Tour de Zanzibar

Before I did Charity Challenge, my idea of a good holiday was lying on a beach somewhere hot, soaking up sun as if my life depended on it, and being served fluorescent cocktails by a lecherous waiter who'd tell me I had 'beautiful eyes'! But I thought it was time I did something a bit different. I liked the idea of a holiday that involved raising money for charity, and also presented a physical challenge. I drag myself to the gym every week, and this seemed a great opportunity to put my efforts to good use.

I chose the Zanzibar tour because it sounded very exotic, and I'd been told it was a beautiful country. Which is true - it's stunning. We cycled about 20 miles a day, with frequent stops because of the incredible heat. At night we stayed in fairly basic beach huts, where we usually had a beach to ourselves:- golden sand, palm trees, amazing sunsets - and no other tourists. The locals were very friendly, especially the children, who were fascinated by us. Wherever we went, we were surrounded by children, eager to play with whatever strange English 'toys' we had. I have some interesting photos taken by a group of children who I let loose on my Kodak Fun Camera! It also made me glad I'd chosen Link Community Development as my charity, as the enthusiasm of these children was incredible, despite the fact that they had so little.

The physical aspect of the trip was without doubt challenging, but there was no pressure on people to go fast and exhaust themselves. There was always plenty of time to go at a pace that suited everyone. And by cycling through small villages, we saw far more of the country than tourists usually see.

I'm glad I did Charity Challenge, and would definitely do it again. It was quite a scary idea to start with, but the organisers were very helpful, and answer any questions (however stupid) willingly.

It was a great experience, and I didn't miss the lecherous waiters or the fluorescent cocktails at all. And I even came back with a tan!

Rachel Glastonbury - Tour de Zanzibar 2000