zanzibar retreats After an action-packed East African safari, with early morning starts and long safari drives nothing beats a bit of downtime on the glorious beaches of the Indian Ocean as a relaxing epitaph to the thrills of the savannah. You could easily split a two-week holiday into equal measures of wildlife wonder and the tropical island idyll. Within just an hour’s flightime of Nairobi (Kenya) and Arusha (Tanzania) the islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago offer an exotic, turquoise sea/white sand equatorial destination. It was once a thriving arab trader outpost so important that it was called the ‘Gateway to Africa’ . In 1840 Sultan Said bin Sultan Al-Said of Oman moved his seat from Muscat to Zanzibar. A rich and exotic legacy is reflected most clearly in the narrow winding alleys of Stone Town, the traditional quarter of the Capital, Zanzibar. Whilst the best beaches are to be found on the main island of Ubunja, Pemba Island to the north remains less developed and is the location of the barefoot hideaway of Fundu Lagoon. For safari travellers who may have become accustomed to small scale operations then we would definitely recommend keeping with the exclusive and private approach by considering any of a number of stunning boutique chic beach and private island retreats, but if you want to finish off with a full-service resort then you will also not be disappointed. The best months for silky, sunny weather tends to be between July and October although December and January are also popular months. 16
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