Mnarani Beach Cottages

If you're after a small, intimate and reasonably priced lodge on the quieter flank of the Nungwi Peninsula, Mnarani Beach Cottages is a great option. The bungalows are nestled privately in a cove near the lighthouse on the tip of Nungwi. Divers will appreciate its reasonable proximity to the Mnemba Atoll (just less than two hours away) and for part-time partygoers the lively bars and restaurants of Nungwi are just a 20-minute walk away. 

There is a fantastic sandy beach where you can laze about on sun lounges and develop that long-awaited golden tan. But the beach quality does vary according to the tides and time of year, so there may be times when you need to walk a short distance to the western side of the peninsula to find a better beach to swim. We didn't find this too much of a drawback though.

The lodge is run by Zanzibar locals. It was originally built in 1996 thanks to the enthusiasm of a young man, Nassor Salim Ali, from Pemba. Over the years this simple resort has been added to and improved. The staff makes the place special. They're always friendly and courteous and provide impeccable service. The gardens have been well maintained and you’ll find name plaques on the trees and shrubs so you can learn more about the local vegetation.

Mnarani is the only lodge development for kilometres on either side, so you're not inundated with hoards of tourists. Thank goodness! Its location fairly close to the village means you get to see the goings-on in a typical fishing village. However, don't expect to find all the facilities of a large beach club at Mnarani. There's not much in the way of water sports, no dive centre and no swimming pool. But you can go out with a local Zanzibarian on the lodge's dhow to enjoy a day of sailing, fishing or snorkelling. Mnarani's dhow is rather high-tech for these parts and is probably the envy of most of the traditional fishermen. It is fitted with outboard engines, short-wave radios, GPS and fish finders, and all kinds of fancy fishing rods.

Your days at Mnarani can be spent relaxing and enjoying the freedom of being able to walk on a long stretch of beach. There's also a local village where they build dhows and the Mnarani Aquarium to visit.

There are 17 comfortable rooms at Mnarani Beach Cottages, situated along sandy paths in the greenery. They're all en-suite with hot water and mosquito nets.

The 12 standard makuti-thatched cottages are small, arranged in pairs and face the sea. They are furnished in simple Zanzibar style and are decorated with fresh blue, pink and white shades. If you're into star signs, you'll enjoy the names of these rooms. 

The four new apartments are more spacious and are recommended for couples or families, since the children can sleep downstairs in the lounge and the adults upstairs (in an open-air bedroom). They have a kitchen and one downstairs bathroom

There's also a romantic wooden honeymoon cottage called Mahaba House. It is situated at the edge of the property for privacy and has its own garden and access to the beach. Mahaba is an open-plan, double-storey cottage. There's a kitchenette and sitting room (with cushions on the coir floors and hammocks for lazing) on the ground floor, which leads out onto a large balcony (great for relaxing over sundowners). The bathroom has both a bath and shower (uncommon in Zanzibar). Upstairs is an airy bedroom with a large bed decorated in local style with wooden floors and reed matting covering the walls. It’s open to the seabreeze. If you can't go without music, no matter how much you love the sound of the ocean, there's a CD player.