Spice Islands of Zanzibar & Mozambique

Day 1. Depart the UK for Zanzibar via Dar es Salaam or Nairobi

Day 2. Zanzibar Island, 6-nights [B, D]

Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel

Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel, located on the northern tip of Zanzibar where the best diving in the country can be found, is a unique beach hotel built from natural materials on an expanse of beach wilderness. All 54 en-suite rooms are tastefully decorated in local style with four-poster beds, ceiling fans, mosquito nets and balconies. Choose from garden view lodge rooms to superior chalet rooms with air-conditioning and ocean views. Activities include water-skiing, windsurfing, snorkelling, volleyball, fishing and day trips around the island. The proximity and variety of the surrounding reefs make Ras Nungwi the perfect diving destination, and the hotel has an on-site, fully equipped dive centre.

The Palms

The ultimate 'get-away' retreat for the discerning traveller, The Palms has received many awards and plaudits. An atmosphere of relaxed, understated elegance pervades: six meticulously designed villas each have their own banda (beach hut), fronting the pristine white beach. Facilities are beautifully appointed, and include swimming pool, dining room, pool bar, Sanctuary Spa and internet facilities - nearby is a fitness centre, floodlit tennis court, marine activities centre and a PADI dive centre. Note, the minimum age requirement is sixteen years.

Day 8. Fly via Dar es Salaam to Pemba, Northern Mozambique, 1-night [B, D]

Day 9. Quirimba Archipelago, 7-nights [HB or AI see hotel choice]

Matemo Island

Just eight kilometres long and three kilometres wide Matemo Island Resort is found in the heart of the Quirimbas. The resort offers 24 thatched airconditioned chalets within 10 metres of the beach. All have en-suite bathrooms, outdoor showers, a mini-bar and verandahs - complete with hammock and day bed, perfect for watching the world go by! Facilities include bar and restaurant, swimming pool and dive centre, and a water taxi to Ibo Island for a cultural experience. For a real treat, stroll along the Western beach and see Flamingos preening and feasting themselves in the shallow waters. Diving is pristine with new sites being discovered all the time, and plentiful reefs, just minutes from the island, offer a spectacular array of fish and coral.

Quilalea

Accommodation at Quilalea is a haven of secluded luxury. Guests stay in nine large, 'island villas', each with enormous windows to better appreciate sea views and breezes. Natural rock walls, makuti thatch and colonial ceiling fans keep you cool by day, while a king-size bed draped in a romantic net completes the African/Arabian luxury. At the north end of the island is the restaurant, set on a peninsula and offering fabulous ocean views to both the west and the east. Amongst activities available on Quilalea is to charter the Kiraku, an 11 metre yacht, and to sail around the Quirimbas - either for a few hours, the day or stay for a few nights on a diving package.

Day 16. Depart the Quirimbas for the UK via Dar es Salaam [B]

Day 17. Arrive home

Other suggested combinations include: Quilalea, Mozambique & Fundu Lagoon on Pemba Island, Tanzania Kinasi Lodge, Mafia Island & Medjumbe Island, Mozambique. Or alternatively why not add a safari in Selous Game Reserve to your island hideaways?