Zanzibar · With kids

The north tip keeps swimmable depth at every tide, unlike the east coast; warm, calm and full of boats to swim out to. Ages 4+.

Two hours in the plantations inland from Stone Town, tasting and smelling as you go; guides fold palm-leaf hats and climb for coconuts. Ages 5+.

Boardwalks through mangrove and forest with red colobus monkeys directly overhead; ninety minutes, flat and shaded throughout. Ages 4+.

Twenty minutes by boat from Stone Town to giant tortoises over a century old, plus a snorkelling beach and a ruined quarantine station. Ages 4+.

The east coast empties for hundreds of metres at low tide, so check a tide table. Cover up in Stone Town and expect quiet daytime kitchens during Ramadan.