Mnemba Island Lodge, Mnemba Island, Zanzibar

Rustic-luxe at its best, your romantic refuge is one of ten ensuite beachside bandas (cottages), hand-woven and thatched from pine tree branches and palm-matting, allowing the cool sea breezes to waft through, assisted by an overhead fan. Large, airy and open plan in design, each banda is tucked away in a secluded stretch of shaded beachfront and is bordered on three sides by a tropical beach forest. White-cushioned daybeds on the spacious verandah are perfect for afternoon siestas, while your private beach sala has Zanzibari sunbeds for spending lazy hours watching sailing dhows drift across the horizon. Mnemba is all about the sea and the beach. Relaxation is the key and the tempo of the day is yours to choose.

Baskets of fresh fruit, lobsters, crabs and fish are sailed into Mnemba daily by local fishermen on traditional ngalawa outriggers. Almost everything is included – from laundry and all meals, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers to snorkelling, kayaking, fly fishing, wind surfing, a sundowner dhow cruise and even two dives per guest per day (for PADI certified divers). The emphasis is on simple living but the cuisine is anything but basic. Breakfast is delivered to your banda at a time to suit you, lunch is a light refreshing affair in the open-sided dining area and at night, your kerosene lamp will light the way along the beach to your table under the star-strewn sky where the waves will gently lap at your feet

The calm warm waters around Mnemba are a giant aquatic playground and boast a wealth of marine life including dolphins and humpback whales (July to September). The snorkelling and diving are sensational and Mnemba has its own PADI dive school. The island is also a nesting ground for the threatened green turtle, as well as many bird species. Tiny suni antelope roam the forest in the island’s centre.