process if there are many guests at the same time.  Check-in was quick, I received my key and proceeded to the room.  The rooms are in a separate building from the main check-in area.  To access this area, there is a hallway next to the check-in desks that leads to a corridor and from there you exit the first building and go up a small incline to access the second building, you go down a long corridor to the elevators that take you up to the rooms.  Even though you are existing one building, you are still within the hotel’s property.

The rooms at the hotel are nice, a decent size, and are nicely decorated. As you entered into the room, on the left was the bathroom while on the right was a luggage holder and the closet which contained storage space as well as a safe.  The bathroom was large and contained a sink, a tub, a shower behind a door, and a toilet behind a separate door.  The bathroom was spacious but the doors did not close fully so it was not complete privacy.  There were two doors in the bathroom, the main door that led into the bathroom and then next to the tub were sliding doors that opened up into the room; not sure why though.

The beds were comfortable and a nice side.  There were on the left side of the room and each had its own nightstand and its own mosquito net and drapery.  The beds looked very elegant and provided a decent night’s sleep.  Across from the beds was the TV on top of a chest with drawers on the bottom.  Next to the TV stand was a table with chairs, and in between the bed and the window were additional chairs.  It was nice that the room had the option of opening the window to let in the sunlight and breeze.  The view of the hotel depends on which side you are on, as one side of the hotel faces the town while the other side faces the ocean.  Overall, the room was nice and comfortable, and provided a good night’s stay.

The hotel overall is beautifully designed and developed hotel, and there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy.  These include a fitness center, a sauna, an outdoor pool, a library, a bar, a coffee shop, a restaurant, concierge service, and mini shopping arcade to gather souvenirs and other gifts.  As I was only there for one night, I was not able to fully experience all of the facilities the hotel had to offer.  I did experience the wifi, which was complimentary and provided decent speeds.  The room came with complimentary breakfast, which I did not partake in but my friends did, and they said it was alright and similar to the breakfast experienced at the Hyatt in Dar Es Salaam (see review HERE).  I also experienced the library, which was located in between the lobby and the entrance to the seaside/pool area.  This addition, which you do not see in many hotels, provided that nice extra touch that made this hotel feel that much more special.

In the end, it was a really nice stay at the Park Hyatt Zanzibar.  The hotel looks amazing and has great designs, the rooms are comfortable, and the service is really good.  There are some hotels that have high ratings and you are not sure why, and then there are others that deserve high ratings for their overall outstanding achievements; the Park Hyatt definitely deserves high ratings for design, service, and overall comfort of the hotel.

Trip Report: Precision Air Tanzania - Zanzibar, Tanzania to Nairobi, Kenya (April 2018)

Trip Report: Precision Air Tanzania - Zanzibar to Nairobi

         comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was in Zanzibar and wanted to travel to Nairobi directly, without having to stop or travel back to Dar Es Salaam.  There are only two airlines that fly directly on this route – Kenya Airways and Precision Air.  Kenya Airways is the national airline of Kenya while Precision Air is a Tanzania-based airline that is also partly owned by Kenya Airways.  Both airlines operate various flights throughout the day, so the choice is based on timing and preference.  I chose to fly with Precision Air for a couple of reasons: 1) I was already flying with Kenya Airways on other sectors (check out the reviews here) so wanted to try a different airline; 2) the flight timing was better with Precision Air; and 3) the flight was a bit cheaper, but not by much.  I booked the flight directly through the Precision Air website, and it was generally easy and efficient to do so.  While booking the flight, I could select the flight times but I could not pre-select seats at time of purchase.  After booking the ticket, I received the confirmation in my email.

I had previously flown with Precision Air, about 5 years, on a short, 20-minute flight from Dar Es Salaam to Zanzibar (check out the review here) so I was somewhat familiar with their product.  They mainly operate a regional network of short flights using ATR, propeller aircraft.  Since the previous flight was only 20-minutes, I did not get a chance to experience the full service of Precision Air but now I would on this flight.  The flight from Zanzibar to Nairobi was the second sector of the flight, as the plane originated in Dar Es Salaam and stopped in Zanzibar before continuing on to Nairobi.  As they mainly operate shorter flights, the service is a bit limited onboard but complimentary luggage (one piece of 23kg) is included. 

My flight was scheduled for a 7:35p departure with a 9:15p arrival into Nairobi.  There was an earlier flight at 6p that I was trying to get on, and for this I had contacted the airline via email but got no response so I had to call them.  On the telephone, they told me the charge to change the flight would be $200 – which seems like a big price to pay (and frankly was almost the price I paid for the ticket itself) so I did not make the change.  24hours prior to my flight I went to the website and was able to check-in online.  Through the check-in, I was able to pre-select my seat as well as receive an electronic boarding pass. 

I made it to the airport with plenty of time before the flight, and at this time at night there were only Precision Air departures – either to Nairobi or Dar Es Salaam.  Given this, check-in was very quick and easy; luggage was tagged and I received my boarding pass.  Given the flight was supposed to take off at 7:35p, we were to start boarding at 7p but the incoming aircraft was delayed due to heavy rains in the area.  They finally called the boarding of the flight, but there was no order as we were just called to the boarding.  Once the boarding passes were collected, we made our way onto the bus which took us to our aircraft parked at the end.  The operating aircraft was an ATR4272 in with a 2-2 seat configuration.  Boarding happens through the rear of the aircraft, as in the front is where the luggage is stored. 

 

On board, the plane looked fairly new and was in good condition.  The seats were comfortable and had good legroom (especially for someone who is tall like me).  The only thing that was an issue was the lack of overhead bin space given it was not a big aircraft.  After all the passengers boarded and took their seats, the boarding door closed, manual safety demonstrations were conducted, and we taxied to the runway.

Take-off was generally smooth, which was surprising given how bad the weather was (it was raining all day).  Once we reached cruising altitude, the inflight service commenced.  Complimentary drinks were served along with a choice of biscuits or a chicken-sandwich.  There was no other option besides chicken, so if you did not eat chicken and/or meat the only choice were the biscuits.  After the service, passengers were left on their own for the remainder of the flight.  The seatpocket did contain an airline magazine, as well as the safety card and the sickness bag, so that was something to read during the flight.  Most passengers either slept or watched pre-downloaded shows until it was time to land in Nairobi.  We started our descent, the cabin was prepped for landing, and we landed in Nairobi a bit behind schedule and then taxied to the gate.

Overall, it was generally a pleasant flight with Precision Air.  The flight time was 1hr 20minute and for that short flight time you got a comfortable seat with decent legroom, complimentary luggage and drinks, biscuits or a sandwich, and decent service.  My only complaint was that the price for the flight was a bit high, given the short distance and the minimal service, but other than that a good flight onboard Precision Air,

Trip Report: Precision Air - Dar Es Salaam to Zanzibar (December 2013)

Trip Report: Precision Air - Dar Es Salaam to Zanzibar

         comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

We were travelling in Tanzania and needed to get from Dar Es Salaam (DAR) to Zanzibar (ZNZ).  There are ferries that cross daily between the city and the island and operate many times during the day.  I have had friends take them and say they are perfectly fine, but a) I have heard too many stories of overloading on the boats; b) the water is very rough naturally and if its the rainy season (as it was when we went there in late December) than the water gets even more rough; and c) why take the chances when you can take a 15-minute flight. Having said that about the ferries, the airlines also don't have the best reputation for safety or timeliness; however, based on the research I did, the people I talked to, and my family's preference, we choose to fly.  

I booked my flight online through Precision Air.  Precision Air is a Tanzanian-based airline that flies to many destinations within Tanzania, and to other African countries in partnership with Kenya Airways (Kenya Airways owns 49% of Precision Air).  While they do have fares and schedules available online, the website is not the most user-friendly, does not look trustworthy, and requires patience and perseverance to navigate and complete your transactions.  After I booked my flight online, I emailed Precision Air to confirm the booking and they responded very quickly.  I was very impressed with their response times to emails and their customer service in this aspect.  After I had booked my travel, I needed to make a change to the flight and that was done free of cost (Precision Air offers a one-time, free of charge, booking change) and all through email and received the confirmations.  Very efficient.

I had a couple of days in DAR after my international flight and before my flight to ZNZ, and even though I had the confirmation emails, I noticed that at DAR airport Precision Air has a stall (outside the immigration and security when you exit the doors).  I went to the stall to confirm my booking and to ensure the flight was online (Precision Air was known to have some timeliness issues).  I was assured that my flights were confirmed and everything was on time, and was told to be at the airport 3-hours in advance.  Precision Air does have multiple flights a day to Zanzibar, but they are not as frequent and are scattered throughout the day so if you have an international connection, I would plan accordingly.

On the day of the flight, we arrived at the airport 3-hours in advance but there was nobody at the counter.  We waited and 2-hours prior to departure the counters opened and we checked in and received our boarding passes.  I did notice that a lot of the passengers who were flying were connecting passengers; i.e passengers who had just come off of an international flight and were connecting to Zanzibar on Precision Air and all via one-ticket.  We proceeded up to the domestic waiting lounges and waited for our flight (we had about 1.5 hour to wait).  

the plane @ ZNZ

There is not a lot to do at DAR airport.  The domestic side has a lot of seats in the middle and then the doors to the gates against the wall.  In the back of the chairs is a cafe/coffee shop, but that was about it (the international side wasn't much better, and to read about that, check out the post on kenya airways).  Mainly you just sit and wait, and do some plane-spotting. 

There are about 3 or 4 Tanzania-based airlines which fly around the country (and sometimes to other parts of the continent) and the one that has gotten most of the attention is 'fastjet', the startup founded by easyjet's stelios.  fastjet does fly to zanzibar, but not from DAR to ZNZ.  From DAR it flies to some northern cities, but mainly to other cities within the continent (very inexpensive fares to South Africa). 

About 30 mins prior to the departure time, we were called for boarding.  It was a little haphazard and there was no boarding announcement; they just opened the door to the gate which is was supposed to go through and people just started going through.  

entrance via the rear of the plane

The plane is a turboprop and you enter from the rear of the plane (the front of the plane has no entrance).  Boarding went fine and we were all seated and ready to go by the scheduled departure time.

The seats on the plane were generally comfortable and the pitch was pretty decent (I am 6'1 and I did not have an issue).  As it is a small plane, there is not a lot of storage space up top or underneath your seat, so keep that in mind.  

The flying time to ZNZ is 15-minutes, yep, 15 minutes so there was really no time to experience the service of Precision Air.  When we landed at ZNZ, some passengers got off while others were continuing on.  Precision Air usually does a loop so it goes from DAR to ZNZ to NBO and back to DAR; or DAR to ZNZ to another African city and then back to DAR - it picks up passengers at each stop (if you are on the first stop, very convenient, but if you are on the last stop then very inconvenient).  We landed at ZNZ on time and were let out on the runway to walk to the airport.  

For our return, we needed to change our flight again so we went to the Precision Air office in Zanzibar city (near Muzammil building with all the other airline offices) to change our flight.  The wait time was somewhat lengthy, but the agent was very nice and easily helped us change our flight (for a fee this time since this was our second change, the first is free and the second costs money - not that much though; about $30 for 3 passengers).  The return flight went equally smoothly and there were already passengers on board from Precision Air's earlier leg.  

baggage pick-up @ ZNZ

Overall, the price was pretty good, the plane was nice and in working order and it was a 15-minute flight which I am glad I choose (when we got to Zanzibar, we were told that due to the rainy season the waters had been extremely choppy so many ferry services were cancelled for days).  Yes there can be delays and there can be issues (there was an in-flight magazine with a letter from the Airline's CEO which detailed the financial trouble the airline was in and how it had to return two boeing planes, which it had required for expansion outside the country, which it is no longer doing).   Having said all that, the flight was smooth, it was fast and efficient, and it was a decent price so what more can you ask for :)