E Tourism Frontiers (& Zanzibar)

It has been a few years (20) since I last visited Zanzibar, having grown up in Dar es Salaam I had visited many times during my childhood and teens. In those days there were no hotels and we always stayed at the British High Commission house. Spring forward 20 years and Zanzibar is apparently COVERED in Hotels! Back then Stonetown was a rundown rabbit warren of streets, now it’s a World Heritage Site and masses of restoration has happened and is on-going. I have vivid memories of hiring (huge) bicycles with no gears to get around and spending most of my time flat on my back-side (and it was not as well covered back in the day).
Well I am getting to return to Zanzibar thanks to Damien and Elizabeth Cook of E Tourism Frontiers as I am one of their case studies for a series of one day workshops they are holding in East Africa. The purpose of the workshops is to promote the use of E-commerce for tourism within East Africa. On-line bookings and payments, social media, decent websites et-al.
I shall write up my Zanzibar trip on my return, I’m a bit excited, but also nervous about going back to a place I loved, although I’m hoping that as I know in advance there have been big changes it won’t be too much of a shock. In the meantime for those that are interested the remaining Workshop dates and places are as follows;
Dar Es Salaam (June 17th Kempinski Hotel),
Zanzibar (June 20th Grand Palace Hotel) ,
Arusha (June 22nd New Arusha Hotel).

Friends and links and things

Long overdue this post, I/we have had so much support from friends ‘in the biz’ or with links to it I think it’s about time I tell everyone about them

Richard Chanter of Chanters Lodge, Livingstone, Zambia - @livilodge was one of my first followers on Twitter and a staunch supporter of the Ras Mbisi ethos, we love him and can’t wait to visit – also he used to run one of my fav places in Malawi, Nkapola Lodge, I have yet to dare ask him if he remembers a 6 year old and her 3 year old brother attempting to head out onto the lake on one of the pedalo’s!

Rachel Hamada of Mambo Magazine – Mambo is an online mag for coastal Tanzania in general and the islands in particular and it’s FAB, she is also a travel journo a former political journo and has an involvement with Mustaphas Place in Bwejuu, Zanzibar – we have met a couple of times in real life and she is a fun person to spend time with as well as being quick and well informed on her specialist subjects (not to mention vocal on any subject you care to mention)

Sally Mckenna from Africa-beat.com a great resource for TZ residents and tourists alike, Sal-gal has bigged us up, given us exposure, put us up and generally been an all round good egg

Matt Bell from receptionbook.com we luurve Matt (and Adam) they maintain our website, explain complicated internet stuff (well ok not complicated just make it simple for idiots) and run our reservations system.

Ulric Charteris and his team from Roots Marketing, Dar es Salaam, the AV, the brochure all their work, we don’t just love them we want their babies 

Elizabeth Cook Tell ‘em PR in Nairobi another Twitter mate and the first to visit Ras Mbisi – we first met over (many) a glass of wine in the Level 8 bar at the Kempinski in Dar – btw I still have your mates swimming costume lovely.

Jane Alexander @exmoorjane on Twitter, follow her and read her blog, her pieces in the Telegraph, The Lady et al, she has done so much to raise awareness of us and has earned a special place in our hearts – I am still trying to combine a tour of the specialist beer producers plus ‘alternative’ health destinations in TZ so we can get her and hubby here to visit in a ‘work’ scenario 


Stay tuned – we are waiting for the photos of last Saturday’s wedding here at Ras Mbisi – an amazing and beautiful day such a treat to be involved (although I did have a few sleepless nights!!)