Many safari goers decide to follow the safari portion of their holiday with some time relaxing on Africa’s idyllic beaches. Your days on safari are exciting, exhilarating and full of fun so it’s often nice to find yourself on a quiet beach, relaxing on bright white sands with the whisper of the ocean’s waves in your ears and not a care in the world. No matter where you go in Africa for your safari, there’s a way to combine a beach element in too.
Take a look at the three beach options below to give you an idea of what’s possible for safari and beach holidays:
Zanzibar
The island of Zanzibar is wonderful beach destination if you’ve been on safari in East Africa. The coastline and beaches are beautiful and there are lots of opportunities to try out water sports, take lazy dhow cruises at sunset and to relax on the powder soft beaches but this is also an island brimming with culture. Explore the winding streets of the historical Stone Town, visit the spice plantations and learn more about the former slave trade. There’s wildlife here too, including monkey species and its famous giant tortoises.
Mauritius
Mauritius is a smart beach destination with top hotels where you’ll find lots of great facilities and polished, precise 5 star service and excellent food. The beaches here are beautiful with some stunning coral reefs beneath the clear, turquoise waters. It’s an ideal place for lovers of water sports and also has superb golfing opportunities. Mauritius combines well with the southern countries in Africa: Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and Botswana.
Malawi
If moving from one country to another doesn’t take your fancy, you could always relax by one of Africa’s gigantic lakes. Lake Malawi, in particular, is a good option. Sometimes called Malawi’s inland sea, the lake has sandy shores and clear waters and makes the perfect beach alternative. There are some fantastic lake hideaways where you can enjoy delicious food and refreshing cocktails as well as trying your hand at snorkelling, diving, kayaking and other water sports. As mentioned earlier, a stay at Lake Malawi works perfectly with a safari in the same country, but you could also look at combining it with other countries too.