More than 1 200 years have passed since the silhouettes of three-cornered Arab dhows were first spotted on the Indian Ocean waters washing Africa's Eastern shores. These traders came across an island of such pristine beauty that they filled their parchment manuscripts with tales of its picturesque sights. This scented land of coconuts  and spices was so idyllic that the Sultan of Oman decided to move the seat of his empire to these shores, whuch they names Zayn Zal Barr, meaning 'fair is the island'. Today the Zanzibar Archipelago is still bathed in the heady scents of cloves and cinnamon and traditional dhows still across the horizon.

Off teh north-eastern tip of Zanzibar lies the private andBeyond Mnemba Island, inhabited only by guests and the staff taking care of them. Just 1.5 kilometres in circumference, Mnemba is surrounded by an atoll of breath-taking coral reefs and boasts some of Africa's most magnificent dive sites.