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Matemwe Retreat, Zanzibar

Zanzibar. The name alone conjures up a mystical, far-off land with exotic charm. This island off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean has such a rich history of sultans and slave traders and spices markets. It’s all a bit surreal.

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I am sweaty and a bit weary after the flight over from the mainland, then a one-hour drive to the northeast coast of Zanzibar, to Matemwe Beach where I will relax and unwind for two days after doing a safari in the Serengeti. Happy as always to be handed a fresh fruit drink and a refreshing cool towel upon arrival, I leave the regular world behind and enter Matemwe Retreat. Once escorted to my secluded “villa” my jaw drops. What I thought was a public outdoor lounge area is actually mine, all mine.

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My secluded home, “Safina,” is one of four on the property, as well as a lodge of 12 stand-alone rooms, and one private beach house. The open-air villa has shuttered doors all around leading out to a gorgeous, wooden veranda complete with thatched roof, hammock, several couches and seating areas, and an outdoor bar made from what looks like the dhow (traditional Swahili wooden boat) that ply the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean below, which I can see from my deck. Local craftsman built all the villas and most of the furniture was made from locally produced coconut wood.

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It’s not a tent by any means, but the open air and exposure to all the humidity, heat, (and yes bugs—wasps and bees as big as hummingbirds) can make it feel like camping, if camping was living in a massive wooden and terra cotta-washed concrete domain.

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The bedroom and bathrooms are huge and the entire villa is adorned with local touches including gorgeous Arabian-style glass and metal lanterns. Just up a spiral wooden staircase reveals another jaw-dropping surprise—an amazing rooftop terrace with plunge pool, lounge chairs, a large sectional couch and room for a party with 30 of my closest Tanzanian friends, if I had any.

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“Anything you need, you just call me,” says Zuberi my dedicated butler during my stay. He’s from Pemba (another island nearby) and has worked for Asilia, the company that owns Matemwe Retreat for several years. He says he loves his job and has the ability to transfer to other properties they have on mainland Tanzania or Kenya for a change of pace.

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At dinnertime, Zuberi arrives to escort me to the central, open-air dining room restaurant for a special twice-weekly BBQ night. There’s an outdoor bar with comfy sofa seating areas and lanterns all around. It’s a luxurious place, but with a quiet, laid-back vibe that doesn’t take itself too seriously. For all my other meals, I just stay at “home.” I’m thrilled with the idea of just doing nothing…and mostly enjoying my “villa” life for my short visit here.

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For my in-house dining, Zuberi brings my meals right to me to eat on my veranda. I’m spoiled with wonderful French-press coffee, fresh, local fruit, eggs-my way, and anything I want for breakfast. Just watch out for the local crows! These big birds are crafty and the one time I step away from my table to grab my camera, they swoop down and nab my rolls. Zuberi says they’ll eat anything and, he’s right as I later see one dipping his beak into my coffee. Lunch varies, but I enjoy a delicious quiche served on top of some of the tastiest roasted vegetables I’ve ever had. At dinner, I opt for soup, seafood and cous cous and vegetables. And of course, there’s a mini-bar stocked with all the beer and wine I could ever want.

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I have trouble leaving my oasis for the two days, but if I wanted to there are also snorkeling trips, a reef walk, sailing, kayaking, fishing trips, and kite surfing. Beach access is just a short stroll down two different paths on the property. Locals are out every day fishing and looking for octopus and other seafood in the shallow waters.

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I spend much of my time upstairs lounging by the pool. It’s bliss and an amazing romantic getaway, as honeymooners often come here. Next time I’ll just have to not come alone!

Lisa Lubin is an established travel/food writer, three-time Emmy®-award winning TV producer, and travel industry expert. After a decade in broadcast television she took a sabbatical, which turned into three years traveling around the world. She documents her (mis)adventures on her blog, LLworldtour.com. You can follow her adventures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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From Camp Food To Glamp Food

Sure, the idea of cooking over a campfire can sound romantic — but really think about it. Step one: you’ll need to light a fire. For the semi-capable outdoors men, this should be a walk in the park. Well, except for the fact that you’ll most likely need to haul in your own firewood, and that’s if the area you’re camping in allows campfires in the first place. Next up: the food. Depending on how gourmet you want to get (a can of beans and a hot dog just won’t cut it), you’ll need to plan a campfire friendly menu and bring all the supplies with you, most likely in a heavy cooler. Exhausted yet? Don’t worry, I won’t even talk about the pots, pans, utensils and how to clean them all after they’re dirty. The answer to your camp cooking dilemma — glamping.

Yes — while roughing it on your own in the woods (including cooking your own meals) can be a rewarding experience, why not elevate your next camping trip to a glamping trip and sit back and relax while your camp butler toasts you the perfect marshmallow for your s’more. And yes, I just said camp butler.

Now that I have your attention, here are just four (of endless) glamping dining experiences worth salivating over. But proceed with caution; you’re likely to never pull out that old camp stove again after reading about these:

PHOTO 1 - PAWS UP
The Resort at Paws Up, a 35,000 acre ranch in southwestern Montana, is a culinary beacon within one of America’s most wild settings. Aside from the series of culinary events which Paws Up put on every year, like Montana Master Grillers and Montana Master Chefs, the property offers dining experiences that’ll “wow” even the most seasoned glamper. During warm weather months, you’ll be treated to a massive buffet lunch at Chuck Wagon, an outdoor dining are set along the crystal clear Blackfoot River, where chefs smoke and grill every kind of meat imaginable. Back at your luxury campsite, your camp chef will whip up a gourmet dinner and your camp butler will toast you the perfect marshmallow for your s’more.

PHOTO 2 - LONGITUDE 131
Australia’s outback is one of the world’s most unforgiving places — except if you’re staying at Longitude 131. As the outback’s premier luxury glamping destination, Longitude 131 offers plush accommodations, views of Uluru (a.k.a. Ayers Rock, the sacred site for resident Aboriginals) and one of Australia’s most memorable dining experiences. Dinner at Table 131° will find you and your dining partner sitting at a private outdoor table while the sun sets, candles flicker and one of the most stunning starry skies reveals itself above you. While it may be hard to concentrate on the food, you’ll be treated to a delicious three course meal and plenty of fine Australian wine.

PHOTO 3 - FINCA BELLAVISTA BY ANDERS BIRCH
Nestled deep in the Costa Rican rainforest, Finca Bellavista is comprised of a series of tree houses located high in the tree tops where guests zoom by on zip lines and local flora and fauna serve as entertainment. But back on the ground, Finca Bellavista takes their food seriously. To get in touch with mother earth (as if living in a tree wasn’t enough) you’ll be able to tour and tend to the property’s substantial gardens with a resident gardener. After harvesting a selection of the day’s bounty, you’ll then head to the community kitchen for a cooking class where a chef will teach you how to make empanadas, picadillo, soups and more using your garden fresh ingredients.

PHOTO 4 - FOUR SEASONS BORA BORA
It’s no surprise that Four Seasons Bora Bora, a resort that is synonymous with the word honeymoon, is home to some of the world’s most romantic dining experiences. While private dining can be arranged in your over-water bungalow or on a secluded stretch of beach, for the most romantic dinner in the South Pacific you’ll want to choose the Four Seasons Bora Bora’s private island dinner experience. You and that special someone will be rowed by canoe to a small private island where champagne and canapés await. As the sun sets, you’ll be treated to a decadent meal created specifically by the Executive Chef after a previously arranged personal consultation. And as if the night couldn’t get any more spectacular, you’ll end your meal watching a private Polynesian fire dance performance.

Photo Credits: The Resort at Paws Up, Longitude 131, Finca Bellavista by Anders Berch, Four Seasons Bora Bora.

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Glamping on the Wild Side

Glamping is an adventure if anything, and if you are looking for ideas that are offbeat, unusual, or maybe even downright strange, you have a choice of unusual glamping accommodations around the world. Interestingly, the highest concentration of the truly offbeat seems to be in Europe, and in the UK in particular.

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We’ll start off in Asia, where Casa de la Flora offers something unusual, intriguing, and highly luxurious. If you want your weird on the outside, but want it luxurious and modern on the inside, you’ll be happy with these cutting-edge cubes providing “architecture and unique design amid tropical nature.” The architects pay tribute to the namesake “flora” with living grass carpets covering the roofs of the villas.

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From cubes to pods: Whitepod eco-luxury hotel and alpine experience blends the unusual with the natural seamlessly. The pods truly look like they belong in the landscape, especially in winter, when guests of this four-season resort can take advantage of the private ski slopes and dog sledding.

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For a true “man cave” experience, check out Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita in Italy, an amazing hotel of caves in the village of Matera in southern Italy. The proprietors of these ancient caves take their luxury seriously, going so far as to say, “Prehistoric man might never have ventured outside the caves if they had bathrooms like these.”

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Wagon ho! You won’t find the next two wagon accommodations on the frontier of the American West as you might expect. This first one, featuring a “gypsy wagon” as well as a “shepherd’s hut,” a “horse lorry,” and a “love shack” is located near Banbury, England, about an hour and thirty minutes drive northwest of London, should you decide to travel by modern vehicle.

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You’ll find another wagon spot in New Zealand. The hosts of Wagonstays, Mike and Jasmine want you to know that their wagon has “all the authenticity and atmosphere from 1870, but with the comfort and luxury of home,” which is in evidence with satellite television, computer controlled showers, and glass doors that lead to a balcony.

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You’ve heard of pods and tree houses, but how about a pod in a tree? These glamping globes are referred to as “tree tents,” with the Red Kite Tree Tent resort found where else but the UK, this time in Wales. One look at it and you’ll immediately see how this round rental would make any Ewok envious. You can learn more by reading a previous blog entry by Kelly Thomson.

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Next up is Ecocamp Glenshee, another UK property that relishes the offbeat accommodation, with a myriad of oddball abodes from which to choose: wooden pods, a “monster” yurt, and “shielings,” or shepherd’s huts, which are found here in the beautiful wilds of Scotland. The Monster Yurt is furnished with “mementos from the Near East,” and Shieling Mohr has a llama theme, and you can go llama trekking with resident llamas Jet, Atticus, and Bradford.

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If all these choices aren’t enough to decide, you can go to the Glamping.com listing of Canopy & Stars, “a colourful collection of quirky accommodation.” These curators of crazy crash pads list glamping properties across much of Europe, and feature wonderfully oddball accommodations ranging from hobbit houses and tree houses to boats, pods, and even a big green bus! No matter how you go glamping, it’s an adventure, so why be normal? Indulge your inner glamping geek at any of these offbeat accommodations.