Tanzania & Zanzibar: Day Seventeen: Tanzania to Zanzibar

During the night we again heard lions roaring, plus the sound of hyenas calling. we also heard something munching around just outside our tent, but couldn't spot what it was. From the tracks seen in the morning it looked to be giraffe or impala, probably the latter. On our way to the airstrip we obtained our final game viewing shots - of a large herd of impala (camera icon), and a giraffe (camera icon) (no lions?).

It had obviously been raining overnight at the airstrip (as indeed it later turned out to be in both Dar and on Zanzibar as well), and we flew to Dar, making two stops en route in the Selous to drop off other passengers.

On our arrival in Zanzibar mid afternoon there was nobody there to meet us, but a desperate call back to my office in the UK, on my fast-fading mobile phone battery, eventually yielded transport to our first destination here - Echo Beach Hotel.

Echo Beach is probably my favourite place to stay on Zanzibar. There are just nine individually designed en-suite rooms (camera icon), all facing the sea and surrounded by pretty gardens (camera icon). Total relaxation is the key, with a beautiful swimming pool on hand, or the idyllic beach and ocean just beyond (camera icon).

However its best feature has to be the food which is produced using fresh local produce by the hotel’s owner – a French trained chef. It is probably the best food I’ve ever had in Africa. You can also sit and relax with a cool drink in the adjacent lounge/bar area.

Diving, snorkelling, boat trips and spice tours can be arranged, and beauty treatments are also on offer.

In contrast to this diary's reporting of a multitude of game sightings (including the occasional lion) during the Tanzanian mainland part of the trip, the main purpose of staying on Zanzibar is to relax in perfect surroundings - which doesn't lend itself to taking a multitude of pictures, or having very much to write about.

However, not only am I not one for lying down doing nothing for very long - although if I had to do so then this is the place that I would choose to do it - but also, as a Tour Operator, my job is to explore some of the various excursions and other attractions that can be found here, and therefore some space will be given to these. It's tough work - but somebody has to do it!

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