Surprise surprise, Janet and I reach our 25th Wedding Anniversary in December. In celebration we all (including Matthew) went off on a 10 day holiday to the tropical spice Island paradise of Zanzibar. I think I can rate this as the best holiday I have ever had. What a fascinating place. We flew to Dar es Salaam and then hopped over to Zanzibar Island where we stayed one night in Stone Town in a small guest house which has been converted from its original use as a "tea house", hence the name "Beit al Chai". All rooms were furnished in antiques with strong Arab influence. Even the shower cubicle appeared as though at one time it had been used by the famed Ali Barber himself !!

Stone Town must rank as one of the most fascinating towns I have ever seen. A real mix of cultures - Arab, Indian and the local Swahili which, combined with its colonial past, makes for an interesting array of architecture. One can sense that there is just so much ancient history in the island. Probably the highlight for me, was a visit to the Anglican Cathedral, which is built over the site of the old Slave Market.. (see picture) Zanzibar was also the place where Dr Livingston's body was carried by his two devoted porters in 1873......and handed over to the British consulate on the Island. We all loved wandering the narrow streets lined with myriad of shops accompanied by their varied smells of spices and incense. Stone Town is not only famed for its beautiful array of decorative wooden doors but also as the birth place of Freddie Mercury... To combat the heat, we enjoyed a glass of cold freshly squeezed sugar cane juice, flavoured with fresh ginger and lemon, all produced on the street, using what resembled an ancient clothes mangle ! By the way, did you know that Stone Town is known by this name, because it is built from coral and is now a world heritage site. The local market place was also fascinating -spices, fruit and vegetables of all types, meat and fish all accompanied by a vast variety of flies. An entomologist's dream..... all part of the atmosphere.....just so much to see and enjoy, I could go on and on.

From Stone Town we were transferred to The Zanzibar Beach Resort on the North West coast of the Island where we were to stay for the next eight days. This was a one hour high speed white knuckle drive by our trusted driver Ali, who seemed to have an uncanny sixth sense, that there was no oncoming traffic when negotiating one of the many hairpin bends on the wrong side of the road. Ali's determination also focused on the numerous potholes which he made sure were experienced rather than avoided, while the nearer the miss of one of the many Dalla Dallas (local taxis), pedestrians and chickens lining the narrow palm fringed road, the greater the thrill. This drive must rank as my best roller coaster rides ever. Oh the charm of Africa !

Having finally arrived safely at our destination, we were met with miles of unspoilt beach, waving palm trees, warm turquoise water, good food and friendly people. Matthew and I took a diving course and went Scuba diving for the first time off one of the many coral atolls. An unforgettable experience. There was something for everyone and as Janet's favourite, apart from relaxing around the crystal clear pool, was to wander the narrow streets of Stone Town. We had to return there to spend another enchanting day.

Matthew and I also made a trip on a Dhow (traditional Arab sail boat) to a sandy atoll to do some more scuba diving. It was truly awesome. (From past experience, Janet has sworn never to go on a small boat again, so did not accompany us !) We then sailed to another near- by coral fringed island for a fish braai. Heaps of crayfish, calamari, octopus, fish of every type and more. Everything deliciously fresh. This was accompanied by much ice cold "Killi" ( The local "Kilimanjaro" beer) followed by a tasting of all the different local tropical fruits. A short walk to see a 500 year old Baobab tree that had fallen over, but still living and watched over by a monster coconut crab, helped settle the stomach prior to the sail back to Zanzibar Island.

We were sorry to leave this truly enchanting place as our bodies had long past become accustomed to the gentle passing of "Island time". But all good things must come to an end.....and hey, there is always a next time !!

If your appetite has been whetted then get there soon. News is out and the developers are moving in. Experience the gentleness of Zanzibar Island and friendly people now, before it is covered by wall to wall hotels and golf courses like Mauritius.

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