Carved doors and a spice market maze, dhows on a turquoise sea, and a reef full of turtles off the whitest sand, Zanzibar on its own terms, a slow week on the Swahili coast.
Into Stone Town, the old Swahili Arab trading city, a UNESCO labyrinth of carved doors, crumbling palaces and narrow lanes. After the flight we keep it easy, a sunset dhow on the harbour, the night food market at Forodhani, an early night.
The House of Wonders and the old Arab fort, the sobering former slave market and the cathedral above it, the Freddie Mercury house; and a spice farm tour inland, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla picked and crushed in your hand. The island that ran the spice trade.
North to the powder white beaches of Nungwi or Matemwe, the turquoise lagoon and the dhow builders on the shore. Shoes off, a first seafood feast over the water, the warm Indian Ocean and the slow tidal rhythm of the coast.
A boat to the Mnemba atoll to snorkel or dive with green turtles, dolphins and clouds of reef fish over a coral garden, the sandbars that surface at low tide. Back to the beach for a sunset and a grilled catch of the day.
A day the tide decides, a swim, a kite surf (Paje is one of the world's great spots), a spa hour, or simply the hammock and a book. The languid, unhurried Zanzibar pace, doing very little, beautifully. (overnight the coast)
The Jozani forest and its rare red colobus monkeys, the seaweed farms and the tidal flats, the famous Rock restaurant perched out in the sea, and a sunset dhow cruise with dolphins. A Swahili cooking class with the island's spices. (overnight the coast)
A last reef snorkel, a final beach day, a dhow at sunset with a cold Kilimanjaro beer. Zanzibar is the perfect slow full stop, on its own, or after a safari on the mainland. (overnight the coast)
A last morning by the ocean before your transfer to the airport. The spice island sends you home salt haired, sun warmed and slowed right down, exactly as it should.
Three ways to do the same route: Comfort, Premium or Luxe. Breakfasts in. Mix tiers city by city if you like, it is your trip.
Priced to your dates, your hotel tier and how the two of you like to travel. Ask, the first answer usually lands within minutes.
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