Its not always 5 star hotels, beach clubs and luxury for BTR……....
sometimes you need to embrace a more rural experience when travelling and visiting Zanzibar was one of those times that Mrs BTR and I did so.
Zanzibar was intended to be a cheap (with an expensive 3 weeks in the USA coming up this summer) week away - relax, chill out and really not do a lots.....so what was needed? Beach, pool, beauty and food! We did not need an expensive hotel, spa or the other luxuries that we often enjoy in Dubai anyway.
We opted for Cristal Resort (and Spa - if your counting the full name) , Paje – A small collection of beach huts right on the Paje beach, located to nearby restaurants and after reading reviews hoped was just right for us.
We opted for Cristal Resort (and Spa - if your counting the full name) , Paje – A small collection of beach huts right on the Paje beach, located to near by restaurants and after reading reviews was just right for us.
Arrival - We were met at Zanzibar airport by the hotel driver who I had pre-arranged to pick us up. Paje, and our resort is about 45 minutes from the airport. The staff from the moment we arrived to leaving were AMAZING and are probably the hotels biggest asset. Our case was taken up the car arrival area to reception, and then onto our beach hut – B7. The reception is the main (only) area within the resort – here you also have the restaurant and pool the other side of a small wooden divide.
Beach Hut – We opted for the Beach Hut, as opposed to “Eco Lodge” which I believe do not have air conditioning, only a fan – but do look nicer from the outside. Mrs BTR and I were allocated B7 – which was perfect, and looked straight towards the beach and sea. If you are staying here I would seriously recommend you request B7 or B8 – as they have the best view of all the accommodation.
The beach hut is basic, rural, but this is Zanzibar….Africa, not Dubai or the Maldives and is a lovely way to enjoy some time closer to nature and a rustic experience. The hut is well sized, had a big enough double bed which had an effective mosquito net – not that we experienced too many to be honest. The bathroom is basic, a tap with shower extension within what is essentially a wet-room. The water was always warm, but sometimes the pressure was weak and couldn’t power through the shower pipe so well.....
A safe is provided within the room, which was easy to use and there is also some shelving for clothes, as well as 5/6 hangers. The greatest thing about this beach hut was the view it provided every morning and night – whether it was the sunrise or moon over the water and being able to practically jump from bed to beach.
Beach and Pool – The beach and pool are fantastic! The beach is beautiful, sand is soft and compares to what BTR experienced in the Maldives. The tide goes out really far at times, whilst also returning really high up the beach, being able to watch kite surfers most afternoons. The hotel sun-beds are covered by umbrellas (essential under the strong African sun) and the hotel staff were great at bringing the required mattress for the sun-bed. These sun-beds are not your adaptable height type – merely home-made wooden ones that suit the hotel and setting. The pool temperature was perfect during our stay and is well located, with sun-beds placed around the pool.
There are some angles in which you can see the palm trees and beach from the pool, but there is a bush going around the pool edge (after the tiles) that blocks a full view of the beach from inside the pool. My one recommendation would be that it would look even better if the bush was removed – providing the beach and palm tree back drop whilst in the pool….but maybe the bush is in place to protect the pool from sand blowing up from the beach?
Location – The resort is well situated on Paje Beach with eateries both North and South of its location. It is the perfect location to walk either way and enjoy afternoon drinks, snacks or dinners. BTR required some extra cash whilst in Zanzibar and VERY LUCKILY there is a cash point at the petrol station in Paje (10 minute walk) …..however, if you not in this area and need cash you would have to drive to Stone Town (40 minutes away) so I suggest to anyone visiting – TAKE ENOUGH CASH! BTR found the location of Cristal perfect, it wasn’t too far from the airport, we visited The Rock (restaurant on a rock) and also able to visit dolphin village where we completed a wild dolphin trip.
Restaurant and Food – The food and drink was OK at Cristal Resort……..However BTR was slightly disappointed with the food overall whilst in Zanzibar to be honest so not just a reflection on them. The drinks (beers, shakes and smoothies) we enjoyed around the pool were very good, and as stated were provided with excellent service – the staff were always very friendly. The food from Cristal’s restaurant has the same problem we found at other establishments – trying to cater for too wide an audience, offering pizza, pasta, Thai or Chinese food when in reality people (BTR at least) would prefer good local food – African rice, local fish and meats. We had one dinner at Cristal, Mrs BTR did enjoy the Tom Yum Soup, but the Pad Thai is not quite Pad Thai to be honest. The Beef Samosa that I enjoyed for starter was good and could tell it had been freshly prepared.
BTR also ordered the Squid tempura, but I am pretty sure it was not fresh (as hoped) – thick batter and looked like it was out of a freezer pack. The breakfast was fresh fruit every morning, and delightful – even if there could be more of a range….always accompanied by pancakes, and a choice of egg on request. Plenty of food to start the day – no major complaints.
Overall – A wonderful hotel if your are willing to go back to basics to be in a beautiful setting. The staff are amazing and were very friendly. The beaches are beautiful, waters clear and perfect place to chill out whilst enjoying afternoon strolls along the beach.
Check out all the highlights of this fabulous hotel in the video below: