The infinity pool at the Residence Zanzibar. Courtesy The Residence Zanzibar
The infinity pool at the Residence Zanzibar. Courtesy The Residence Zanzibar
The infinity pool at the Residence Zanzibar. Courtesy The Residence Zanzibar
The infinity pool at the Residence Zanzibar. Courtesy The Residence Zanzibar

What it's like to visit Zanzibar during the pandemic: 'spice-scented sea air'


  • English
  • Arabic

The narrow, bumpy streets of Zanzibar City are an assault on the senses after a five-and-a-half-hour flight. But then, kaleidoscopic markets, speeding mopeds and unruly riders on crotchety bikes slowly make way for lofty coconut palms, swaying calmly as if to welcome us to their exotic home.

For those looking to escape the UAE's summer heat, Zanzibar is a tonic. Proximity to the equator means both main islands forming the Zanzibar archipelago – Unguja and Pemba – have temperatures ranging from the mid-20°C to the low-30s year-round and, as you’re never far from the coast, humidity is tempered by a refreshing sea breeze.

A reliable rainy season from March to May nurtures lush, green vegetation and abundant wildlife.

Zanzibar is open to tourists and has been so through most of the pandemic. Camilla Frederiksen
Zanzibar is open to tourists and has been so through most of the pandemic. Camilla Frederiksen

We hadn’t allowed ourselves to get too excited about our Zanzibar trip until we had two negative PCR results in hand, the new norm for overseas travel. Dubai International Airport was eerily quiet and any queues moved fast. Before we landed in Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, five kilometres south of Zanzibar City, we had to fill out a travel visa document and a Covid-19 health form. Zanzibar visas cost $50 (Dh180) per head.

It’s a 90-minute drive from the airport to The Residence Zanzibar, near Kizimkazi on the south-west coast. Steeped in spice-scented sea air, our European-style villa comes with indoor and outdoor rain showers and a private pool.

Bikes are parked outside. I strap in my son, 2, and cycle through tropical gardens that are home to wild red colobus monkeys, a Zanzibar native. They dance through the palms overhead, delighting our children. One scampers over to snatch a banana from an outstretched hand.

The writer and her two young sons on a snorkelling trip in Zanzibar. Yvonne Kerr
The writer and her two young sons on a snorkelling trip in Zanzibar. Yvonne Kerr

Both boys happily ensconced in the kids' club, we explore the mile-long beach. It's too shallow for swimming so instead, we paddle in a glass-walled infinity pool. There’s also an on-site spa, gym and open-air yoga studio.

Boasting coconuts, cloves and cardamom, mangoes and mangroves, lobster, lemongrass and limes, these Spice Islands may seem worlds from the UAE, but their intertwined trading histories explain the startling similarities. As well as Swahili and English, Arabic is spoken here and 95 per cent of the island’s 1.5 million residents are Muslim.

A 40-minute drive takes us east to Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa, the only Relais & Chateaux property in Tanzania, on the kitesurfing haven of Paje beach. This boutique hotel offers 11 luxury villas; ours is beachfront with its own dining lounge, sun deck and pool. We’re invited to WhatsApp our private butler Joseph with any requests and so, when our youngest has a fever, we ask for a doctor, who arrives in 20 minutes. Harvey is fine after a good sleep and a dose of Panadol.

A one-bedroom villa at Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas, the only Relais & Chateaux property in Tanzania. White Sand
A one-bedroom villa at Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas, the only Relais & Chateaux property in Tanzania. White Sand

No expense has been spared in the rooms, which are fitted with Bosch speakers, a Smeg kettle and designer fittings. The hotel sits on four hectares of plush gardens – 100,000 tropical plants planted only six years earlier are thriving. There’s a spa and gym, a games room, a shaded outdoor playground and a zoo where my boys lose themselves, plus babysitting for $15 (Dh55) an hour that gifts us a modicum of peace. European-trained chefs serve a bounty of local seafood.

It’s almost possible to forget about Covid-19. Masks are compulsory only for staff, temperatures are generally not recorded.

“It’s difficult to put a finger on why Zanzibar has escaped the brunt of Covid,” says White Sand Villas' general manager, Adriaan Erasmus. “We closed for four months in 2020 but not due to Covid; instead because of a lack of tourism. Tanzania never went into lockdown. The hospitals show no strain. Vaccinations are rolling out now with frontline workers.”

The all-inclusive Baraza Resort & Spa is one of four private resorts that make up The Zanzibar Collection along the eastern coastline. Staff are preparing to host Tanzania’s president in the royal villa as we depart.

Here, white stone arches and billowing curtains contrast with majestic carved hardwood doors, brass lanterns and antique coffee pots that hark back to an Omani sultan’s palace.

The five-star resort is opulent but also welcoming for a young family. Our sweeping two-bedroom villa is one of 30 set among seven hectares of gardens, rich with jasmine, frangipani and bougainvillaea. We have a garden and plunge pool, a day bed and two bathrooms.

Daily activities at one of The Zanzibar Collection hotels. The Zanzibar Collection
Daily activities at one of The Zanzibar Collection hotels. The Zanzibar Collection

It’s a two-minute walk to the beach where kayaks and stand-up paddle-boards can be borrowed, and kite and windsurfing lessons are an option. A shallow reef stretches 1km from the shore, so it’s safe for my toddler in the gently lapping waves.

Hesitantly, we all venture out on a catamaran. This small, wide-open boat is a little confronting with children in the face of a strong sea wind, but our confident Swahili captain, Moussa, ensures a smooth 45-minute trip. So smooth, in fact, that my 2-year-old falls into a deep sleep.

I sample an early-morning reef walk at low tide. Donning reef shoes to protect my feet from cactus-like sea urchins, I become transfixed by a coral display that’s normally camouflaged by deeper waters: cucumber snakes, giant clams, blue starfish, spider fish and purple urchins. Zanzibaris are bent over the same waters as they attempt to catch octopi nearby.

A morning reef walk yields impressive marine life-spotting opportunities. The Zanzibar Collection
A morning reef walk yields impressive marine life-spotting opportunities. The Zanzibar Collection

We take our boys to the well-equipped kids' club after breakfast. There’s a splash pool and mini foosball, as well as pool and air hockey tables for shorter legs. A babysitting service and daily itinerary are on hold owing to Covid-19. We’re invited to cooking and craft workshops. I try both, weaving my own bag from coconut palm fronds, now my most prized souvenir, and preparing a local fish curry.

Before departing, we must again present two negative PCR tests and register them on a government app 72 hours prior. Our resort handles all this; a doctor visits and our results are printed out for us. The test costs $120 (Dh440) per person. My sons aged 4 and 2 are exempt, as are all children under 10 in Tanzania.

I am keen to visit a turtle sanctuary on the north coast, but we decide against a four-hour return drive with little ones. We also miss exploring the labyrinthine alleyways, forts, museums and Portuguese churches of Stone Town, a Unesco World Heritage Site on the west coast, established by Sultan Said as the capital of Oman in 1840.

Stone Town also serves as a reminder of Zanzibar’s scarred history as the centre of the East African slave trade for 200 years. We vow to return to this spice-scented idyll for more adventuring when our children are older.

While you're here
What is Diwali?

The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.

According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.

In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.  

 

TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER

Directed by: Michael Fimognari

Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo

Two stars

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Teams

India (playing XI): Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami

South Africa (squad): Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rudi Second

Forced%20Deportations
%3Cp%3EWhile%20the%20Lebanese%20government%20has%20deported%20a%20number%20of%20refugees%20back%20to%20Syria%20since%202011%2C%20the%20latest%20round%20is%20the%20first%20en-mass%20campaign%20of%20its%20kind%2C%20say%20the%20Access%20Center%20for%20Human%20Rights%2C%20a%20non-governmental%20organization%20which%20monitors%20the%20conditions%20of%20Syrian%20refugees%20in%20Lebanon.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9CIn%20the%20past%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20General%20Security%20was%20responsible%20for%20the%20forced%20deportation%20operations%20of%20refugees%2C%20after%20forcing%20them%20to%20sign%20papers%20stating%20that%20they%20wished%20to%20return%20to%20Syria%20of%20their%20own%20free%20will.%20Now%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20army%2C%20specifically%20military%20intelligence%2C%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20security%20operation%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Mohammad%20Hasan%2C%20head%20of%20ACHR.%3Cbr%3EIn%20just%20the%20first%20four%20months%20of%202023%20the%20number%20of%20forced%20deportations%20is%20nearly%20double%20that%20of%20the%20entirety%20of%202022.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ESince%20the%20beginning%20of%202023%2C%20ACHR%20has%20reported%20407%20forced%20deportations%20%E2%80%93%20200%20of%20which%20occurred%20in%20April%20alone.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20comparison%2C%20just%20154%20people%20were%20forcfully%20deported%20in%202022.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Violence%20
%3Cp%3EInstances%20of%20violence%20against%20Syrian%20refugees%20are%20not%20uncommon.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJust%20last%20month%2C%20security%20camera%20footage%20of%20men%20violently%20attacking%20and%20stabbing%20an%20employee%20at%20a%20mini-market%20went%20viral.%20The%20store%E2%80%99s%20employees%20had%20engaged%20in%20a%20verbal%20altercation%20with%20the%20men%20who%20had%20come%20to%20enforce%20an%20order%20to%20shutter%20shops%2C%20following%20the%20announcement%20of%20a%20municipal%20curfew%20for%20Syrian%20refugees.%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThey%20thought%20they%20were%20Syrian%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20the%20mayor%20of%20the%20Nahr%20el%20Bared%20municipality%2C%20Charbel%20Bou%20Raad%2C%20of%20the%20attackers.%3Cbr%3EIt%20later%20emerged%20the%20beaten%20employees%20were%20Lebanese.%20But%20the%20video%20was%20an%20exemplary%20instance%20of%20violence%20at%20a%20time%20when%20anti-Syrian%20rhetoric%20is%20particularly%20heated%20as%20Lebanese%20politicians%20call%20for%20the%20return%20of%20Syrian%20refugees%20to%20Syria.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results

1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Al Suhooj, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)

2pm Handicap (TB) 68,000 (D) 1,950m

Winner Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer

2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

3pm Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,800m

Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner Alla Mahlak, Adrie de Vries, Rashed Bouresly

4pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m

Scream%20VI
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Matt%20Bettinelli-Olpin%20and%20Tyler%20Gillett%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Melissa%20Barrera%2C%20Jasmin%20Savoy%20Brown%2C%20Jack%20Champion%2C%20Dermot%20Mulroney%2C%20Jenna%20Ortega%2C%20Hayden%20Panettiere%20and%20Courteney%20Cox%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Important questions to consider

1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?

There are different types of travel available for pets:

  • Manifest cargo
  • Excess luggage in the hold
  • Excess luggage in the cabin

Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.

 

2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?

If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.

If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.

 

3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?

As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.

If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty. 

If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport. 

 

4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?

This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.

In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.

 

5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?

Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.

Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.

Source: Pawsome Pets UAE

While you're here
Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Community Shield info

Where, when and at what time Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday at 5pm (UAE time)

Arsenal line up (3-4-2-1) Petr Cech; Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck; Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

Chelsea line up (3-4-2-1) Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Willian, Pedro; Michy Batshuayi

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte

Referee Bobby Madley

WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Honeymoonish
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Updated: August 02, 2021, 5:08 AM`