Lakes, Lemurs, and Lithuania: Horton Hears a Houthi!
Feb 9, 2015, 12:49 pm
#61
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,464
huh, didn't know they had the Sifaka and Ringtails on Lemur Island! It was about to pour rain so we left after seeing the brown and white ruffed lemurs. They came flying at us in the canoe 
Pretty stinky.
Bummer about not seeing the indris up close... it took awhile to hunt a group down as well, our guide would leave us in the middle of the jungle and go off for 20 minutes too. We did find them eventually and got a shot up close.
I agree Madagascar is a very inexpensive and worthwhile place, definitely on my re-visit list!
Pretty stinky.Bummer about not seeing the indris up close... it took awhile to hunt a group down as well, our guide would leave us in the middle of the jungle and go off for 20 minutes too. We did find them eventually and got a shot up close.
I agree Madagascar is a very inexpensive and worthwhile place, definitely on my re-visit list!
Feb 9, 2015, 7:11 pm
#63
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Feb 9, 2015, 9:16 pm
#64
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,301
Awesome shots with the Lemurs, they do look very cuddly and cute! No need to buy a new shirt afterwards too
.
Quite expensive to fly to TNR from DXB, so Madagascar hasn't been on my travel radar. Looks like I'll have to add it to my list though.
! No need to buy a new shirt afterwards too.Quite expensive to fly to TNR from DXB, so Madagascar hasn't been on my travel radar. Looks like I'll have to add it to my list though
.
Feb 10, 2015, 7:23 pm
#65
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Lakes, Lemurs, and Lithuania: Horton Hears a Houthi!
Great tr - a joy to read. I'm glad the lemurs didn't hurt you when they were on your head! There's a cute children's book called There's a Bird on My Head, which I thought after seeing the lemurs on/next to your head.
Off to see what zebu means (I assume zebra?) and I'll enjoy reading more tr as it's published :-)
Off to see what zebu means (I assume zebra?) and I'll enjoy reading more tr as it's published :-)
Feb 12, 2015, 9:26 am
#66
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VI. To Comoros via Mayotte on Air Madagascar, exploring Comoros (country #174)
Up early to do a bit more exploring in Tana before heading to the airport for my flight. I'm generally not a big fan of organized tours, but in this case I'm super glad I booked it. Despite only having three nights in Madagascar, this company packed a lot in when I told them I wanted to see as much as possible and they really did their best to not only be flexible when I changed what I wanted to do - but also to cram in as much as I wanted.
That said, early check out from the hotel and off to do a bit more touring. First stop was Haut-Ville, the part of the city built high in the hills overlooking downtown Tana:
The National Stadium:
After walking around the upper town for a bit, we got back in the car to visit a souvenir/craft market on the way to the airport. Lots of interesting little things, but nothing I liked so much I wanted to haul it around Africa for another couple of weeks. View of the river next to the market:
Some of the market stalls:
Check-in wasn't open yet when I got to the airport, as it was nearly three hours until the flight. My driver was afraid of traffic jams, so wanted to be sure to leave plenty of time just in case. The queues to get to the check-in counters weren't marked at all, so I had to ask around which one to get in. "Oh, and is there a business class one?" Nobody seemed to know. Everyone just sort of lined up, and waited. It seemed there were no mid-morning flights at all, but plenty of them around the same time as mine...as there were three different flights waiting to check-in.
As it got more obvious they were about to open check-in I asked a few security guard looking types where Air Madagascar business class line was. They just escorted me to the front, and I was first to the counter when check-in opened. No problems at all, immigration and security were a breeze, and soon it was time to see what the Air Madagascar Business Class Lounge was all about:
There's no pictures. For a reason. It was so dark in the lounge I'm not sure they would have turned out. It was also incredibly warm, despite the fact it was nice and cool outside. There was a fan...which I commandeered and pointed at my seat. There was plenty of beverages - coffee and espresso made to order, which the lounge attendant happily delivered. The internet kept cutting in and out, and was more or less useless. With an hour to go to flight time, I decided to go people watch in the terminal instead. Soon, my plane arrived:
Boarding was a "here's the door, go ahead and walk to the plane" and after snapping the pic above I got yelled at....so no hope for a closer pic.
Air Madagascar flight 140
Antananarivo, Madagascar (TNR) to Dzaoudzi, Mayotte, France (DZA)
Depart 12:25, Arrive 13:40, Flight Time 1:15
Boeing 737-300, Registration 5R-MFL, Manufactured 1988, Seat 2A
Of the 12 seats in business (proper US-style first/business with a 2 by 2 config) only six were occupied on this leg. One of those six was an Air Madagascar mechanic, who I gathered travels with the plane unless something breaks down, lol. I say "this leg" because although this flight was billed as a nonstop when I booked it a few weeks before, Expedia notified me about 10 days before the flight that it would now be a one-stop via Mayotte. Hmmm, interesting enough I suppose!
Less than two minutes off the ground, the crew sprang into action and offered a lunch of beef or fish. The beef was surprisingly tasty - probably some of the best beef I've actually ever had on a plane, and I ate every bite. Even the wine was relatively drinkable, and frequent refills were offered. The crew was not very personable, but they were good at their jobs, and I suppose on an hour long flight that manages to serve a meal that's all you can really ask for. Plus, they offered proper European butter!
Just as soon as the meal was done, it was pretty much already time for landing in Mayotte...which had jetbridges! I'd almost forgotten what one looked like!
It was nice, until we'd been sitting there, door open, for nearly 30 minutes and the plane turned into a giant convection oven. Finally, after nearly 45 minutes, the joining passengers (of which there were nearly 100) finally started to stream on. I have no idea how they had 100 joining passengers when this stop was only added less than two weeks out, but it was what it was. Business filled up to 10 of 12 seats, but fortunately the one next to me remained empty.
Air Madagascar flight 141
Dzaoudzi, Mayotte, France (DZA) to Hahaya, Comoros (HAH)
Depart 14:40, Arrive 15:20, Flight Time 40 minutes
Boeing 737-300, Registration 5R-MFL, Manufactured 1988, Seat 2A
Plane go up, plane go down. No beverages offered. It was only a 30 minute flight, but given how hot it had been on the ground in Mayotte it would have been nice to at least offer some water.
Landed in Comoros, had our temperatures taken by nurses before we were allowed to enter the terminal, and then it was fill out lots of forms and do lots of pushing to get the visa on arrival, which was 30 euros as opposed to the 60 euros I'd been led to believe. Winning! Plus, it was a proper colourful sticker with photo on it, so at least I got something for my contribution to the Government coffers!
Just past immigration there was a guy holding a sign with the name of my hotel, so in his car I went and it was off to my hotel...the Hotel Retaj. As we drove he was a great guide, pointing out places of interest to me, etc. Turned out he wasn't with the hotel, just offering rides there. Clever...I've never fallen for that one. He was charging the same price as the official hotel transfer (20 euros) so I couldn't complain too much.
When we arrived at the hotel, he launched into his sales pitch. It's a pity you're here so short, I know what time you're leaving tomorrow, let me show you as much of the island as possible. I was feeling a bit tired and run-down, but agreed that I should see as much as possible...and since he said we could start at 9am and still see a lot, I was sold. Now, the negotiation. His opening price was 80 euros - 20 each way to the airport plus 40 for driving me around for 2-3 hours. Sounded pretty fair...but I tried to go lower, but he just wouldn't budge...so I agreed.
Room at the Retaj was ok....though I had to kill three big crawly things and one cockroach within minutes of entering the room. At least the AC was nice and cold, and they provided bug killer, so meh. I was trying to be in the proper mindset of "it's cleanish, comfortable, and safe and this is a developing country" so it was fine. Except for the fact the hotel was owned by Qataris and completely alcohol-free! GASP!
But, hey, nice sunset from their "beach":
Went back to my room between sunset and dinner, only to see it was a good idea I hadn't laid down earlier....the painting on the wall was clearly out to kill me:
Dinner in the hotel restaurant was buffet or a la carte, and I opted for a la carte. Only table free was a round table for eight, but the staff insisted I sit there. Felt a bit awkward, so I decided to order a Fanta. I never drink sugary sodas, but I figured with no alcohol calories it wasn't the end of the world. The seafood soup, with huge chunks of lobster and lots of curry:
Which I followed up with the lobster pizza, which was also super tasty:
The cost for two courses with a fanta and water? $19. Bargain for all that lobster!
Passed out around 10pm, and slept a solid 9 hours. Maybe there's something to be said for not enjoying drinks with dinner ;-)
Breakfast was included with the room and a buffet...including wrapped cheese slices! There was, however, fresh baguette and nutella as well, so I'm certainly not complaining!
Glancing over at the TV in the breakfast room, what was on but not only a hockey game, but a Washington Capitals game! If I didn't know better I'd think someone knew I was there and trying to send a message...
Hotel grounds:
My driver picked me up right on time, and it was off to do a bit of exploring before heading to the airport. The new mosque:
Street market scenes:
Scenery driving along the coast. This is the biggest "highway" in the country:
Our main stop was Lac Sal, or the salt lake. This was a volcanic crater which had been filled with salt water a long time ago. Nobody's actually sure how deep the lake is, and a few years back several American scuba divers went down to explore...and never came back. The lake also features in lots of local legends, so it's hard to know just how little is known about this lake and how much of the stories are legends. Given how hard it was prior to the trip to find information about Comoros online, however, I'm not surprised that there was just as little info about the lake.
After the lake we stopped in a village on the way where my driver picked up what he called "ma copine" for a ride back to town with him. He made it very clear he was going to get lucky after dropping me off. Not exactly the classiest thing to do when you have a paying customer in your car, but hey, who am I to get in the way of a Comoran booty call! She was quiet and respectful, and we stopped.by a beach on the way to the airport, mainly for photos...and because there were trinket sellers:
The volcanic rock that made up much of the shoreline on the island:
Nice white sand beach:
After the beach it was straight to the airport, where we ended up arriving about two hours before the flight. My driver was sure to see me through to check-in, and despite the company waiting in his car was in no rush to get rid of me so I can't complain about his service. Soon I was checked in, and...next stop: Mombasa!
That said, early check out from the hotel and off to do a bit more touring. First stop was Haut-Ville, the part of the city built high in the hills overlooking downtown Tana:
The National Stadium:
After walking around the upper town for a bit, we got back in the car to visit a souvenir/craft market on the way to the airport. Lots of interesting little things, but nothing I liked so much I wanted to haul it around Africa for another couple of weeks. View of the river next to the market:
Some of the market stalls:
Check-in wasn't open yet when I got to the airport, as it was nearly three hours until the flight. My driver was afraid of traffic jams, so wanted to be sure to leave plenty of time just in case. The queues to get to the check-in counters weren't marked at all, so I had to ask around which one to get in. "Oh, and is there a business class one?" Nobody seemed to know. Everyone just sort of lined up, and waited. It seemed there were no mid-morning flights at all, but plenty of them around the same time as mine...as there were three different flights waiting to check-in.
As it got more obvious they were about to open check-in I asked a few security guard looking types where Air Madagascar business class line was. They just escorted me to the front, and I was first to the counter when check-in opened. No problems at all, immigration and security were a breeze, and soon it was time to see what the Air Madagascar Business Class Lounge was all about:
There's no pictures. For a reason. It was so dark in the lounge I'm not sure they would have turned out. It was also incredibly warm, despite the fact it was nice and cool outside. There was a fan...which I commandeered and pointed at my seat. There was plenty of beverages - coffee and espresso made to order, which the lounge attendant happily delivered. The internet kept cutting in and out, and was more or less useless. With an hour to go to flight time, I decided to go people watch in the terminal instead. Soon, my plane arrived:
Boarding was a "here's the door, go ahead and walk to the plane" and after snapping the pic above I got yelled at....so no hope for a closer pic.
Air Madagascar flight 140
Antananarivo, Madagascar (TNR) to Dzaoudzi, Mayotte, France (DZA)
Depart 12:25, Arrive 13:40, Flight Time 1:15
Boeing 737-300, Registration 5R-MFL, Manufactured 1988, Seat 2A
Of the 12 seats in business (proper US-style first/business with a 2 by 2 config) only six were occupied on this leg. One of those six was an Air Madagascar mechanic, who I gathered travels with the plane unless something breaks down, lol. I say "this leg" because although this flight was billed as a nonstop when I booked it a few weeks before, Expedia notified me about 10 days before the flight that it would now be a one-stop via Mayotte. Hmmm, interesting enough I suppose!
Less than two minutes off the ground, the crew sprang into action and offered a lunch of beef or fish. The beef was surprisingly tasty - probably some of the best beef I've actually ever had on a plane, and I ate every bite. Even the wine was relatively drinkable, and frequent refills were offered. The crew was not very personable, but they were good at their jobs, and I suppose on an hour long flight that manages to serve a meal that's all you can really ask for. Plus, they offered proper European butter!
Just as soon as the meal was done, it was pretty much already time for landing in Mayotte...which had jetbridges! I'd almost forgotten what one looked like!
It was nice, until we'd been sitting there, door open, for nearly 30 minutes and the plane turned into a giant convection oven. Finally, after nearly 45 minutes, the joining passengers (of which there were nearly 100) finally started to stream on. I have no idea how they had 100 joining passengers when this stop was only added less than two weeks out, but it was what it was. Business filled up to 10 of 12 seats, but fortunately the one next to me remained empty.
Air Madagascar flight 141
Dzaoudzi, Mayotte, France (DZA) to Hahaya, Comoros (HAH)
Depart 14:40, Arrive 15:20, Flight Time 40 minutes
Boeing 737-300, Registration 5R-MFL, Manufactured 1988, Seat 2A
Plane go up, plane go down. No beverages offered. It was only a 30 minute flight, but given how hot it had been on the ground in Mayotte it would have been nice to at least offer some water.
Landed in Comoros, had our temperatures taken by nurses before we were allowed to enter the terminal, and then it was fill out lots of forms and do lots of pushing to get the visa on arrival, which was 30 euros as opposed to the 60 euros I'd been led to believe. Winning! Plus, it was a proper colourful sticker with photo on it, so at least I got something for my contribution to the Government coffers!
Just past immigration there was a guy holding a sign with the name of my hotel, so in his car I went and it was off to my hotel...the Hotel Retaj. As we drove he was a great guide, pointing out places of interest to me, etc. Turned out he wasn't with the hotel, just offering rides there. Clever...I've never fallen for that one. He was charging the same price as the official hotel transfer (20 euros) so I couldn't complain too much.
When we arrived at the hotel, he launched into his sales pitch. It's a pity you're here so short, I know what time you're leaving tomorrow, let me show you as much of the island as possible. I was feeling a bit tired and run-down, but agreed that I should see as much as possible...and since he said we could start at 9am and still see a lot, I was sold. Now, the negotiation. His opening price was 80 euros - 20 each way to the airport plus 40 for driving me around for 2-3 hours. Sounded pretty fair...but I tried to go lower, but he just wouldn't budge...so I agreed.
Room at the Retaj was ok....though I had to kill three big crawly things and one cockroach within minutes of entering the room. At least the AC was nice and cold, and they provided bug killer, so meh. I was trying to be in the proper mindset of "it's cleanish, comfortable, and safe and this is a developing country" so it was fine. Except for the fact the hotel was owned by Qataris and completely alcohol-free! GASP!
But, hey, nice sunset from their "beach":
Went back to my room between sunset and dinner, only to see it was a good idea I hadn't laid down earlier....the painting on the wall was clearly out to kill me:
Dinner in the hotel restaurant was buffet or a la carte, and I opted for a la carte. Only table free was a round table for eight, but the staff insisted I sit there. Felt a bit awkward, so I decided to order a Fanta. I never drink sugary sodas, but I figured with no alcohol calories it wasn't the end of the world. The seafood soup, with huge chunks of lobster and lots of curry:
Which I followed up with the lobster pizza, which was also super tasty:
The cost for two courses with a fanta and water? $19. Bargain for all that lobster!
Passed out around 10pm, and slept a solid 9 hours. Maybe there's something to be said for not enjoying drinks with dinner ;-)
Breakfast was included with the room and a buffet...including wrapped cheese slices! There was, however, fresh baguette and nutella as well, so I'm certainly not complaining!
Glancing over at the TV in the breakfast room, what was on but not only a hockey game, but a Washington Capitals game! If I didn't know better I'd think someone knew I was there and trying to send a message...
Hotel grounds:
My driver picked me up right on time, and it was off to do a bit of exploring before heading to the airport. The new mosque:
Street market scenes:
Scenery driving along the coast. This is the biggest "highway" in the country:
Our main stop was Lac Sal, or the salt lake. This was a volcanic crater which had been filled with salt water a long time ago. Nobody's actually sure how deep the lake is, and a few years back several American scuba divers went down to explore...and never came back. The lake also features in lots of local legends, so it's hard to know just how little is known about this lake and how much of the stories are legends. Given how hard it was prior to the trip to find information about Comoros online, however, I'm not surprised that there was just as little info about the lake.
After the lake we stopped in a village on the way where my driver picked up what he called "ma copine" for a ride back to town with him. He made it very clear he was going to get lucky after dropping me off. Not exactly the classiest thing to do when you have a paying customer in your car, but hey, who am I to get in the way of a Comoran booty call! She was quiet and respectful, and we stopped.by a beach on the way to the airport, mainly for photos...and because there were trinket sellers:
The volcanic rock that made up much of the shoreline on the island:
Nice white sand beach:
After the beach it was straight to the airport, where we ended up arriving about two hours before the flight. My driver was sure to see me through to check-in, and despite the company waiting in his car was in no rush to get rid of me so I can't complain about his service. Soon I was checked in, and...next stop: Mombasa!
Feb 12, 2015, 11:03 am
#67
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,464
Looks like you had better weather in Comoros than I did! It was grey/rainy the three days I was there. Was lucky it stopped raining just as we got to Lac Sale. The Retaj lobster pizza indeed was very good!
Feb 12, 2015, 3:28 pm
#68
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
Good grief - that looks like a rather tasty spread. And that serviette!!!
Must ask: did you nick it?
Glad to see that the weather is behaving and that you are back on track. Happy travels.
Feb 13, 2015, 12:46 am
#69
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,548
VII. Comoros to Mombasa on East Africa Safari Air, Kenya, overnight Mombasa
Driver had dropped me off at the airport for my flight, and check-in was quick. Before heading through security, a quick shot of the bustling Hahaya International Airport in Comoros.
The waiting area was just one big room, but some great views onto the tarmac. Not the best shot, but a Ukrainian military helicopter...because that's not all sorts of random in Comoros!
While we were waiting for the flight, it was also prayer time. The shot below shows how slick the floors look...nice and shiny. Which was great, until people went to the washroom to wash their feet before praying, and then headed into the waiting area to pray. Witnessed one guy slip, land flat on his back, and paramedics had to come and take him away. Rather unfortunate start to the day! You can see in the photo below just how small the airport is. Yes, this is the entire departures area.
Soon, the plane arrived right on time and it was time to board!
East Africa Safari Express flight 542
Hahaya, Comoros (HAH) to Mombasa, Kenya (MBA)
Depart 14:00, Arrive 15:30, Flight Time 90 minutes
Canadair CRJ-100, Registration 5Y-BXD, Manufactured 1994, Seat 1A
Flight was open seating, so I made a dash for the aircraft in order to try and get the bulkhead. Parked myself in 1B, and knowing from the check-in agent it was booked to 38 of 50 made sure to take up as much space as possible so as to make the seat next to me look undesirable
It worked, and I ended up with both seats to myself for the short 80 minute or so flight.
Small snackbox was offered, and I decided to eat the muffin and apple (I don't do sketchy room temperature sandwiches). Still, gotta give them credit for giving everyone a free snack! Beverages were offered, which were coke or juice. I decided to stick with water.
Disembarking in Mombasa. Nothing says "sketchy" like a solid white plane with no identifying marks on it!
Welcome to Mombasa!
Quite a long walk along the tarmac to the arrivals door, maybe 200-300 meters or so, passing a large Ethiopian jet on the way:
I was prepared for the $50 Kenya visa on arrival, but due to the fact I was only staying 24 hrs they approved a $20 transit visa instead. Saving money is always a good thing! Outside departures there were plenty of taxis, with a price list posted, so there was no scamming going on here. I'd had a difficult time deciding where to stay, and originally had planned the Serena Hotel since it looked like the most upscale option, but then I saw the Voyager Resort which was not only $100 cheaper, but also billed itself as an all-inclusive resort. I thought that was a Caribbean-only concept, so had to book it just to see!
The taxi price was 1300 Kenyan Shillings, approximately $14, and the driver told me prices were based on distance. 100 shillings per kilometer of driving. Talk about honest! It was about 30 minute driver, and my driver was fantastic. Talked about life in Mombasa, how things were safety wise etc. He was a safe driver and really nice guy, and before dropping me off I asked if he'd like to come back the next day to pick me up. He was happy to, and asked not to be paid until he'd done his job. I was impressed! It was 1300 one way, but in the end I gave him 3000 for the roundtrip based on his honesty, efficiency, and for making things easy for me.
Check in was nice, cold towel and juice offered, and I noticed the hotel had a rather corny nautical theme. Signs like "enjoy your voyage!" and referring to the groupings of rooms as "decks." Hah! The room was clean and cool, but unfortunately the internet didn't work in my room...it seemed to be in a dead spot. They informed me there were no other rooms available, so this was pretty disappointing. It was soon forgotten, however, when I went to the pool for a swim and to enjoy an "all-inclusive" drink. Tusker Lager on draft:
One of the several pools at the resort:
Unfortunately I was one day late. Sunday was "Swahili Day" at the resort...I would have loved to see their take on Hawaiian Day...not to mention a disco party!
Oh, there was also one bottled beer on offer as part of the all-inclusive...not good, but not awful...
The hotel seemed to be absolutely packed with German tourists, and everywhere I went I heard German being spoken. The next day when departing, there was a flight to Frankfurt leaving from the airport, so my guess is that German travel agencies arrange trips to Mombasa. It's funny how every country seems to have its resort destinations, and for some reason Mombasa seemed to be popular with the Germans.
View from my room:
After sunset, it was time to head to the restaurant for dinner. It was buffet, and I was pretty surprised just how limited the offerings were. There was plenty of food, but definitely not a super wide variety. Part of it was probably that it was Swahili night and many of the options did not look very appetizing, but even beyond that it just felt limited in choice. This was made up for, however, by a reasonably drinkable (hey, I'm used to United Airlines, ok?) red wine that was provided with a fair amount of refills. The staff seemed a bit overworked, however, and as a result a bit cold and distant.
It had been a long day, so ended up crashing right after dinner so I could could continue my journey in the morning!
The waiting area was just one big room, but some great views onto the tarmac. Not the best shot, but a Ukrainian military helicopter...because that's not all sorts of random in Comoros!
While we were waiting for the flight, it was also prayer time. The shot below shows how slick the floors look...nice and shiny. Which was great, until people went to the washroom to wash their feet before praying, and then headed into the waiting area to pray. Witnessed one guy slip, land flat on his back, and paramedics had to come and take him away. Rather unfortunate start to the day! You can see in the photo below just how small the airport is. Yes, this is the entire departures area.
Soon, the plane arrived right on time and it was time to board!
East Africa Safari Express flight 542
Hahaya, Comoros (HAH) to Mombasa, Kenya (MBA)
Depart 14:00, Arrive 15:30, Flight Time 90 minutes
Canadair CRJ-100, Registration 5Y-BXD, Manufactured 1994, Seat 1A
Flight was open seating, so I made a dash for the aircraft in order to try and get the bulkhead. Parked myself in 1B, and knowing from the check-in agent it was booked to 38 of 50 made sure to take up as much space as possible so as to make the seat next to me look undesirable
It worked, and I ended up with both seats to myself for the short 80 minute or so flight.Small snackbox was offered, and I decided to eat the muffin and apple (I don't do sketchy room temperature sandwiches). Still, gotta give them credit for giving everyone a free snack! Beverages were offered, which were coke or juice. I decided to stick with water.
Disembarking in Mombasa. Nothing says "sketchy" like a solid white plane with no identifying marks on it!
Welcome to Mombasa!
Quite a long walk along the tarmac to the arrivals door, maybe 200-300 meters or so, passing a large Ethiopian jet on the way:
I was prepared for the $50 Kenya visa on arrival, but due to the fact I was only staying 24 hrs they approved a $20 transit visa instead. Saving money is always a good thing! Outside departures there were plenty of taxis, with a price list posted, so there was no scamming going on here. I'd had a difficult time deciding where to stay, and originally had planned the Serena Hotel since it looked like the most upscale option, but then I saw the Voyager Resort which was not only $100 cheaper, but also billed itself as an all-inclusive resort. I thought that was a Caribbean-only concept, so had to book it just to see!
The taxi price was 1300 Kenyan Shillings, approximately $14, and the driver told me prices were based on distance. 100 shillings per kilometer of driving. Talk about honest! It was about 30 minute driver, and my driver was fantastic. Talked about life in Mombasa, how things were safety wise etc. He was a safe driver and really nice guy, and before dropping me off I asked if he'd like to come back the next day to pick me up. He was happy to, and asked not to be paid until he'd done his job. I was impressed! It was 1300 one way, but in the end I gave him 3000 for the roundtrip based on his honesty, efficiency, and for making things easy for me.
Check in was nice, cold towel and juice offered, and I noticed the hotel had a rather corny nautical theme. Signs like "enjoy your voyage!" and referring to the groupings of rooms as "decks." Hah! The room was clean and cool, but unfortunately the internet didn't work in my room...it seemed to be in a dead spot. They informed me there were no other rooms available, so this was pretty disappointing. It was soon forgotten, however, when I went to the pool for a swim and to enjoy an "all-inclusive" drink. Tusker Lager on draft:
One of the several pools at the resort:
Unfortunately I was one day late. Sunday was "Swahili Day" at the resort...I would have loved to see their take on Hawaiian Day...not to mention a disco party!
Oh, there was also one bottled beer on offer as part of the all-inclusive...not good, but not awful...
The hotel seemed to be absolutely packed with German tourists, and everywhere I went I heard German being spoken. The next day when departing, there was a flight to Frankfurt leaving from the airport, so my guess is that German travel agencies arrange trips to Mombasa. It's funny how every country seems to have its resort destinations, and for some reason Mombasa seemed to be popular with the Germans.
View from my room:
After sunset, it was time to head to the restaurant for dinner. It was buffet, and I was pretty surprised just how limited the offerings were. There was plenty of food, but definitely not a super wide variety. Part of it was probably that it was Swahili night and many of the options did not look very appetizing, but even beyond that it just felt limited in choice. This was made up for, however, by a reasonably drinkable (hey, I'm used to United Airlines, ok?) red wine that was provided with a fair amount of refills. The staff seemed a bit overworked, however, and as a result a bit cold and distant.
It had been a long day, so ended up crashing right after dinner so I could could continue my journey in the morning!
Feb 13, 2015, 11:27 am
#72
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Posts: 5,548
Feb 14, 2015, 1:58 am
#73
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,548
VIII. Mombasa to Zanzibar on Fly540, overnight Zanzibar (country #175)
Somewhere in the middle of the night the aircon in my room decided to crap out, so woke up nice and early a sweaty mess. Lovely. I would have enjoyed the sunrise, except it was super hazy, so there wasn't really anything to see. Oh well! Might as well check out what the all-inclusive breakfast has to offer.
It was a pretty poor selection, and honestly a step below almost every hotel breakfast I've ever had in a major hotel. It was pretty disappointing...there was enough to eat with the fruit, breads, etc, but it was far from exciting. Well, I may not have enjoyed it, but the guest who joined me for breakfast sure wanted some!
My taxi showed up right as promised, 2 minutes early actually, but he apologized up and down for being two minutes late. I informed him he was early, and he was relieved, lol. I don't know why so many taxi drivers in the developing world are unpleasant and try and cheat you...it kind of goes contrary to the idea of providing good service and making money. Is the concept of service really that foreign? That said, this driver was fantastic and I really appreciated the effort he made to me more than "just" a taxi.
No line to check in at the airport, and off to the departures lounge.which involved going upstairs. Apparently, in Mombasa, knowing how to use an escalator doesn't go hand in hand with flying:
There was as lounge in the airport which was nice and air conditioned, but apparently my Priority Pass card had expired three days prior and they never bothered to send me the renewal. Sigh. Service from AmEx goes downhill further and further every year. At least I had less than 30 minutes to go until it was time to board.
Walking to the plane:
My big orange ride for the trip to Zanzibar....anything goes!
Fly540 flight 105
Mombasa, Kenya (MBA) to Zanzibar, Tanzania (ZNZ)
Depart 10:50, Arrive 11:30, Flight Time 40 minutes
Canadair CRJ-100, Registration 5Y-BXC, Manufactured 1997, Seat 12A
Not that this plane was a throwback or anything, but they even had borrowed beverage carts from TAROM:
...and other storage carts from Air Littoral:
My boarding pass said "open" for seating, but apparently they'd assigned seats to everyone else. Oh well! For some reason, despite the plane being booked 42/50, there was nobody at all in the last two rows. So I moved back there and had a whole row to myself. Go figure!
Plus, the inflight magazine came with free fashion tips:
Quick flight, no food served, just a bottle of water handed out upon boarding...which was more than enough for barely 30 minutes in the air. Soon, we were landing on Zanzibar!
Visa on arrival was an unpleasant $100, but it came with a full colour sticker and was good for multiple entries for a full year, so I suppose it wasn't awful. The ATMs in the airport were all broken, so my next task was to find a taxi who would take me to the hotel and accept Euros or US Dollars. I'd been told to expect roughly $30, so when a driver offered me a ride for $10 I jumped on it...20 minute or so ride, and I was at my hotel, the Doubletree Stone Town Zanzibar.
This hotel is almost a small boutique hotel right in the heart of Stone Town, and has maybe 60 rooms spread across 6 floors. I received a Diamond upgrade to a "deluxe king" room which was very nice...and freezing cold! I was in Heaven! The decor felt "very Zanzibar" to me, and for the price paid it was a fantastic room.
My first mission was to go on a long walk and enjoy stone town, but first I needed a coffee. Delicious double espresso at a little cafe right next to the hotel. Price? Less than $2
After rejuvenating thanks to the magic of coffee, it was time to begin my walk through Stone Town:
Walking along the corniche:
The tree known, appropriately, as "the big tree"
Next stop was Mercury's Bar on the beach for a small snack and a drink. One of the more famous people to come from Zanzibar was Farrukh Bulsara, aka Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen. Now there's a bar named for him on the beach, with drinks such as the "Monica Lewinsky" - fittingly blue!
Ironically, this boat was parked right next to the bar...
...and this one with a bit happier message.
After grabbing a bit to eat I continued my walk...but I was beginning to fade quite badly. I was following a walk that I found online, and fortunately it actually said "if you're feeling in need of a bit of energy at this point, stop at the Zanzibar Coffee Company for a coffee. Don't mind if I do!
Next stop was the Anglican Cathedral, built over the site of the former slave market. Got a tour of the chambers under the cathedral where they used to keep the slaves before they were sold, and like most such sites it was rather sobering and depressing.
The cathedral:
Inside the cathedral:
Strolling through town, one of the more fascinating features of Stone Town is the old wooden doors. Many of them have Koranic verses carved above the door, and brass spikes on the door. It's thought the brass spikes may have at one time been used in order to prevent the doors from being rammed by war elephants. Seriously! Stone Town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the doors are one of the very prominent features. There are over 500 doors in the old town, but a few of the neat ones I saw:
It was late afternoon at this point, and caught a large group of local children playing football on the beach:
Stopped at the Serena Hotel right on the water, because it had a great view for sundown drinks. Love this shot, especially the way the bird got caught mid-flight:
Dhow sailing along the shore at sunset:
Zanzibar is also known as the Spice Island, so fittingly I decided to walk to the House of Spices for dinner. Maybe walking there wasn't the greatest idea, because walking through all the tiny winding alleys in the complete dark - many of them have no lighting at all - I got lost several times. Eventually I found it, but it wasn't easy! The view of the stars was amazing on Zanzibar, so it was a really nice walk.
For a starter, the calamari with a saffron balsamic sauce:
Zanzibari beef stew, with cardamom and curry...delicious!
Chili chocolate mousse for dessert - had quite a kick to it, but was also delicious!
The price for three courses and two beers? Barely $30. I was seriously loving how inexpensive East Africa was in general!
Now, the walk back through the dark streets:
Deserted and rather sketchy looking square:
Made it back, no problems, and I was absolutely exhausted. A view of the room, with the Zanzibari style. Note the lamps hanging from the ceiling, plus the ones next to the bed, which actually had stained glass panels on them:
Then it was off to bed, next stop was Dar es Salaam in the morning!
It was a pretty poor selection, and honestly a step below almost every hotel breakfast I've ever had in a major hotel. It was pretty disappointing...there was enough to eat with the fruit, breads, etc, but it was far from exciting. Well, I may not have enjoyed it, but the guest who joined me for breakfast sure wanted some!
My taxi showed up right as promised, 2 minutes early actually, but he apologized up and down for being two minutes late. I informed him he was early, and he was relieved, lol. I don't know why so many taxi drivers in the developing world are unpleasant and try and cheat you...it kind of goes contrary to the idea of providing good service and making money. Is the concept of service really that foreign? That said, this driver was fantastic and I really appreciated the effort he made to me more than "just" a taxi.
No line to check in at the airport, and off to the departures lounge.which involved going upstairs. Apparently, in Mombasa, knowing how to use an escalator doesn't go hand in hand with flying:
There was as lounge in the airport which was nice and air conditioned, but apparently my Priority Pass card had expired three days prior and they never bothered to send me the renewal. Sigh. Service from AmEx goes downhill further and further every year. At least I had less than 30 minutes to go until it was time to board.
Walking to the plane:
My big orange ride for the trip to Zanzibar....anything goes!
Fly540 flight 105
Mombasa, Kenya (MBA) to Zanzibar, Tanzania (ZNZ)
Depart 10:50, Arrive 11:30, Flight Time 40 minutes
Canadair CRJ-100, Registration 5Y-BXC, Manufactured 1997, Seat 12A
Not that this plane was a throwback or anything, but they even had borrowed beverage carts from TAROM:
...and other storage carts from Air Littoral:
My boarding pass said "open" for seating, but apparently they'd assigned seats to everyone else. Oh well! For some reason, despite the plane being booked 42/50, there was nobody at all in the last two rows. So I moved back there and had a whole row to myself. Go figure!
Plus, the inflight magazine came with free fashion tips:
Quick flight, no food served, just a bottle of water handed out upon boarding...which was more than enough for barely 30 minutes in the air. Soon, we were landing on Zanzibar!
Visa on arrival was an unpleasant $100, but it came with a full colour sticker and was good for multiple entries for a full year, so I suppose it wasn't awful. The ATMs in the airport were all broken, so my next task was to find a taxi who would take me to the hotel and accept Euros or US Dollars. I'd been told to expect roughly $30, so when a driver offered me a ride for $10 I jumped on it...20 minute or so ride, and I was at my hotel, the Doubletree Stone Town Zanzibar.
This hotel is almost a small boutique hotel right in the heart of Stone Town, and has maybe 60 rooms spread across 6 floors. I received a Diamond upgrade to a "deluxe king" room which was very nice...and freezing cold! I was in Heaven! The decor felt "very Zanzibar" to me, and for the price paid it was a fantastic room.
My first mission was to go on a long walk and enjoy stone town, but first I needed a coffee. Delicious double espresso at a little cafe right next to the hotel. Price? Less than $2
After rejuvenating thanks to the magic of coffee, it was time to begin my walk through Stone Town:
Walking along the corniche:
The tree known, appropriately, as "the big tree"
Next stop was Mercury's Bar on the beach for a small snack and a drink. One of the more famous people to come from Zanzibar was Farrukh Bulsara, aka Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen. Now there's a bar named for him on the beach, with drinks such as the "Monica Lewinsky" - fittingly blue!
Ironically, this boat was parked right next to the bar...
...and this one with a bit happier message.
After grabbing a bit to eat I continued my walk...but I was beginning to fade quite badly. I was following a walk that I found online, and fortunately it actually said "if you're feeling in need of a bit of energy at this point, stop at the Zanzibar Coffee Company for a coffee. Don't mind if I do!
Next stop was the Anglican Cathedral, built over the site of the former slave market. Got a tour of the chambers under the cathedral where they used to keep the slaves before they were sold, and like most such sites it was rather sobering and depressing.
The cathedral:
Inside the cathedral:
Strolling through town, one of the more fascinating features of Stone Town is the old wooden doors. Many of them have Koranic verses carved above the door, and brass spikes on the door. It's thought the brass spikes may have at one time been used in order to prevent the doors from being rammed by war elephants. Seriously! Stone Town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the doors are one of the very prominent features. There are over 500 doors in the old town, but a few of the neat ones I saw:
It was late afternoon at this point, and caught a large group of local children playing football on the beach:
Stopped at the Serena Hotel right on the water, because it had a great view for sundown drinks. Love this shot, especially the way the bird got caught mid-flight:
Dhow sailing along the shore at sunset:
Zanzibar is also known as the Spice Island, so fittingly I decided to walk to the House of Spices for dinner. Maybe walking there wasn't the greatest idea, because walking through all the tiny winding alleys in the complete dark - many of them have no lighting at all - I got lost several times. Eventually I found it, but it wasn't easy! The view of the stars was amazing on Zanzibar, so it was a really nice walk.
For a starter, the calamari with a saffron balsamic sauce:
Zanzibari beef stew, with cardamom and curry...delicious!
Chili chocolate mousse for dessert - had quite a kick to it, but was also delicious!
The price for three courses and two beers? Barely $30. I was seriously loving how inexpensive East Africa was in general!
Now, the walk back through the dark streets:
Deserted and rather sketchy looking square:
Made it back, no problems, and I was absolutely exhausted. A view of the room, with the Zanzibari style. Note the lamps hanging from the ceiling, plus the ones next to the bed, which actually had stained glass panels on them:
Then it was off to bed, next stop was Dar es Salaam in the morning!
Feb 14, 2015, 5:51 am
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007