Planning for my recent trip to Zanzibar began at the dive Show over a drink with Paul Shepherd, owner of a dive centre on the south-east coast. This resulted in a week away with a lucky friend who, while never having dived before, really needed a break, and expected to spend her time snoozing on a sunlounger. Little did she know that she would complete her Discover Scuba course in the pool and the lagoon, and is already asking when the next diving trip is!Rising Sun is the only PADI 5-star dive centre in Zanzibar, offering excellent customer care for learners and seasoned professionals alike, so it's ideal for divers and non-divers holidaying together. On my fi rst morning, the visibility was fantastic and all we could see were fi sh, corals, sponges and our buddies, although we did encounter a few turtles and hear dolphins chatting in the distance! I spent the week underwater on two dives a day, exploring walls and coral gardens. Between dives, I honed my photographic skills, in preparation for seeing larger marine life such as stingrays, turtles, sharks and dolphins. Land-based excursions include visits to Jozani Natural Forest Reserve, home to the rare and endemic Red Colobus Monkey, the famous spice plantations, and the capital Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We enjoyed strolling through the winding alleys, past street markets and ornately carved doors, and soaking up the culture.A truly memorable week. Don't forget that it is easy to combine Zanzibar with a safari to the Selous or some much-needed relaxation after conquering Mt Kilimanjaro.Asante Sana!Breezes Beach Club & SpaHow much: From £2229 per person Duration: 9 dayswww.diveworldwide.com Search BreezesZanzibar 2009 by Sarah WightTrip reportencircled by Cuba, Jamaica and the Central American isthmus, the Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Dependency consisting of three very individual islands. Home to the capital George Town, Grand Cayman is the largest island and is a cosmopolitan melting pot with stunning beaches. Cayman Brac has the most dramatic topography of the trio, with a bluff rising along the length of the island and reaching nearly 50m, resulting in many enticing caves. Little Cayman, just ten miles long and a mile wide, is home to the famous Bloody Bay Wall Marine Park; frequently referred to as one of the world's best dive sites. Cayman has over 300 dive sites, the majority of which are located off Grand Cayman. The waters surrounding the three islands cover the peaks of a submerged mountain range and at over 1500 metres deep, they offer immense wall diving, in addition to shipwreck and shore diving. All the islands' dive sites are within a short boat ride from the shore and only one boat is permitted per dive site at a time. The water quality is superb, with underwater visibility up to 30 metres and year-round water temperatures of around 26ºC. Huge barrel sponges and swirling schools of fi sh are common off Grand Cayman, among the unspoilt reefs of gorgonians and hard corals. Divers will Come to the Caymanswith a pristine underwater world, a highly regarded marine conservation policy and an excellent safety reputation, the Cayman Islands are considered to be one of the world's top diving locations, with conditions ideal for snorkellers, families and beginner divers as well as advanced technical deepwater divers too.SPECIAL OFFER6 Talk to an expert 0845 130 6980

LIFE ABOARD: THE TAMBORA.Wreck divers will be in watery heaven in the Gaspar Strait and the islands of Bangka and Belitung, around which a dozen or more wrecks are charted for recreational diving. These include the Chinese junk Teck-Sing, known as the Titanic of South East Asia, and the British clipper Herculean, both sunk in the 1800s.If you prefer your attractions to be living, choose drift dives along steep walls alive with pelagic species in 'Big Fish Country', the bio diverse islands of the Makassar Straits between Borneo and Sulawesi, or drop in on the sharks of Raja Ampat. See the world-famous Komodo National Park or swim with mantas, barracudas, turtles and non-stinging jellyfi sh on the Pearls of Borneo voyage. The Tambora can take you across some of Indonesia's most varied and best dive sites. The choice is yours from wreck-diving adventures in Western Indonesia all the way to the hidden islands and bays along the New Guinea coast in the East.We have a 25% discount on a selection of departures from July 2010 through to March 2011, but don't snooze as this offer has limited shelf life. Pearls of BorneoHow much: From £3475 per personDuration: 16 dayswww.diveworldwide.com Search Tamboraalso see glittery silversides, French angelfi sh, tarpon, eagle rays, parrot fi sh and, at 'Stingray City', hundreds of friendly southern stingrays. Joining plentiful natural wrecks, artifi cial reef has been created off Cayman Brac, where Russian frigate MV Capt. Keith Tibbetts was sunk in 1996 under the supervision of Jean-Michel Cousteau. Summer 2010 will see the shallow depth sinking off Grand Cayman of the USS Kittiwake, a 5-deck WWII submarine rescue vessel.Snorkelling is superb around all three islands, especially the East End of Grand Cayman, where shallow water wrecks provide shelter for stunning marine life, and reefs such as Cheeseburger house several acres of vibrant coral.All three islands offer luxurious specialist accommodation, many located at the best dive sites. A favourite of ours is Compass Point on Grand Cayman, with 18 self-catering condos set on a secluded beach with a full service dive centre. To take full advantage of all three islands in one week, we recommend the Aggressor liveaboard.The Cayman Islands' dive industry aims to be carbon-neutral within fi ve years and the recent opening of one of the Caribbean's fi rst eco-dive lodges, Lighthouse Point, refl ects this ambition.On dry land, attractions include Boatswains Beach Marine Park, home to 16,000 green turtles, and The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park which houses the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme. Adventure activities such as sailing, kite surfi ng, cycling, nature trails and climbing are also plentiful. -Aggressor IV LiveaboardHow much: From £2450 per personDuration: 9 daysCompass PointHow much: £1759 per personDuration: 9 dayswww.diveworldwide.com Search CaymanOr visit us on the web www.diveworldwide.com 7this new 5-star liveaboard sail vessel has been custom-designed and built for scuba diving, accommodating a maximum of 16 passengers in eight cabins. As well as being superbly fi tted out with every possible comfort, accessory and safety feature for divers, tambora is also a particular favourite of ours because of her innovative itineraries. As pioneers of adventure scuba tourism in the Indonesian archipelago, the tambora crew will take you to dive sites exclusive to them. SPECIAL OFFERSPECIAL OFFER