The most famous place in Marrakech is definitely the Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech’s main square. At the heart of the city center, the Djemaa el Fna is wide and bustling with food vendors, snake charmers, restaurants, and visitors and locals alike.
Stop by the Djemaa el Fna during the day to try some fresh-squeezed orange juice and hone your bargaining skills or visit at night to eat from the many market stalls selling grilled meat and vegetables.
Serena Hotels are famous for their high quality and beauty, and the Zanzibar Serena Inn hotel is no exception. Dont’s let the simple exterior of the Zanzibar Serena Inn fool you; the interior of the Zanzibar Serena Inn hotel is a stunning blend of Arabian, Persian, and European styles.
Located in the heart of Stone Town, Zanzibar, the Zanzibar Serena Inn hotel is one of the best luxury hotels in Zanzibar.
One of Zanzibar’s best beaches, Mangapwani beach is on Zanzibar’s northwest coast. Mangapwani beach is known for its many sheltered coves and rock outcroppings, as well as its secluded beauty.
High-End Hotels in Nairobi:
Ngong House, Nairobi – Ngong House is located 30 minutes from the city center on land that was originally a coffee estate. Houses are around US$650/night. Meals included.
Mid-Range Hotels in Nairobi:
Country Lodge, Nairobi – Country Lodge is located on Nairobi’s Upper Hill. Single rooms are around US$65/night. Breakfast included.
Cheap Hotels in Nairobi:
Upper Hill Campsite, Nairobi – Located close to the city center, the hotel has cabins and rooms. Single rooms are around US$13/night.
Giraffe Manor in Nairobi is an amazing place to visit. Guests are allowed to feed a group of giraffes at Giraffe Manor, and it offers a rare opportunity to see giraffes up close. Giraffe Manor is also a small hotel where guests can stay in the old manor house near where the giraffes roam.
Zanzibar is known for its spices and wonderful fresh fruit, so it’s no wonder that there is no shortage of great restaurants in Zanzibar.
Here is my list of the best restaurants in Zanzibar:
Tower Top Restaurant
Tower Top Restaurant, Zanzibar
Address: 236 Hurumzi Street, Zanzibar Tanzania
Phone: 255-(0)77-7423266
The famous Tower Top Restaurant, which is located in the Emerson & Green Hotel in Zanzibar, is one of Zanzibar’s best restaurants.
Guests at Tower Top Restaurant in Zanzibar enjoy live music while dining Arabian Nights-style on carpets and beautiful pillows. With ocean views to match the food, Tower Top Restaurant is well worth a visit.
Sweet Easy Restaurant
Sambusa Two Tables Restaurant
When planning your first trip to Morocco, there are a lot of options for where you can go. While the best cities to visit are in traveling distance from one another, keep in mind that distances can be far and transportation is not always fast, clean, or reliable. With that said, the top places to visit in Morocco are:
Marrakech – With the bustling Medina and busy souks, Marrakech is sure to keep your senses stimulated for your entire stay.
Fez – The cultural capital of Morocco won’t disappoint with its beautiful architecture.
Essaouira – This seaside town is a great retreat from the heat of the desert.
Atlas Mountains – High above the desert, the Atlas Mountains are a beautiful place to camp or drive.
Casablanca – Famous for the movie by the same name, Casablanca is an amazing city and well worth a visit.
Located just outside Nairobi, Kenya in Nairobi Game Park is Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage. The elephant orphanage takes in the baby orphan elephants from all over Kenya and raises them together until they are old enough to survive on their own.
Visitors to can visit the Nairobi elephant orphanage to see the young elephants play ball, eat, take mud baths, and interact with their keepers. Note: The Nairobi Elephant Orphanage opening hours are from 11am-12pm daily, so plan accordingly.
2009 Gnawa and World Music Festival dates are late June 2009
The Gnawa and World Music Festival in Essaouira, Morocco is an annual music festival that celebrates music from all over the globe. The festival, which takes place every year in June, is one of the most popular music festivals in Africa.
Now in its 12th year, the Gnawa and World Music Festival features 250 Moroccan artists and musicians and 150 musicians from other parts of the world.
In addition to music, the Gnawa and World Music Festival offers artistic and cultural events, as well as conferences and meetings
Rockin’ the Casbah
By STEVE DOUGHERTY
FROM his perch on a rooftop terrace near the crenelated western ramparts of the walled city, a visitor from England watched the sun set in spectacular display over the Atlantic Ocean. As it disappeared on the cloudless horizon, the sun’s rays cast a golden glow on a rising crescent moon decorated on the eve of the summer solstice by a silvery alignment of planets and stars.
“Nice touch, that,” quipped Bill Corbett, a 39-year-old London photographer, D.J. and music fanatic whose visit to Essaouira, an exotic, wind- and sun-swept Moroccan city on the northwest coast of Africa, for the 10th-annual Gnawa and World Music Festival, would prove a transforming experience. “This really is a midsummer night’s dream.”
2, Derb Sedra, Bab Agnaou, Kasbah, Marrakech
Les Bains de Marrakech Phone: + 212 (0) 44 38 14 28
Les Bains de Marrakech Opening Hours: 9am-8pm every day
Les Bains de Marrakech is a chic, stylish hammam in Marrakech’s Kasbah. Located off a main street down a small alley, visiting the hammam feels like you’re being transported into a world of peace and tranquility. After spending time in Marrakech’s bustling Medina, Les Bains de Marrakech will be a welcome haven.
Try a refreshing oriental bath or a romantic couples’ steam bath (600dhs), followed by an ultra-relaxing massage (250-700dhs). For a more traditional Moroccan experience, go for one of the luxurious hammam treatments (150-450dhs). While you wait, enjoy the central patio area while reclining on a sofa sipping Moroccan mint tea or ice water.
The Ngorongoro Serena Hotel and Safari Lodge is located right on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.
Like all Serena hotels, the Ngorongoro Serena Hotel is luxurious and has all the amenities of a world-class safari lodge. The hotel blends into the earthy backdrop of the crater edge, and is a perfect jumping-off point for your safari game drives in the crater.
Rooms at the Ngorongoro Serena Hotel are decorated in neutral tones with all the attention to detail one would expect from a Serena destination. The hotel offers an array of meals, including BBQ lunches, as well as spa facilities and a boutique.
Room rates at the Ngorongoro Serena Hotel are $555USD/night for a double room during the high season (Jun 1-March 31), $335USD/night for a double room during the low season (April 1-May 30).
Below is a list of airlines that fly to Mombasa’s Moi International Airport (MBA):
African Air has flighs to Mombasa from Nairobi
Air France has flighs to Mombasa from Nairobi
Air Kenya has flighs to Mombasa from Nairobi
Belair has flighs to Mombasa from Zurich
Condor Airlines has flighs to Mombasa from Zanzibar and Frankfurt
Corsairfly has flighs to Mombasa from Paris
East African Safari Air has flighs to Mombasa from Nairobi
Edelweiss Air has flighs to Mombasa from Zurich
Eurofly has flighs to Mombasa from Milan
First Choice Airways has flighs to Mombasa from London and Manchester
Fly540 has flighs to Mombasa from Nairobi
Kenya Airways has flighs to Mombasa from Nairobi
KLM has flighs to Mombasa from Nairobi
Livingston Airlines has flighs to Mombasa from Milan
LTU has flighs to Mombasa from Düsseldorf and Munich
Martinair has flighs to Mombasa from Brussels and Amsterdam
Neos has flighs to Mombasa from Milan
Precision Air has flighs to Mombasa from Dar es Salaam
Star Air has flighs to Mombasa from Nairobi
Swiss Air has flighs to Mombasa from Nairobi
Utair has flighs to Mombasa from Nairobi