Zanzibar calling: ‘Cocoa-fringed shores of the purest white’

Island dreaming? Us too…but before your brain lets you escape to faraway places, where crystal blue waters and ever-stretching white sand beaches beckon, let’s make a pact to remember that local is most certainly very lekker this summer and your travel plans (and associated budget) need not necessarily extend only to the Mediterranean.  

We’ve got Mamma Africa to thank for island getaway options aplenty, and with the allure of warm water, deep histories and a generosity of spirit that transcends borders, it is no wonder that Zanzibar and East Africa, as a whole, are being looked to more than ever before.

A famous British explorer once dubbed the spice isles as a “cocoa-fringed shore of purest white; the sea blue as a slab of lapis lazuli” and Zanzibar is all this, as well as so much more.

Sun lovers and divers are able to revel in the changing of the tides and tranquility on offer at the beach hideaways scattered around the main island, where unlike all of Europe’s coastline, you are able to turn over, without rolling onto your neighbour’s towel.

Best described as a ‘non-cookie cutter’ beach destination – one of my favourite things about the East coast of Africa and the beaches it boasts, is that you don’t need to do a resort or package deal to feel like you’ve got more bang for your buck.