Tanzania Top Luxury Lodge – Mnemba Island Lodge
December 8th, 2008 by Kark Heinz, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
Mnemba Island is an undiscovered haven off the coast of Zanzibar. It is renown for its natural therapy on spirit. CondeNast Traveller has recognized this exquisite establishment as on of the three most romantic places in the world.
Mnemba is an Arabic term that means an octopus head. Mnemba is situated two kilometers north east of the island of Zanzibar, a 20 minutes cruise ride in a traditional 16 foot flat bottomed boat. It’s accessible via a flight from Zanzibar off Zanzibar’s east coast. The island is encompassed by a one mile circumference of pristine beach. The island has an exquisite coral reef , home to giant turtles, ghost crabs and unique tropical fish and as a result a protection zone surrounds this island.
This island redefines the term privacy, the only inhabitants found on it are either the lodge staff or the guests. This island has a total of ten cottages often referred to as banda cottages. These cottages are bordered on the three sides by the coral reef, the beach and tropical beach forest.
Each exquisite banda has been hand-woven and thatched from tree branches and traditional Zanzibari palm-matting. The food here is great; the chef prepares mouthwatering cuisine with exotic delicacies.
Mnemba boasts some of the world’s most beautiful diving sites (Please note that a valid diving certificate is needed), and there is a professional dive school designed specially for you, at extra cost. The spectacular waters of the Indian Ocean surrounding Mnemba fall within a 200-metre protected zone and provide a sanctuary for a host of marine animals and magnificent coral reefs.
The lagoon surrounding the island is a haven of spectacular aquatic life. More than 300 species of fish have been documented here. Whales and dolphins are a common sight in this waters especially the stripped dolphin. Game fish like the barracuda and marlin are tagged before being released back to the lagoon.
Mnemba has a wide range of fun filled activities from which guests can choose from. There are water related activities like scuba diving, windsurfing, snorkeling, kayaking, fly fishing and swimming. This island also creates a superb bird watching environment, the clean sandy beaches make you want to go for beach walks or simply working on your tan while lying in the beach.
The host of activities does not end, there is also the option of deep sea fishing or touring the ‘spice island’ of Zanzibar plus a range of relaxing massages and other therapeutic treatments that leave you relaxed and whole. Mobile reception/signal on the island is not very good, a broad band WiFi signal is available to keep you connected to the rest of the world through the internet. Guests fly a 5km distance from Dar es Salaam to reach Mnemba.
