 © Photos courtesy of Al Johari Boutique Hotel Zanzibar |
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BOUTIQUE HOTEL • 15 ROOMS & SUITES
Meaning "Jewel" in certain translations of Kiswahili and Arabic, Al Johari is an intimate, 15-room boutique hotel in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Stone Town, Zanzibar. The hotel, opened in December 2007, and is a result of a careful refurbishment combining two historic buildings in Stone Town. The hotel provides modern state-of-the-art amenities along with the opulent luxuries of the Omani, Persian, Indian and Swahili influences that have dwelled in the Islands of East Africa and particularly Zanzibar.
Stone Town in Zanzibar is a fine example of the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa and is the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar, where little has changed for hundreds of years. For many centuries there was sea trading activity between Asia and Africa, and this is illustrated in an exceptional manner by the architecture and urban structure of Stone Town.
Most of the buildings were built by the Omani sultans in the 19th century when Zanzibar was one of the most important trading centers in the Indian Ocean and western influences such as balconies and verandas were added some years later one common feature are the barazas which are long stone benches built along the outside walls of the houses which also serve as raised walkways when Stone Town gets flooded in the rainy season.
You can spend hours getting lost in the fascinating network of alleyways full of shops and stalls selling spices, coconuts, mangos and lots of fresh seafood. It’s a good place to pick up souvenirs such as jewellery, colourful clothes, beaded leather shoes and wood carvings. Stone Town is also the starting point for a Spice Tour to the surrounding countryside and sites such as the Slave Caves of Mangapwani, Zanzibar has great symbolic importance in the suppression of slavery, since it was one of the main slave-trading ports in East Africa and also the base from which its opponents such as David Livingstone conducted their campaigns.
The Town of Zanzibar is an outstanding material manifestation of cultural fusion and harmonization. Mosques to churches, Indian temples to the Omani palaces and so forth are a testimony to the thousands of years of mutual tolerance among communities of different cultural origins.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS | BOOK FLIGHTS
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ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Al Johari Boutique Hotel offers 15 Rooms in four categories:
2 Deluxe Suites
7 Junior Suites
4 Standard Suites
3 Superior Rooms
AMENITIES
Al Johari Boutique Hotel room amenities include:
Each room is superbly appointed with marble flooring, Persian rugs, Flat Screen LCD Screens with Cable Television, well stocked mini-bars, and all the rooms are climate controlled.
The Bathrooms feature Kama Ayurveda Spa Toiletries and products and have Massage Showers with the Suites featuring Jacuzzis.
There is free Wireless internet access in all the rooms and throughout the Hotel.
DINING
The Fusion Lounge - is probably the most fashionable bar of its kind in Stone town, it elegantly leans towards opulence in its décor and furnishing, and our courteous staff will serve you in a manner befitting the atmosphere with a selection of perfect sundowners as you watch a glorious sunset over the Indian Ocean. Later in the evening there is a laid back ambiance with a medley of lounge music, Sheesha’s, Havana Cigars and Tapa’s to indulge you.
The Restaurant - emphasizes it name FUSION in its Décor and atmosphere, and more so in the menu which is Our Chef’s composition of Dishes utilizing only the freshest local Seafood , Poultry and vegetables & meat from Pemba or Arusha prepared using most of the spices Zanzibar is famous for . The menu offers a variety of delicate Fusion and traditional recipes all prepared for a variety of palettes.
ACTIVITIES
Kama Ayurveda Spa on property offering massage, body and facial treatments, pedicures and more.
Enjoy a day on the beautiful waters of Zanzibar. The hotel can take you in one of their jet boats to enjoy a day out snorkelling or visiting secluded beaches or the smaller isles such as Prison Island, complete with a delicious picnic. Prison Island has a sanctuary for an endangered species of the Giant Tortoise and a beautiful beach where you can relax and take in the beauty of the Indian Ocean.
Scuba Diving can be arranged from one of the PADI Certified Diving Companies.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Explore these sights from Al Johari Boutique Hotel:
The Spice Tour: An enthralling visit to a Spice farm and see the variety of local herbs, medicinal plants, cosmetic plants, tropical spices and flowers that gave Zanzibar and Pemba the name Spice Islands.
The Stone Town tour takes you around the historical old town, the architecture of which is very much influenced by the Omani Arabs since the 14th century. This tour includes a visit to the former slave market site, now standing as an Anglican Church, built back in 1817, the town market, the Zanzibar Memorial Museum, The House of Wonders built in 1883 (Beit-Al-Ajaib), the Old Arab fort, the Palace Museum, the old Indian Dispensary (cultural centre), the Maruhubi Palace Ruins as well as Livingstone House.
There are a variety of places to visit on the Island; one can take a trip to Kizimkazi beach, an unforgettable experience where you can swim and play with resident spinner and bottle-nose dolphins or visit Jozani Forest which is home to red colobus monkeys, or one can take a trip back into the history of the infamous Slave Trade by visiting the Mangapwani slave caves.
GETTING THERE
Hotel Address: Al Johari Boutique Hotel 116 Shangani, Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Tel: +255 (24) 223 6779. Email hotel: info@al-johari.com
Airport: Zanzibar (ZNZ) Book Flights |
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