Mnemba Island offers an enchanting setting reserved exclusively for guests and staff of the &Beyond Mnemba Island hotel. It is the only hotel on this wild island, devoid of roads and housing. With its pure white sand, turquoise waters and exceptional seabed, this private island is a magical place that guarantees unique moments of relaxation. The natural beauty of Mnemba Island’s landscape is unrivalled, and it is certainly one of the most beautiful beaches in the Zanzibar archipelago.
With an area 500 metres in diameter and around 1.5 kilometres in circumference, visitors can walk around it in 20-30 minutes. Another major advantage for lovers of swimming and relaxing with their feet in the water is the absence of seaweed on the fine sandy beaches of Mnemba Island. The effects of the tide are also less noticeable on the beaches of Mnemba Island. At low tide, the water level falls, but does not completely recede as it does on the other beaches of the archipelago. Swimming is therefore possible throughout the day. A dream setting for a relaxing holiday in Tanzania. The Mnemba Marine Reserve is a well-known diving spot for its magnificent coral reef and rich biodiversity. This protected area is home to a wide variety of corals and tropical fish, which you can discover during a diving or snorkelling session.
Renowned for its coral reefs and the wide variety of colourful fish it shelters, the unspoilt nature reserve is a veritable sanctuary for marine life. A wide variety of wildlife from the Indian Ocean swims peacefully in the warm waters of Mnemba Island’s lagoon. Here are some of the animals you can see on Mnemba Island:
Exploring the seabed is an integral part of a Mnemba Island experience. The Mnemba Marine Reserve, which works to preserve the species it shelters, is one of the best snorkelling and diving spots in the Zanzibar archipelago. Hotel &Beyond guests can discover an incredible area teeming with coral and coral fish just a few metres from the beach. Boat trips to snorkel around Mnemba Island are included in the nightly rate. While the shore is reserved exclusively for hotel guests, the snorkelling and diving spots off the island’s coast are open to all.
Mnemba Island is a private island paradise with just one lodge: Hotel & Beyond. This luxurious establishment blends into the scenery thanks to its natural, unobtrusive architecture for total immersion. The 12 spacious villas open onto nature and are set on the edge of the forest to preserve guests’ privacy, while offering a breathtaking view of the Indian Ocean just a few metres away. A pure, unpretentious paradise on the seafront for a change of scenery. Meals overlooking the ocean, candlelit dinners on the beach, yoga classes, massage, snorkelling, boat trips – a host of services will round off your experience on this intimate and exclusive island.
With human presence limited to guests and hotel staff on Mnemba Island, cultural immersion and encounters with the locals will take place on the main island of the Zanzibar archipelago. Take advantage of an excursion to the island of Zanzibar to wander through the narrow streets of Stone Town, visit a fishing village and discover Swahili cuisine and local crafts in the town’s markets. Soak up the local flavours on the famous Spice Tour, where you can share moments of conviviality and meet authentic people.
Watching the marine life is the star activity of a stay on Mnemba Island, but there are other options for varying the pleasures in this paradise-like setting. Here are just a few of the activities you can enjoy on Mnemba Island:
A veritable natural treasure, the island of Mnemba is a protected and regulated area. The aim is to preserve the biodiversity of the atoll’s seabed fish and coral. Various measures have been put in place to protect this exceptional environment by the Mnemba Island Marine Conservation Area (MIMCA). A new conservation tax for the Mnemba atoll was introduced in June 2023. A tax of USD 100 per person per day applies to any stay on the island, while a tax of USD 40 applies to visitors who take a snorkelling excursion off the island. The aim of these measures is to limit the number of visitors and to obtain the financial resources needed to preserve this fragile ecosystem.
The climate on Mnemba Island means you can visit all year round, but the best time is during the dry season from June to October.
If you want to watch the turtle eggs hatch, we recommend you visit between April and September.
The only way to get to Mnemba Island is by boat. The transfer provided by Hotel &Beyond is from a beach on the main island of Zanzibar, 1 hour 15 minutes from Stone Town and 1 hour 30 minutes from Zanzibar airport.
With its private white sandy beach, turquoise waters, romantic dinners with your feet in the water and sumptuous sunsets over the Indian Ocean, Mnemba Island is a heavenly setting for an exceptional honeymoon. A stay in this unspoilt environment will guarantee precious moments, a change of scenery and unrivalled serenity.
Would you like to experience a moment of escape on the wild and unspoilt island of Mnemba? Off Road offers you a tailor-made escapade on this paradise island in the heart of the Zanzibar archipelago. With a personalised itinerary to suit your budget, ideas for activities that will take you away from it all and specialist advice, our expertise means we can design the trip of your dreams to Mnemba Island. Why not combine this exceptional holiday with a safari tour during your trip to Tanzania? We can make all your dreams come true.
Despite its small surface area of 500 metres in diameter and around 1.5 kilometres in circumference, Mnemba Island is a well-known diving spot.
You’ll be able to observe a wide variety of corals and associated species, as well as tropical fish..
With its white sand and turquoise water, Mnemba beach is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the Zanzibar archipelago. One of its strong points? It has no seaweed!
Watch the marvellous spectacle of sea turtles hatching from April to September.
Activities on the island of Mnemba :
Animals to see on the island of Mnemba :
Vary the pleasures by diving or snorkelling in the morning and lazing on the white sandy beach in the afternoon. Take advantage of this idyllic setting to watch the sunrise or sunset from your hotel or on the beach.
The great thing about Mnemba Island is that you can visit all year round.
As mentioned above, if you want to watch the turtle eggs hatch, we recommend you visit between April and September.
The only way to get to Mnemba Island is by boat. The island is too small to accommodate aircraft.
Departures from the Zanzibar archipelago are possible.
As far as accommodation is concerned, the only choice is the &Beyond hotel, which is the only lodge on the island.
But don’t worry, it’s a fairly luxurious hotel with 12 very spacious, independent villas on the edge of the beach (about twenty metres away).
The villa rooms are equipped with
You will have the opportunity to eat local produce, such as fish caught that very morning.
