The epitomé of rustic bare foot luxury on it's own private island.
Hotel name:
Mnemba island lodge
Address:
Mnemba island
Phone:
0774 438 656
Website:
www.andbeyond.com/mnemba-island
Overview:
Mnemba Island Lodge is a private island lodge off
the North East coast of Zanzibar. There are just ten luxury Bandas with private
beach front Salas, a dive school and two dive boats. Everything about your stay
at Mnemba is tailored to you and your pace of relaxation and exploration.
Faultless in every aspect, this exclusive island
offers guests an experience so entwined with the island’s natural habitat that
there really is no comparable place on earth.
The island lies within a Marine Sanctuary and is the only
protected environment for nesting green turtles that come ashore year round to
lay their eggs. Females lay eggs in dug out nests above the high tide line on
the beach. Up to 100 eggs will hatch some 60 days later and this is a wondrous
sight to behold which many guests get to experience, especially during February
and March. The waters off the Mnemba atoll teem with life from the shallows
lapping the powder white sand to the depths of the ocean. From tiny reef fish
to dolphins and hump back whales, a marine lover’s paradise awaits all guests.
Diving and snorkelling equipment is provided free of charge and certified
divers have two daily dives included in their stay. For those who prefer to
swim or snorkel, access from the beach is fantastic or boats take guests to
reefs further away from the shoreline. The dive school offers courses for
beginners and experienced divers as well as guiding.
Aside from the ocean and her vibrant inhabitants, the island
itself is home to many species of rare and endangered animals; particularly the
beautiful Aders Duiker (known as Nunga in Swahili). These small antelopes,
along with the tiny Suni antelopes, live in the forest at the centre of the
island and can be spotted wandering among the gardens of the bandas.
Accommodations:
Set slightly back from the beach for privacy, each of the
ten luxury Bandas are constructed using traditional methods of thatch and weave
with materials indigenous to the island. Though the Bandas have large open
sided lounges with sweeping ocean views, they also have a private beach Sala
with day beds which are perfect for sunbathing and relaxing whist exploring the
beach or snorkelling. The large open lounge leads through to your bedroom with
a canopied bed draped in fabrics and an expansive bathroom with double basins,
separate toilet and glass beaded shower (fresh water is pumped from the islands
own desalination plant). There are ceiling fans, though the breeze from the
beach is a natural coolant and each banda has its own bar which can be stocked
to reflect your tastes.
Resort Service & Facilities:
The guest relaxation areas are understated and elegant. Open
thatched lounge and dining areas are furnished with deep pillows and low wooden
tables, naturally with magnificent ocean views. Meals are served where and when
you decide though typically breakfast is brought to your Banda, lunch served
under the dining thatch and dinner served on the beach at fully dressed tables
with traditional lanterns and a sky blanketed with stars.
The facilities of the lodge are not technological, they are
of the earth. The dive centre provides all the equipment you could possibly
need for exploring the ocean. For those wishing to sail, fish, take in the
sites of Zanzibar or simply adventure inland, the lodge staff are always at hand
to arrange this for you.
Community & Conservation:
Mnemba Island Lodge belongs to a family of small luxury
lodges with an ethos of low impact, high yield conservation initiatives. They
work to protect and care for large bio diverse land and island environments
whilst supporting the wildlife and local communities. Mnemba Island itself
sponsors local fishermen to protect the surrounding reefs and has a
desalination plant to provide fresh water for the island.
Current initiatives include an ‘experimental fish
aggregating device’ project to attract deep ocean fish to FADs, in order to
enable local fishermen to obtain sufficient tuna and other species away from
the fragile reefs, thus reducing their impact on the coral environments. Suni
Antelope have been transported across to Jozaani Forest on Zanzibar to improve
the species status on the Island and Mnemba staff monitor and record data on
the green turtles breeding activities for scientists and local marine
biologists. Though Mnemba has no local community on the island, the villages of
Matemwe and Kigini over in Unguja are supported with school programmes; to
educate the youth through interactive and exciting conservation lessons.
Vegetable gardens have been well established and a windmill has also been erected
on the island.
Photo Gallery:
Tanzanian Shilling Exchange Rate
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