Identity card
Formalities
Oman : passport valid for six months after the date of entry + visa issued on arrival (6 rials, around ten euros, for stays of less than 10 days).
Zanzibar : passport valid for six months after date of entry + visa requested before departure or issued on arrival ($50). Vaccination against yellow fever is compulsory.
Area code
Oman : + 968.
Zanzibar : + 255 (Tanzania); 24 (Zanzibar).
Time difference
Oman : +3 h in winter, +2 h in summer.
Zanzibar : + 2 h in winter, + 1 h in summer.
Currency
Oman : the rial (OMR). 1 euro = 0.52 OMR (June 2014). The US dollar and the euro are generally accepted in international locations.
Zanzibar : Tanzanian shilling (TZS). 1 euro = TZS 2,219 (June 2014). The US dollar is widely accepted in tourist destinations.
Best season
Oman : from November to April. Avoid the summer months, of course.
Zanzibar : equatorial climate. It can be visited all year round, except during the monsoon season from March to June.
Group size
Oman : The sultanate is perfectly equipped with hotel facilities and meeting rooms. For treks in the desert or along the route of the forts, it is best to split groups.
Zanzibar : The many hotels and resorts have all the capacities in the world. However, for practical reasons of transfer, dhow privatisation and guided tours, the destination is best reserved for exclusive groups.
How to get there
Oman Air offers four direct weekly flights between Paris CDG and Muscat, operated by Airbus A330. The service is provided by attentive staff, and the business class is particularly well looked after with seats that recline 180°. A wide choice of wines and spirits, gourmet cuisine, mobile phone and internet access on board. In economy class, legroom (86 cm) is superior to that offered by many airlines. In Muscat, the very contemporary business lounge offers a buffet with a selection of oriental and western dishes as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Economy passengers can access the lounge for a fee of €25. In 2011, the Omani airline opened a Muscat-Zanzibar route, which it operates daily on Boeing B737-800s. The journey takes five hours each way and seven on the return, including a stopover in Dar Es Salaam.
Tel: 01 47 64 21 50 Email: franceoutstation.com Internet: www.omanair.com
Air France does not offer direct flights to Muscat or Zanzibar. In contrast, its sister airline KLM offers five weekly flights from Amsterdam to the Sultanate of Oman, operated by Airbus A330-200 tri-class aircraft. The Dutch carrier also serves the Tanzanian capital Dar Es Salam with a daily flight. From there, it is possible to reach the Zanzibar archipelago by air or sea, with numerous flights and ferries operating several times a day.
Tel: 0820 320 820 (Air France) or +33 (0)9 69 36 86 05 (KLM) - Internet: www. airfrance.com or tel:+33 09 69 36 86 05 www.klm.com
For more information
Oman
Oman Tourist Office. Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman. 50, avenue d'Iéna. 75016 Paris Email: info@omantourisme.com Internet: www.omantourisme.com
Zanzibar
KTS. Tel: 01 42 68 68 08 Email: affaires@ktsvoyages.fr Internet: www.ktsaffaires.fr
Oman
Hotels
Muscat
Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa
Spectacular resort On the shores of the Gulf of Oman, the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah is brimming with oriental luxury.
Without a doubt, this hotel is one of the best in Muscat. In fact, let's face it, it's the very best! Its location, first of all: around twenty minutes from the city and 45 minutes from the airport, in the middle of nothing, that is to say set against an ochre mountain that foreshadows the desert and facing the ocean. Then there's the resort itself, or rather the resorts, as this huge hotel is a sort of three-in-one. On the one hand, the 'castle' - Al Husn - is inspired by the architecture of Omani forts, with impressive room sizes, an infinity pool, a private beach and ad hoc service. Everything is perfect, and it's just as suited to exclusive groups as it is to individual business travellers. 180 rooms and suites, library, smoking room, four bars and restaurants ranging from oriental to very contemporary. Then there's the second unit, the resort itself, a 'village' - Al Bandar - also very upmarket, but offering not only a host of restaurants and bars, but all the fun activities typical of this style of establishment. These include, in addition to a huge swimming pool, a very amusing 500-metre-long landscaped artificial watercourse - the Lazy River - which you can lazily float down perched on large inflatable buoys. The Al Bandar offers 198 rooms and suites and 11 meeting rooms, including a ballroom that can accommodate up to 850 people for a banquet. As for the Al Waha, the 'oasis', it is reserved more for families, and is therefore of little interest to business tourism groups. In total: six swimming pools, a spa, four tennis courts, a marina, a diving centre and all water sports. The Shangri-La has won numerous international awards. P.O. Box 644, Muscat 100 Tel: +968 2477 6666 Email: slmu@shangri-la.com Internet: www.shangri-la.com/muscat
A colourful market Zanzibar, the spice island of mysterious charm.
Al Bustan Palace
The gigantic Al Bustan reserves intimate corners to talk business over a local afternoon tea.
The sultanate is definitely thinking big. The mosque, of course; the opera house too. But more unexpectedly, and in proportions that also reach the limit, Al Bustan Palace opens onto a hall that could practically accommodate an A380 on its floor and the vault of Notre-Dame under its ceiling. Fortunately, a number of more intimate corners have been created here and there, including a tiny tea room that replicates, in a very luxurious way, the room that is particularly important in the Omani home. The hotel, which is of a very high standard, is also one of the best in Muscat. Including in terms of gastronomy, with a Chinese restaurant, the China Mood, and a gourmet restaurant on the terrace, the Al Khiran. 250 very luxurious rooms and suites, 16 meeting rooms and a 600-seat auditorium. The swimming pool is Olympic size and the beach, the largest private beach in Muscat, is 1 km long.. P.O Box 1998, Muscat 114 Tel: +968 24 799 666 - Email: albustan@ritzcarlton.com - Internet: www.ritzcarlton.com/albustanpalace Facebook: www.facebook.com/ AlBustanPalace.Muscat
In the desert
Desert Nights Camp
At Desert Night CampsA night in a sophisticated tent in the middle of the vastness.
A left turn from the asphalt, and there's the track. First stone, then sand. Exclusively sand... and at the foot of a dune, the magic of a camp dotted with desert trees and made up of 26 tents and a central unit. Surprise: everything is very finished, very decorative, with carpets everywhere, benches covered with multicoloured cushions, tables with a patina, curtains that sway in the wind, a restaurant serving Omani cuisine washed down with red or white wines - which go very well together - and, in addition, a lounge tent where you can slump down. Outside, it's bursting with sunshine and bright beyond belief. The tents? In fact, they're little bungalows covered in thick white sheets. It's delightful, especially as here too the decoration is in the vernacular revisited. During the day, you can go on camel or 4 x 4 excursions, and at night, you can watch the stars come out under skies that are unique in the world. A marvellous experience. Al Wasil - Tel: +968 928 18 388 or +968 994 77 266 - Email: reservations@desertnightscamp.com Internet: www.desertnightscamp.com
Cafés and restaurants
Numerous cafés line the promenade along the port, at the entrance to the souk. All are the same: plastic tables and chairs and artificial grass. That's all there is to it. We'll settle for a cup of tea, which is excellent in Oman, just for the pleasure of being there in the morning, when the sun is beating down head-on and the first onlookers are arriving at the souk. Life... On the other hand, you should avoid having lunch there, it's dreadful.
Al Angham
The elegant setting and the mildly spicy cuisine of the Al Angham showcase Romanian culture.
One of Muscat's most chic establishments. One of the newest too. And adjacent to the Opera House. One room with a precise design, another much more traditional where you sit around a very large low table, and a menu to die for, subtly enhanced by spices and condiments found only in Omani cuisine. It can be privatised. P.O. Box 20, PC 103 Tel: + 968 220 77777 Email: reservation@alanghamoman.com Internet: www.alanghamoman.com
Kargeen
This place is like no other in Muscat. In fact, it's where trendy young people come to show off, meet discreetly and smoke narghile. It has to be said that the place lends itself to this, with its nooks and crannies hidden away in the greenery, but also an air-conditioned room, a little more designer, where very simple cuisine is served. Don't hesitate to try the meat stewed in traditional ovens. The restaurant can be booked privately. P.O. Box 107, Postal Code: 118. Madinat Al Qabbos. - Tel: +968 99 253 351 Email: info@kargeencaffe.com Internet: www.kargeencaffe.com
Zanzibar
Hotels
Stone Town
Mashariki Palace Hotel
In Stone Town, every house has a story. This one, like all the others, is nothing less than the former residence of the religious leader when Zanzibar belonged to the Sultanate of Oman. And what a house it was! Now transformed into a boutique hotel with a wonderful blend of contemporary western and traditional styles, it is perfect for very exclusive groups, for example for a short seminar that is at least as exclusive. The rooms are extremely charming, some overlooking the House of Wonders, others the sea. Some have balconies overlooking the patio, while others have mezzanine floors... In short, no two are alike, but all are worth spending at least one night in. The terrace, overlooking the sea and the old town, can be made private for a very chic cocktail. A cocktail in Zanzibar... 18 rooms from 25 to 45 m2. Bar and restaurant. Meeting room for 20 people. P.O. box 3904, Shangani Zanzibar Tel: +255 (0) 24 223 72 32 Email: info@masharikipalacehotel.com Internet: www.masharikipalacehotel.com
Outdoors
Melia Zanzibar
Perched on stilts, the Melia Zanzibar's must-see Jetty Lounge can be made private.
It's an extraordinary garden, a tamed forest of coconut, almond and papaya trees where thousands of birds sing. It's a hotel stretched out along the edge of the Indian Ocean and, at the far end, a dream beach, a postcard cliché. At the centre of the resort, starting from a large landscaped swimming pool, is a very long jetty on stilts which leads to an extremely relaxed bar-restaurant - the jetty lounge - a bamboo hut built in the Zanzibar style. It's charming, the waiters are funny, the cocktails delicious and it's perfect for an incentive group. The rest is just as good, from the accommodation, which is as upmarket as it should be, to the restaurants - including the spices and especially the aqua - as well as the amphitheatre and water sports equipment. 45 minutes from the airport. 124 rooms and five categories of accommodation, including private villas with garden and infinity pool. A conference room for 200 people, four meeting rooms for 60 people, two rooms for 10 people. Five restaurants, four bars. P.O. Box 3140, Zanzibar 00200 - Tel: +255 (25) 57 85 44 77 - Email: melia.zanzibar@melia.com - Internet: www.melia.com
The Residence
Being assigned to Residence ZanzibarA sweet punishment for enjoying a refined resort.
Ah, the few hours of peace and quiet under the billowing sails of the four-poster bed! A refreshing dip in the cool waters of your private pool! The aperitif taken in small group, facing the sea, on the boards of its private terrace... The Residence could not have found a better name: with its 66 villas, perfectly isolated from each other, it is more of a private residence than a hotel establishment. And yet... its public areas are at least as glamorous as its bungalows, with a few surprises here and there - all of them good. Like the immense raised swimming pool with its glass walls, or the pontoon jutting out into the sea to a wooden hut perched on stilts that can be made private for cocktails... Or the dinners, whether candlelit on the beach, in the heart of the lush gardens, at The Pavilion restaurant or in the dining room, where, as Zanzibar is wont to do, Western cuisine is spiced up with talent. For the rest, the sea is all blue, the sand all white, the flowers are red and the coconut palms that line the beach sway gently in the wind. Needless to say, the decor is particularly refined and uncluttered, with discreet African touches here and there. The spa is exceptional. Tennis and water sports at your discretion: pedalos, kayaks, hobie cat, snorkelling... For exclusive groups, the Residence is a member of Leading Hotels of the World. Mchangamle, Kizimkazi, PO Box 2404, Zanzibar - Tel: + 255 245 555 000 Email: info-zanzibar@theresidence.com Internet: www.theresidence.com
Cafés and restaurants
Mercury's Restaurant
Last name: Mercury. First name: Freddie. Who's forgotten the famous lead singer of the band Queen, who died in 1991? No one has. But what not everyone knows is that Mr Mercury was originally from Zanzibar. In fact, his birthplace is not far from the restaurant that now bears his name, next to the port and overlooking the beach. The place, which is very popular with international clientele, is a must, especially at sunset. The decor is Zanzibarite, the white wine is excellent, and the fish dishes are impeccably fresh. Traditional music, a far cry from Queen. P.O. Box 34 35, Mizingani Road Tel: + 255 24 223 30 76 Email: mercurys@zanlink.com
The Rock Zanzibar
An hour from Stone Town, on the other side of the island. A beach and the Indian Ocean. A surreal rock so eroded that it has taken on the shape of a mushroom and, perched on top, a hut transformed into a bar-restaurant serving top-quality seafood. A few trees to make it look pretty, a roof of palms and a terrace with a view of the coral reef. At high tide: the sea. At low tide: the sand. Privatisation possible and, above all, a guaranteed success. Michamvi Pingue Tel: + 255 (0) 777 835 515 - Email: info@therockrestaurantzanzibar.com Internet: therockrestaurantzanzibar.com
Agencies and receptives
KTS France - Aya Désirs d'Orient 47-49, rue des Mathurins. 75008 Paris Tel: 0825 825 870 and 01 42 68 68 06 Email: reservation@ayavoyages.fr Website: www.ayavoyages.fr
Oman
Enjoy Oman P.O. Box 12642 - P.C. 133. Muscat, Oman - Tel : +968 24 69 91 65 Port : +968 92 8820 65 Email : enjoyoman@gmail.com
Zanzibar
Regional Tours & Safaris P.O. Box 4008 Stone Town. Zanzibar. Tanzania - Tel: + 255 24 22 34292 Email: info@regionaltours.co.tz Internet: regionaltours.co.tz
Not to be missed
Oman : the souk in the Muttrah district, old Muscat, the great Sultan Qaboos mosque, the opera house, the chic embassy districts, a dhow trip, a cocktail at the Shangri-La hotel, a picnic on a deserted beach. Away from it all: the route of the forts, a night in the desert, a swim in a wadi.
Zanzibar : the old town, the House of Wonders, the carved gates, the slave house, the prison island, a dhow ride at sunset, a cocktail at the Serena, dinner on the roof of a boutique hotel and a drink at Mercury's. Outside the city: colobus monkey, dolphin and whale watching, a visit to the spice garden and, of course, all the beach activities offered by the big resorts.
Practical guides
Oman : Oman & the United Arab Emirates - Bibliothèque du Voyageur, Gallimard.
Zanzibar : Lonely Planet, Tanzania and Zanzibar; Guide du Routard, Kenya Tanzania; Bibliothèque du Voyageur, Tanzania and Zanzibar.
