Ace-Spa-Retreats

Spas and retreats: Yoga on the island of Zanzibar

Bust a move on the magical island of Zanzibar says Elizabeth Al Maskary

Marisa Van Vurren arrived on the‘spice island’ of Zanzibar eight yearsago and immediately fell in love
The African archipelago, 37km off the coast of Tanzania,is the epitome of paradise. Once the gateway to all the trade routes, Zanzibar now attracts a diverse range of visitors from all over the world; yoga lovers,backpackers, academics and honeymooners, all connected over their enduring love for the island.What’s more, it is the ideal place for yoga; the strong colours and sounds are a balsam for the soul, and the contrast with our hectic western lifestyle couldn’t be bigger. A certified yoga instructor herself, Marisa now teaches a vibrant blend of styles including hatha yoga(based on the primary series sequence of ashtanga yoga) at a retreat on the stunning north west part of the island.

Paradise lost

After a long flight we felt like intrepid explorers aswe drove past villages, lush green jungle andforests to Nungwi, arguably the most beautiful ofZanzibar’s beaches, ostensibly a fishing village andfamous for its boat building and now a popularholiday destination

At Flame Tree Cottages, a private beach hotel built and owned by a Zanzibari/Scottish couple, we were met by smiling staff bearing freshly-squeezed passion fruit juice and we soon felt completely at home. A restaurant and mosaic tiled swimming pool lay among the lush lawns, flowerbeds,banana trees and coconut palms, and we were mere steps from the startling azure blue of the Indian Ocean. We were immediately struck by the tranquillity and mix of home-style bohemia andromantic getaway. Pole, poleis an expression finely ingrained into the Swahili culture, simply meaning, ‘go slow’ and we fully embraced this mantra, by immediately diving into the traditionalZanzibar style wooden beds in our dreamy beach-front cottage (one of 16 on the property) and promptly falling asleep.

Yoga for all

The next morning we walked sleepily over to the garden pavilion for morning yoga where Marisa was there to welcome us, with a beaming smile. “Yoga’s direct positive effect on the body and mind transforms our relationship with ourselves and the world we live in,” she explains. “Yoga, simply put, is practical psychology. It gives us the tools to cope with daily life and its challenges.

Our small group took two one and half hour sessions of yoga daily. We practised asanas(postures), pranayama (breathing techniques),meditation and relaxation. Marisa is incredibly attentive and almost without noticing it your body and mind adjust and correct instinctively each session to perfect your postures. A week on and there was a tangible improvement.

Afterwards we strolled along the pristine white beach to the turtle sanctuary and watched the fishermen assemble their nets and prepare the dhows for the day’s catch. Women sat sheltered from the strong morning sun, under palms, braiding baskets from dried reed. Small children walked barefoot out to the reef, picking shells and other treasures uncovered by the retreating tide.

Later in the week we tried scuba diving, with local dive centre, Divine Diving. Marisa assured us that breathing underwater is a great complement to our yoga and this proved to be right. It didn’t hurt that we were a short boat trip away from the word class dive site, Mnemba Atol. Our week also included a sunset sail in a traditional sailing dhow,and a tour of Stone Town, the fascinating old town and UNESCO World Heritage site.

We would gather on the rooftopterrace overlooking the ocean forthe afternoon yoga class

Sunset yoga

The afternoon yoga session was one of my favourite times. We would gather on the rooftop overlooking the ocean, with the tops of the flame trees at eye level and the faint outline of the mainland on the horizon in the distance. We heard the muezzin calling for prayer as we practised the headstand and shoulder stand.The meditation left us serene and composed,rooted, and reluctant to leave as the colours of the sky deepened. We spent time working on postures we struggled with or learning new postures to sighs of admiration or occasionally cries of laughter. Afterwards we grabbed our swimming costumes and headed out the gate fora magical moonlight swim.

Later in the evening we would sit outside to eat dinner by candlelight, our table perched on the sand.The food was fresh and delicious, all sourced locally.Something for everyone, nutritious home made vegetarian options, Swahili curry, beans and stews and an abundance of fabulous freshly caught fish and seafood with European dishes on offer. Our last day was full of goodbyes and hugs… The office seemed a long way away after a week in paradise. We headed back bronzed and smiling,completely rejuvenated and plotting our return!