Client Blog: Maria and Allan's Zanzibar adventure

Zanzibar had been on our hit list for years. Most people tag it onto a safari, but having honeymooned in South Africa, we wanted it as a standalone trip - somewhere warm and exotic to escape the start of winter without needing to do too much exploring.

What we didn't account for were the Tanzanian elections. Two weeks before departure, the UK Government advised against all travel to Tanzania. The advice was only lifted four days before we flew, so we travelled with some trepidation. We needn't have worried - everything was normal on the island, the locals were welcoming and relaxed, and the most common phrase we heard was "Hakuna Matata" - no problem in Swahili!

November is shoulder season, but apart from a wet morning on arrival, we had fantastic sunshine throughout.

We allocated two weeks and split our time between three locations to get a varied experience.

The key thing to know when planning for Zanzibar is that most of the coastline has big tidal differences. A long reef off the east coast creates a shallow rocky lagoon, so swimming from the beach at low tide isn't really an option.

Kendwa - Northwest Corner

If you want to swim directly from the beach in turquoise water, the northwest corner is perfect. The sea at Kendwa was heavenly - warm and clear. We stayed at the Sansi Kendwa Hotel, which had a fishing village to one side. Watching the local fishermen bring in their catch at sunset was fabulous.

The hotel was fairly lively with evening entertainment, but the local area was quiet after dusk. We enjoyed walking along the beach to other restaurants. (Nungwi up the coast is apparently livelier if that's what you're after).

Kizimkazi – South

Our second base was Karamba Eco Boutique Hotel in Kizimkazi. Idyllically located with a beach to one side and thatched cottages along low cliffs - incredible sunsets over the sea. There was significant tidal difference here with rocky reef in the distance, but sandy enough to swim most of the time. Beautiful floral grounds and plenty of places to chill. So peaceful. Nowhere to walk to locally, but the hotel food was good and we were only there three nights.

We took a sunrise boat trip on Allan's birthday to swim with dolphins - found them just five minutes offshore! We also had time for lovely snorkelling before heading back.

En route to Kizimkazi, our driver stopped at Jozani National Park for a guided tour to see the red colobus monkeys. We needn't have bothered - they frequented the hotel terrace daily! Especially amusing watching the baby's antics.

Kigomani - Northeast Corner

Our final six nights were at Alladin Beach Hotel and Spa in Kigomani - the most comfortable of the three. Being on the east coast with low tide in early afternoon, we couldn't swim from the beach, but it had an excellent pool and we still enjoyed beach walks. You do get approached by beach vendors in Zanzibar, but they're friendly and a polite "hapana asante" (no thank you) works with anyone persistent.

From here, we took an afternoon taxi to Stone Town for a guided tour (we can now tick off Freddie Mercury's childhood home!), then enjoyed cocktails by the waterfront at sunset watching the impressive Zanzibar Flippers perform somersaults on the beach for tips, before dinner at the buzzing Cape Town Fish Market restaurant over the water.

Swimming with dolphins off Mnemba Island

This was extraordinary and the highlight of our holiday. We'd read that too many boats chase the dolphins, but the hotel's French manager said afternoon trips are much quieter. We booked a private boat at 2pm and found six very chilled dolphins, seemingly busy flirting with each other and completely unbothered by us! We managed to capture them on video.

There were only two or three other small boats, and no chasing. We were in the water with them for about 45 minutes, sometimes within touching distance. The colour and clarity of the water made it even more special.

Yet another memorable holiday facilitated by Jenny! When we first outlined our hotel choices, she worked out the most economical way of ordering and booking them to fit our budget and dates. It was also a comfort having her on standby during the election uncertainty. We'd got to the stage of agreeing an alternative last-minute holiday to Thailand, which she was ready to implement if needed. I'm sure she was as relieved as we were not to have to action that at three days' notice!