Welcome to the Turquoise Travel Diaries, a collection of interviews, stories, and excerpts from our fabulous team, as they travel around the world. Here at Turquoise, we pride ourselves on unrivaled knowledge of the destinations in which we specialise, so that we can provide honest, expert advice to all our guests and fellow travellers. This week, our Africa specialist Stuart has returned from an incredible research trip Zanzibar. He shares with us his incredible experiences…
I’ve recently been lucky enough to experience the new Constance Aiyana Resort in Zanzibar and what an absolute treat it was! I’ll be honest, with three flights to take en route from the UK and a road transfer at the other end, it can seem a bit of a mission to get to. But wow – it’s definitely worth the effort. Personally, I’d take a short stop in Stone Town on Zanzibar for the night on the way out and stay at the fabulous Park Hyatt right on the beach. It’s worth spending an afternoon taking a tour of Stone Town’s old walled city, too, to learn a little bit about the fascinating history and culture of the place. You can then spend a couple of hours relaxing by the pool, while watching the local children play around on the beach.
The flight across to Pemba, where you will find Constance Aiyana, is beautiful with stunning views of both islands and the surrounding coral reefs from the air. Even the drive in is a highlight, as you head through local villages and then ancient rainforest, before you reach the resort’s isolated position on the island’s northern coast. You’ll be shown to your villa, which has acres of space and beautiful, high and airy ceilings. You’ll definitely want to spend some time winding down and just chilling out by the resort’s stunning infinity pool and walking along the beach, which is littered with colourful shells and the occasional timid hermit crab.
A real highlight for me was an afternoon spent snorkelling out in the lagoon and being put to shame by the free-diving skills of the locals. Watching the glorious sunset stood on a pure, white sandbank was also truly memorable and the perfect end to an afternoon’s adventure. That evening, we sat around a roaring fire on the beach, while sipping perfectly chilled champagne and eating the most amazing tuna sashimi I’ve ever had.
This really is an amazing place and the memories will stay with you, filling you with a longing to return one day very soon!
