Zanzibar Beach Holiday

Touch down at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar and immediately feel the island's warm, fragrant embrace. Our representative meets you at arrivals and transfers you to your beachfront hotel or resort -- most properties in Nungwi or Kendwa on the north coast, where the sea is calm and clear year-round. Check in, change into something light, and take your first steps on the white sand, dipping your toes into the Indian Ocean. The evening calls for a sundowner cocktail at the beach bar as the sky turns amber and dhow silhouettes drift across the horizon, followed by a dinner of fresh Swahili-spiced seafood.

Accommodation: Nungwi / Kendwa Beach Resort (3-4 star)

Meals: Dinner

Zanzibar's UNESCO-listed Stone Town is one of East Africa's most atmospheric places and deserves a full day of exploration. Your local guide leads you through the maze of alleyways, pointing out the intricately carved wooden doors, the old Arab fort (built 1700), the ornate House of Wonders (former sultan's palace), and the bustling Darajani Market. Visit the memorial site of the former slave market -- now an Anglican cathedral -- a sobering and important historical encounter. Lunch at a local restaurant specialising in Zanzibar pizza and fresh juice. In the late afternoon, visit the birthplace of Freddie Mercury and browse the souvenir craft stalls. The Forodhani Gardens evening market opens at sunset -- a wonderful spread of local street food.

Accommodation: Nungwi / Kendwa Beach Resort (3-4 star)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning, a guided spice farm tour takes you into Zanzibar's aromatic interior, where cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, and lemongrass grow in lush abundance. Your guide plucks, grinds, and presents each spice for you to smell and taste, explaining their culinary and medicinal uses. After lunch, board a traditional wooden boat to Prison Island (Changuu Island), a 20-minute ride across the turquoise lagoon. The island houses a famous colony of giant Aldabra tortoises, some over 100 years old, which visitors can hand-feed. The surrounding reef offers excellent snorkelling. Return to your resort for the afternoon, then a sunset dhow cruise with cold drinks.

Accommodation: Nungwi / Kendwa Beach Resort (3-4 star)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

An early morning boat ride takes you to the pristine waters around Mnemba Atoll -- one of East Africa's finest marine environments. Snorkel among vast coral gardens alive with colourful reef fish, sea turtles, and the occasional reef shark. Dolphins are frequently encountered en route. Return to the beach for a long, lazy afternoon -- this is Zanzibar's gift to the traveller: time and beauty in equal measure. Hammocks, beach reading, swimming, and perhaps a beachside massage on offer. In the evening, dress for a special farewell dinner at the resort featuring Swahili cuisine: biryani, coconut fish curry, and grilled lobster, accompanied by traditional taarab music.

Accommodation: Nungwi / Kendwa Beach Resort (3-4 star)

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

A final Zanzibar breakfast, perhaps with bare feet in the sand and the sound of the Indian Ocean. Your transfer to the airport departs in good time for your flight back to Nairobi. At Abeid Amani Karume Airport, browse the duty-free shops for clove oil, vanilla pods, and zanzibar coffeehouse beans -- the best edible souvenirs the island offers. Board your flight carrying memories of white sand, turquoise water, carved doorways, and the lingering fragrance of spice.

Accommodation: N/A (departure day)

Meals: Breakfast