The event was a huge success due to the immense generosity of Planhotel, 1Time and Gallery Tours. A huge thank to all of you for your faultless organisation and for showing us the beauty of Zanzibar.

Professional and early check-in at 1Time counters, which were well displayed. I even received an SMS from 1Time the day before indicating the check-in counter. Is this done for all clients? Everybody of was course very sleepy and a bit disoriented by the ongoing construction at O.R. Tambo International.

The captain gave a lovely introduction, and there was a slight delay in departure due to technical problems experienced by the air-traffic controllers. 1Time’s DC-9 / MD80 has leather seats and spacious leg room; seating is five across. Non-stop flights to Zanzibar are on Tuesdays and Saturdays (3 ½ hour flying time).

While the on-board menu is payable for general passengers, it was free for us.  Breakfast comprises of two choices, normal with croissant and scrambled egg and the healthy version wholesome dark bread with cottage cheese, fresh fruit and yummy yoghurt (guess which one I went for).

Price for a health bread roll is R 20 and R 8 for a cup of coffee – very reasonably priced. The food on the flights was delicious. Love the concept that you have the choice whether to eat or not. Credit cards are accepted on the plane.

Gift vouchers available on their website, again a lovely idea. City Lodge and Avis have links to the reservation system.

1Time team present at the event:
Desmond O’Connor    - Director Commercial
Captain Piers Hugo    - Director – Flight Operations
Graham Paterson       - Director Airports and Africa
Mike Snyman              - Director Finance
Simone Player             - Assistant to Directors
Leigh Elgar                  - Commercial Operations Manager
James Budge               - Airports Manager
Dominique Hiepner      - Sales
Tracey van den Berg   - Sales

1Time airline’s service during this trip was phenomenal with so many little extras. Their hospitality really exceeded any of my expectations and we feel privileged to be working with them.

Arrival at Zanzibar International Airport was also pleasant. Visas were issued efficiently and change was given in US$. South African passport holders currently pay US$ 50. Be careful, visa fees differ for various nationalities.

Karibu ceremony at the airport, lovely spread outside and Gallery Tours offers welcome packages with useful information, maps and departure forms.

Julia Ashby, the Sales & Marketing Director of Planhotels welcomed everyone personally at the airport. A special thank you to Julia for everything you organised during this trip. Julia is a bundle of energy and I am sure that even with 100 clients she still remembers each conversation during these four days!

Planhotels’ staff members present during the trip:
Julia Ashby                                 - Sales & Marketing Director of Planhotel
Clemens Faber                           - Director of Operation Planhotel Resorts & Hotels
Michael and Sigi Andreewitch     - New GM of La Gemma Dell’Est
Patrizia Barresi                          - Senior Executive Officer Planhotel Lugano
Stefano                                      - Activity Manager

Transfers from Zanzibar airport to the hotel took about 90 minutes. Gallery Tours and Safaris busses were in good shape and comfortable. The group was divided and each bus had a guide.

Check-in at La Gemma was very efficient. Luggage was transferred directly to the allocated rooms and two check-in counters were allocated for our group. “Floating” lunch refreshments and cocktails on arrival.

My suite (no. 137) was stunningly furnished and housekeeping kept it sparkling. There was a separate, spacious lounge and small kitchenette with tea and coffee facilities. Mini bar partly stocked. Shower only with WC and bidet. Safe in the room etc. Beautiful spice basket and a fruit bowl were presented together with the 2008 Zanzibar Event program.

La Gemma Dell’Est’s beach is beautiful, we have experienced low and high tide and swimming is possible during both. The sand is white and fine – what a fantastic location. I was also surprised by the ease with which the resort swallowed up 100 odd people. At no time did I feel crowded. The landscaping of the resort is breathtaking. The gardens have matured over the years and so much care is taken to keep them manicured at all times. The views from the upper rooms are stunning. A glimpse of the Presidential Suite showed all the luxuries one would expect, including a personal butler.

The gym has modern equipment with views of the ocean and spa. Unfortunately I had no time to be pampered at the spa, but the layout and reception are very attractive.

The back section of La Gemma is currently under construction (not that you would notice). This is where the new Diamond Villas are being built.

Drinks at the bar are swiftly served and no doubt cocktails and beers were flying over the counters. The pool is large and has the truly blue colour as on the pictures.

Welcome dinner at night on the beach with Maasai show and live music. Buffet spread with choices for everyone. Beach band was great and most of us later moved to the Sunset lounge and bar on the jetty for more live music. What a blast!

Breakfast was served at the Pavilion Restaurant. In my opinion the buffet should be in one room: currently you get your omelette/eggs in the restaurant and then walk to a separate area near the kitchen to get toast, fruit juice etc, by which time your eggs are cold

We were all given a theme for this day and grouped into different teams the night before. Our team was Tropical Village and I was amazed how everyone enjoyed the challenge. Questionnaires had to be completed by the teams, and a slogan and presentation had to be finished by the evening. I liked this idea since it encouraged all participants to be attentive.

The spice tour was well organised by Gallery Tours and we had well-informed guides who showed us the route. We had a gentle stroll through the plantations and spices were collected in palm leaves. Personally I thought the coconut man singing from the palm tree at the end somewhat demeaning and rather a nuisance. Also the spices and perfumes sold at the end were very pricy; and it was off-putting to have kids constantly asking for sweets and tips. Rather let them do a display with their palm leaf souvenirs at the end. Zanzibar tourism should make clear that the spice tour is a paid excursion and that tourists should not be expected to give further handouts.

Lunch at Mapenzi Beach Club was a delight! I think the mock-up Garden room is great and we are looking forward to hearing when all the rooms have been redecorated. The hotel has a very friendly and welcoming feel.

Dream of Zanzibar: opening 15 December 2008. There is an amazing amount of space for this new 150 room resort, and the rooms look spacious. There are several swimming pools nestled amongst the different room categories. We eagerly await pictures of the first mock-up room.

Suggestion: if still possible have a certain amount of rooms with bath tubs and showers, again this is a special request for groups from South Africa.

There were evening cocktails at the Pavilion and a delicious seafood dinner. Then the presentations from all the different teams (Tropical Village won, it was such fun!) and an entertaining exotic fashion show.

After breakfast some of us left for Stone Town. Thank you so much for organising this tour last minute, it was an interesting morning and I am glad I did not miss it. Because of the heat, leaving early is recommended.

We arrived back in time to change for the Awards Evening. The Baobab Conference Centre is magnificent: with its modern architecture, hand-painted mural at the back of the stage and ancient Baobab. There are several fully-equipped break-away rooms and the entire centre is air-conditioned. The cultural show was great – comprising an eclectic mix of Asian and African dancing. Guest speakers were Julia, Desmond and the Minister of Tourism, with awards going to Thompson and Infinity Tours. The tropical themed Gala Dinner at the Baobab Ballroom was a huge success. Transformation into the Gala Dinner setting was done in less then 45 minutes!

Luggage collection and check-out went smoothly. Thank you for the CD with the high resolution pictures – a great tool for our advertising.

Check-in at Zanzibar International Airport was a bit slow. Departure taxes are still US$ 30 payable in cash. Immigration departure forms were already given to us at La Gemma, which made immigration bearable. The return flight to Johannesburg was comfortable, with impeccable service.

Kind regards

Rita Bachmann