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First-hand Stay
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On-site inspection
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Fly to Zanzibar (ZNZ) International airport, then ~1.5 hrs by road to the northeast launch and ~10–15 min by open boat to the island, there’s no jetty so arrivals and departures involve a short wade, boat legs are weather-dependent
All bandas open straight to sand and sea, guests who love sunrise ask for a banda facing first light and the softest morning breeze, privacy seekers often favour bandas set further along the beach from the main lounge, the Family Banda links two rooms by a timber walkway and is the go-to for clans wanting space close to the shore.
No fixed times and menus are a suggestion, the chef team builds what you feel like when you feel like it, think sashimi at sundowners, Zanzibari prawn curry, linefish with lemon and herbs, grilled lobster when in, and fruit sorbets after hot beach days, set-ups roam from beach to deck to private in-banda dinners, always barefoot, always personal.
Reef-safe sunscreen, a rash vest for hours in the water, light long sleeves for sun, sandals that handle sand and jetty-less boat landings, a soft duffel if you’re linking in by light aircraft.
Ask the team to arrange a castaway sandbank lunch on a still day, request a first-light paddle then snorkel on the house reef before the boats arrive, and if the kitchen has them, try octopus coconut curry one night and grilled lobster another, both Zanzibari favourites.
Turtle nesting has been monitored here for decades and beaches are actively protected, with a coral nursery and reef-restoration projects on the house reef, daily beach clean-ups keep the island’s margins pristine. Through &Beyond’s Wild Impact partnership and Oceans Without Borders, stays support marine research, community education and ranger programmes around Mnemba and the wider archipelago.
