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!!)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Helpful information (hopefully)
Just a few notes, some of these are obvious, some not, but knowing about them will make your time in Tanzania go more smoothly.
Language
Although there are many tribal languages spoken throughout East Africa, Swahili is the common language spoken in Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya and Uganda. English is very widely spoken in Tanzania, particulary in tourist centres, hotels, lodges and main cities.
The People
The Tanzanian people are friendly and hospitable. They are rightly proud of their country, so be sensitive as you would be anywhere in your travels. Unfortunately tourist centres such as Zanzibar suffer a degree of hassle from touts so be firm and definite in saying “no thanks” as they can be very persistent . One of the joys of Mafia, is that they don’t exist on the Island.
Tanzanian Visas
You can obtain these on arrival for most nationalities; contact us if you are in doubt.
Currency
Tanzania’s currency is Tanzanian Shillings and Cents. You will be able to change foreign exchange at the airports, or at the many bureaus that exist (DO NOT CHANGE MONEY on the streets – these are scams) and also at any other banks in the major towns. US Dollars are often favoured, and most excursions, tips, drinks and curios can be paid for in Dollars. We advise clients to take spending money in the form of US Dollars cash. Traveller’s cheques carry a service charge of at least 5%. Credit cards are also widely accepted but again subject to surcharge, as the commissions are high anything between 4 and 12%. There are no ATM's on Mafia and generally you will only find them in major cities.
Electricity
The Biomass Generator electricity supply is 240 volts.
Clothing
In Mafia one-piece or bikini swimsuits are fine on the beach or around your hotel pool, but not appropriate in the villages or outside the lodge. Topless and nude sunbathing is not acceptable anywhere and is seen as a major insult.
Baggage allowances on charter flights and small aircraft
Scheduled small aircraft flights and charters limit baggage to 15 kgs per person. Please would you also take your luggage in soft bags rather than rigid suitcases as it makes it easier to fit in the small aircraft.
HEALTH
Yellow Fever
The famous Yellow Fever vaccine is required if you have passed through a classified Yellow Fever area. We do recommend that you consult your doctor about other recommended injections, normally the advice is that Typhoid and Hepatitis injections should be taken.
Malaria
Malaria is endemic throughout Africa. There are a number of prophylactics available and be sure to obtain one from your physician and follow his directions. If, despite taking recommended drugs, you feel unwell and feverish, seek medical advice as soon as possible. If you are already in the UK, please do not forget to mention that you have been in a Malaria area.
Stomach Upsets
It is advisable to carry medication supplied by your physician for simple stomach upsets. In the first few days of your trip you may suffer from mild upsets attributable to a change in food and water.
Communications
Mobile services are present on Mafia, but not all company providers are operating on Mafia and the signal at Ras Mbisi is very poor (we have only had a signal at all for the last 18 months).
Billing and Payments by VISA or Traveller’s cheques
We cannot accept payments by credit card or traveller’s cheque on site, although we can accept credit cards through the on line booking service (no charge).
Language
Although there are many tribal languages spoken throughout East Africa, Swahili is the common language spoken in Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya and Uganda. English is very widely spoken in Tanzania, particulary in tourist centres, hotels, lodges and main cities.
The People
The Tanzanian people are friendly and hospitable. They are rightly proud of their country, so be sensitive as you would be anywhere in your travels. Unfortunately tourist centres such as Zanzibar suffer a degree of hassle from touts so be firm and definite in saying “no thanks” as they can be very persistent . One of the joys of Mafia, is that they don’t exist on the Island.
Tanzanian Visas
You can obtain these on arrival for most nationalities; contact us if you are in doubt.
Currency
Tanzania’s currency is Tanzanian Shillings and Cents. You will be able to change foreign exchange at the airports, or at the many bureaus that exist (DO NOT CHANGE MONEY on the streets – these are scams) and also at any other banks in the major towns. US Dollars are often favoured, and most excursions, tips, drinks and curios can be paid for in Dollars. We advise clients to take spending money in the form of US Dollars cash. Traveller’s cheques carry a service charge of at least 5%. Credit cards are also widely accepted but again subject to surcharge, as the commissions are high anything between 4 and 12%. There are no ATM's on Mafia and generally you will only find them in major cities.
Electricity
The Biomass Generator electricity supply is 240 volts.
Clothing
In Mafia one-piece or bikini swimsuits are fine on the beach or around your hotel pool, but not appropriate in the villages or outside the lodge. Topless and nude sunbathing is not acceptable anywhere and is seen as a major insult.
Baggage allowances on charter flights and small aircraft
Scheduled small aircraft flights and charters limit baggage to 15 kgs per person. Please would you also take your luggage in soft bags rather than rigid suitcases as it makes it easier to fit in the small aircraft.
HEALTH
Yellow Fever
The famous Yellow Fever vaccine is required if you have passed through a classified Yellow Fever area. We do recommend that you consult your doctor about other recommended injections, normally the advice is that Typhoid and Hepatitis injections should be taken.
Malaria
Malaria is endemic throughout Africa. There are a number of prophylactics available and be sure to obtain one from your physician and follow his directions. If, despite taking recommended drugs, you feel unwell and feverish, seek medical advice as soon as possible. If you are already in the UK, please do not forget to mention that you have been in a Malaria area.
Stomach Upsets
It is advisable to carry medication supplied by your physician for simple stomach upsets. In the first few days of your trip you may suffer from mild upsets attributable to a change in food and water.
Communications
Mobile services are present on Mafia, but not all company providers are operating on Mafia and the signal at Ras Mbisi is very poor (we have only had a signal at all for the last 18 months).
Billing and Payments by VISA or Traveller’s cheques
We cannot accept payments by credit card or traveller’s cheque on site, although we can accept credit cards through the on line booking service (no charge).
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Time to relax...........probably not
It's been a mad few weeks, peak season was great, lots of lovely new people to meet, plus welcoming a few return guests. January has been steady with all new faces, lots of excitement over whale sharks and island trips (we've not drawn a blank on Whale shark viewings since October). We're about to take a short family break on the mainland as we haven't had a day off since before the beginning of the season. Then full swing into February, lots of bookings, a wedding which has booked up the last 5 days of the month - and we're still getting enquiries for that period, Reservations are asking people that if it's possible to adjust plans please think about the week before or the week after, both of which still have some availability, otherwise sadly we can't accommodate you.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year
Wishing all guests and readers past, present and future a very Happy New Year. Let's hope 2011 is good to all.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Weather:
We are really lucky at Ras Mbisi, the two monsoon winds cool us for most of the year due to our being on a peninsular (Ras) which faces north.
June to mid-November – Kusi, this is the south easterly monsoon breeze, this time of year is sunny, clear but not too hot
Mid-November to early December – short rains, these are generally short showers often at night rather than in the daytime.
Early December to March – Kaskasi, this is the north easterly monsoon wind, although this period can be very hot and humid the effect of the kaskasi at Ras Mbisi is very cooling.
End of March to early June, the long (masika) rains include heavy downpours, at times for up to 48 hours at a time. We are closed during this period.
Please note, we are in the tropics, it can rain at any time, from August to late October it is very unlikely to do so but not unheard of, however rain outside of the long (masika) rainy season tends to be short heavy showers followed by bright sunshine.
June to mid-November – Kusi, this is the south easterly monsoon breeze, this time of year is sunny, clear but not too hot
Mid-November to early December – short rains, these are generally short showers often at night rather than in the daytime.
Early December to March – Kaskasi, this is the north easterly monsoon wind, although this period can be very hot and humid the effect of the kaskasi at Ras Mbisi is very cooling.
End of March to early June, the long (masika) rains include heavy downpours, at times for up to 48 hours at a time. We are closed during this period.
Please note, we are in the tropics, it can rain at any time, from August to late October it is very unlikely to do so but not unheard of, however rain outside of the long (masika) rainy season tends to be short heavy showers followed by bright sunshine.
Monday, December 13, 2010
No Charge for credit card bookings
The on-line booking system is up and running with all the 'bugs' ironed out, we have taken on the high charges imposed by the banks rather than passing them on to the client. The best things about it are that no longer do customers have to do a bank transfer with all the associated costs and they have a greater protection regarding their payments.
Other excitements include Christmas of course, I came back from the World Travel Market laden with bags containing presents for the girls, the older two can barely contain themselves, Georgy at 22 months is obviously still oblivious but I am sure will love unwrapping everything on the day! Balancing the family christmas together with putting guests needs first can be a challenge, but the girls are old enough now to understand and join in with the work knowing that they will get their time once things calm down. We're looking forward to the busiest Christmas and New Year so far, scary but so satisfying as most have come via word of mouth recommendation. We do still have a couple of rooms over New Year thanks to a last minute cancellation from a Tour Operator!
So Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to all, looking forward to 2011 and welcoming many more future friends to our remote island paradise,
with love
Ras Mbisi Lodge
Mafia Island
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