Pampered

Most of the lodges or camps at which we have stayed during our visits to Tanzania have set out to make their guests feel relaxed, and none does it better than a small lodge south of Dar-es-Salaam called Ras Kutani. This is well illustrated by the loungers on the beach, set in pairs well apart and each with a woven matting awning. The loungers and tables are made by local craftsmen and are very comfortable.

Being a guest at such a place is a horribly pampered existence. Take, for example, the little blue flag lying on the sand. To order another drink one simply reaches out an arm to stick it vertically into the sand, after which a cheerful man will come out and ask you what you want.

I can't lie on a lounger like this for long. It seems a terrible waste of a chance to live a life of luxury but I have to be up and doing things - but I confess that the one thing which will draw me back into the awning's shade is a glass of Tusker lager.