I was hauled up onto the bustling jetty from the small wooden fishing boat which brought us from Jubilee Hope to the island. As we were lead through the dense crowd, I turned to Eilidh and we shared a look - was this definitely a good idea? I certainly knew I wasn't in Edinburgh anymore. However, despite this initial assault on the senses, in 11 days time we'd be wishing we could do it all again.

Eilidh and I have been friends since our first day of FY1, and, when we both became locum GPs at the end of our training, we planned a trip to make the most of our new flexible working schedule. We were both ready for the challenge of providing healthcare somewhere so completely different to home, and, for an adventure to these remote and beautiful places. I had spent a summer in Tanzania in 2015 teaching first aid, so I jumped at the chance to go back to this stunning and friendly country.

What I loved the most was the team on the boat. Although we were there for such a short period of time, we were made to feel so welcome. Everyone on the boat did their jobs with passion and complete expertise. The joint morning meeting and communal evening meal made it easy to get to know colleagues and ask questions. Sitting singing Swahili hymns and watching the sun come up is something I will never forget. From a work point of view the medicine was fascinating and Dr Uzia taught us so much. We admired his knowledge and compassionate manner.

The adjustment of working with minimal resources was huge. The first day we felt lost without computer screens, national guidelines, the BNF and infinite tests! We couldn't have done it without the clinical manual provided by the Vine Trust and this was kept close at hand at all times. Having fewer medicines and tests was hard but it forced us to think outside the box and it was refreshing to practice in a totally different way. We made sure to discuss our challenging cases and learn what we could to improve for clinic the next day. For things to run smoothly, we got to know our translators and practiced a little Swahili every day. Our language improved but initial efforts to speak were often much to the amusement of the Tanzanian team on board! We were quite shocked about the differences in health literacy (which turns out is very little), the lack of sanitation and poor quality housing. Having said that, our patients were on the whole robust, friendly, and extremely respectful.

I cannot recommend this trip highly enough. It was a challenging, it was an eye opener and it was an adventure. We shared joyful and sad patient experiences, and it was a privilege to meet and touch the lives of some of the people in this wonderful country.