Wish you were here? Cape Town just got two new island flights!

That tropical escape just got a whole lot easier, and local travellers suddenly have two very good reasons to start thinking about an island break.

This weekend, Airlink launched not one but two new non-stop Indian Ocean routes from Cape Town, with its inaugural flight to Mauritius taking off on Friday (2 October), followed by the first-ever direct Cape Town-Zanzibar service on Saturday.

That means fewer hours spent schlepping through Johannesburg and more time on the sun lounger, or dipping your toes into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

A flying visit to Île Maurice

First up was Mauritius, with Airlink launching its new twice-weekly non-stop service on 2 October.

Flights operate on Tuesdays and Fridays, departing Cape Town at 10.05am and arriving in Mauritius at 5.15pm local time. The return flight leaves Mauritius at 6.15pm and lands back in Cape Town at 10.35pm.

It’s Airlink’s first-ever route to Mauritius, operated with the airline’s new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, which carry 124 passengers across Business and Economy cabins. Better still, it’s a 2-2 seating configuration, so nobody gets stuck with the dreaded middle seat.

While Mauritius may be best known for its white-sand beaches, warm lagoons and sprawling resorts, the new route also provides a useful direct connection for business travellers between the Western Cape and one of the Indian Ocean’s major commercial centres.

Expect to pay from around R12 000 return, depending on dates and availability.

Or choose Tanzania's Spice Island

Then, just 24 hours later, came Zanzibar.

Airlink’s non-stop Cape Town-Zanzibar flight took off on Saturday, 3 October, marking the first-ever scheduled direct air service between the Mother City and the Tanzanian island.

The weekly Saturday flight departs Cape Town at 8.15am and lands in Zanzibar at 2.30pm local time. On the return journey, the flight departs Zanzibar at 3.30pm and lands in Cape Town at 8.50pm.

That daytime schedule is particularly welcome. East African connections often involve some ghastly middle-of-the-night departures and pre-dawn arrivals, so being able to leave Cape Town after breakfast and wander through Stone Town in time for sundowners is a serious win.

The flight takes a little over six hours and, like the Mauritius route, uses Airlink’s Embraer E195-E2, with Business and Economy cabins and no middle seats.

Zanzibar has long been a favourite among South Africans for its wide beaches, coral reefs, spice heritage and the labyrinthine streets of UNESCO-listed Stone Town. South African passport holders can visit visa-free for up to 90 days, and good news for locals: South African residents are exempt from Tanzania’s new mandatory inbound travel insurance requirement, which came into effect on 1 October.

Fares for a last-minute break in October start from about R14 000 return, and Time Out found even cheaper fares (R12 000 return) for a week’s break in January.

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