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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!

The Majlis

Experience the delights of traditional Arabic Shisha in true Arabian style. Have you ever wondered about the origin of this unusual method of smoking tobacco?

Some refer to it as Hubble Bubble, others Hookah but in the Middle East this centuries-old water pipe is known as Shisha. The Shisha, initially made out of coconut shell, originated in India. Its popularity spread to Iran and then to the rest of the Arab world. During the 17th century in Turkey, the Shisha completed its revolution, and hasn't really changed since. Friends and families, men and women, students and old people get together to puff away the day's stress, enjoying the peaceful sound of bubbling water and an atmosphere of quiet contemplation.

Tobacco leaves from America first arrived in Turkey in 1601 and the Shisha became an important part of the coffee shop culture. Its popularity grew rapidly during the reign of Sultan Murad IV, this infuriated the Sultan and resulted in the Shisha being banned. The prohibition drove the smokers underground and officials finally lifted the ban 14 years later. Shishas soon became important status symbols, widely enjoyed throughout the Middle East, India and North Africa. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, it became fashionable to be photographed smoking Shisha at afternoon circles and intellectual gatherings. Offering a Shisha to a guest became an important sign of trust and withholding it could be taken as a serious insult. In 1841 a diplomatic crisis broke out between France and the Ottoman Empire after the Sultan declined to offer the French ambassador a chance to smoke with him! The early smokers preferred the dark tobacco that was imported from Iran, this tobacco needed to be washed several times before use due to its strength. To add flavor some smokers would add pomegranate juice or rose oil to the water.

Nowadays the most popular tobacco is the fruit flavoured variety, this is typically soaked in molasses or apple juice and is imported from Bahrain or Egypt. The prepared Shisha is brought to the customer followed by a waiter carrying a pot of glowing coals. The coals are carefully placed on top of the tobacco plug and with a few puffs the customer is under way. The smoke is noticeably cooler than cigarette smoke and before long, the water begins to turn brown. The smokers say it is filtering out many of the harmful substances that they would otherwise be inhaling. To the uninitiated viewer, this looks like an art form and Shisha smokers believe they have a much more balanced approach of life. Cigarette smokers, on the other hand, are deemed to be more nervous competitive types.

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