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Celebrate Christmas and New Year's at Africa House. More... [x]

Christmas Eve

Share the spirit of the season and join Saint Joseph's Catholic Church Choir for a Sunset Christmas Carol sing-along as Emmanuel Kazumba leads you through a jamboree of carols.

The party starts at 8pm! Rock around the Christmas Tree with Santa's Karaoke Party and lots of sparkling good cheer.

Christmas Day Chill Out

Join us at the Sunset Bar for lazy day Christmas cocktails and Sizzling Sunset Bar-B-Q. Savour a variety of fresh local seafood & quality meats marinated with our Chef's own secret recipe & char-grilled to perfection.

New Year's Eve

Indulge in the exotic flavours of our specially prepared New Year's Eve menu for an evening of fine dining in Tradewinds Restaurant. The diet starts in January so this is your last chance to indulge one last time!

The clock is ticking for an unforgettable New Year's celebration with Big Music from Big Joe entertaining all the party revellers with the best sounds this side of the Equator.

Countdown to 2014 in style in the Sunset Bar. The place to be and be seen!

Memories of the English Club

Reminiscences from a former member of the English Club (now the Africa House Hotel) who served in the colonial government before Zanzibar's independence:

"The English Club, Zanzibar, was the oldest expatriate club in East Africa. The Rules and Regulations of 1888 - the year of its foundation - state that 'it is established for the association of an unlimited number of English Residents, together with officers of the Royal Navy stationed in these waters'. At this date the Royal Navy officers from no fewer than six warships outnumbered the other members.

By the 1950s eligibility for membership was widened to include 'any British subject or American citizen of European extraction'. Extraordinary members could also be elected from other residents such as the representatives of European trading companies. Honorary membership was extended to resident members of the Universities' Mission to Central Africa, the Catholic Mission to Zanzibar, Armed Forces officers, officers of any British Cable or Merchant Ship or Civil Aircraft, and so on. There was also reciprocity with similar clubs in Nairobi, Dar es Salam and Mombasa, which was a bonus when travelling in East Africa.

Bedrooms were available for visitors, and for use by members when departing or arriving from home leave. A dining room provided meals for single members, if required, and was popular for entertaining. After garages were built at ground level, their roof formed an attractive terrace - which remained one of the most popular meeting spots in Zanzibar Town, especially for drinks at sunset. There was a billiard room and a quite extensive library. Sporting facilities were available at a separate site at the far end of Mnazi Mmoja Road, where tennis and golf were popular, together with squash, cricket and hockey.

In the latter years of the Club's existence, the fancy dress dance on New Year's Eve was a well-attended event. Among the other communities it was known that the wazungu (Europeans) would be walking through Stone Town, or arriving by car at the Club about 20.00, dressed in weird costumes, and there was always a sizeable gathering of local people to look with amusement at these strange antics.

The reader may be of the opinion that this all smacked of a monopoly of club life, but this was not so. There were Goan, Parsee, Bohora, Hindu, Ismaili, Ithnashery and other clubs, each used by a single community, whilst preserving an easy-going and relaxed contact among the various communities resident in the island."

These memories have been published in the popular Bradt Travel guide, Zanzibar, Pemba & Mafia 2009 Edition. Additional information about this publication can be found at bradt-travelguides.com.

AFRICA HOUSE HOTEL, STONE TOWN, ZANZIBAR ISLAND
P.O. Box 3246, Shangani, Stone Town, Zanzibar
Tel.: +255 (0)774 43 23 40 or +255 (0)777 212621
Email: / Skype: africahousehotel