Mnemba Island Lodge: Information from the owner

Banda

&BEYOND Mnemba Island offers 11 rustic palm-frond Bandas tucked into a tropical forest fringed by a white coral sand beach. Relax and unwind on your own stretch of beachfront.

Mirroring the spiralling form of the nautilus seashell, each Banda enthuses tranquillity. Opalescent colours with dusty pink hues are elegantly framed, paying homage to the ocean’s precious coral. Cultural traditions infuse understated luxury, with locally sourced brass, marble, ceramics, and Omani antiques, creating a vibrant space immersed in natural elegance.

Family Banda

Alongside the comforts and elegance of a regular Banda at &BEYOND Mnemba Island, the island’s exclusive Family Banda boasts an additional smaller ensuite room perfect for children. Curated as the ideal space for an unforgettable family island escape, this spacious haven offers the perfect balance between shared bonding moments and essential privacy.

Mirroring the spiralling form of the nautilus seashell, the Family Banda enthuses tranquillity. Opalescent colours with dusty pink hues are elegantly framed, paying homage to the ocean’s precious coral. Cultural traditions infuse understated luxury, with locally sourced brass, marble, ceramics, and Omani antiques, creating a vibrant space immersed in natural elegance.

Coral Reef Frame Project (Additional Cost)

Imagine helping to build a living masterpiece that thrives beneath the ocean’s surface. On this interactive half-day experience, you’ll play a pivotal role in enriching the underwater world around Mnemba Island through the creation of your own unique coral frame and nurturing its growth. It’s important to be aware of the challenges facing coral reefs. By participating in this experience, you’re not just helping to restore the reefs around the island; you’re gaining a deeper understanding of the threats these delicate ecosystems face and the ongoing efforts to protect them.

*All proceeds go toward Wild Impact OWB programme

Daily Yoga Classes (Included)

Channel your energy, balance your chakras, and increase your self-awareness against the backdrop of
the pristine ocean during a yoga class. Skillfully adapted to accommodate all levels of experience, daily group yoga classes can be enjoyed in the Wellness Banda on the yoga deck, along with other restorative healing sessions such as singing bowl meditation.

*Private yoga sessions can be arranged at an additional cost.

Green turtle nesting adventure (additional cost)

Enjoy the unforgettable experience of watching green turtle hatchlings as they find their way out of their sandy nests and crawl to the ocean.

This excursion begins with guests meeting for sundowners and an introduction to nesting, tag data, weather and the challenging factors hatchlings face. We discuss why &Beyond nurtures these hatchlings and how we help to deter predators, gather data to observe how effective &Beyond Mnemba Island is as a nesting site and how we allow them a more natural start to their journey.

Only one in 1 000 make it to adulthood and it takes roughly 20 years or more before they reach sexual maturity and can start reproducing.

Learn about turtle etiquette, the sensitive ways the turtles are approached, and the conservation aspect: it has taken two decades of dedicated research and monitoring to make this conservation experience possible.

Hatching is a year-round possibility that generally peaks between February and March; however, as hatchings cannot be guaranteed, this experience is not available to pre-book.

Hobie water experiences (included)

Whether you're sailing through calm waters or tackling a bit of surf, Hobie provides an range of adventures for those keen to explore the warm waters surrounding the island.

SEA KAYAKING – HOBIE MIRAGE TANDEM ISLAND KAYAK
Offering a tandem seating arrangement, allowing for two paddlers to share the fun, this unique kayak is designed with stability and ease of use in mind. Ideal for both beginner and experienced kayakers, its sleek design and pedal powered system makes paddling effortless. Its versatile sail also enables kayakers to harness the power of the wind for a more leisurely journey.

SAILING – HOBIE 14 RACE CATAMARAN
An exciting and accessible sailing experience for everyone, with its sleek and aerodynamic design, this catamaran is built for speed. Its lightweight construction, simple rigging system and responsive nature, featuring two hulls connected by a trampoline, allows it to glide effortlessly over the water.

PEDAL BOARDING – HOBIE ECLIPSE MIRACLE PEDAL BOARD
Combing the fun of paddle boarding with the ease of pedalling, pedal boarding offers a new way to traverse the ocean. Standing on a stable platform, using your legs to pedal instead of your arms to paddle (like riding a bike on water), the board’s sturdy structure and user-friendly handlebars for balance and steering, makes pedal boarding easy for everyone for enjoy.

Island Conservation Tour (included)

This one-to-two-hour interactive island experience promises a fascinating glimpse into significant conservation efforts on &Beyond Mnemba Island and the behind-the-scenes workings that come with it. You’ll witness the dedication of the marine rangers and staff members, gaining an insight into the island’s delicate ecosystem. This land-based island experience is ideal for non-divers and must be booked in advance (can be booked once on the island). Subject to availability of the Oceans Without Borders (OWB) and marine ranger teams and weather dependent.

Local Community Visit

Private, personal and participative; this half-day experience offers you the opportunity to explore local village life beyond the crowds on Zanzibar Island and interact with transformative education* and healthcare community projects. You will be hosted by Wild Impact, &Beyond’s long-term community and conservation development partner; for over 25 years &Beyond and Wild Impact (formerly Africa Foundation) have worked together with Zanzibari partner communities and other stakeholders on projects supporting education, healthcare, enterprise development and marine conservation.

Private beach activities (Included)

Give in to the lure of total isolation and pretend that you are marooned on a deserted island, albeit one where your personal butler is perpetually on hand to cater to your every desire! You may catch a fleeting glimpse of your fellow guests as you lounge in the tropical sunshine in your private beach sala or take a leisurely walk around the island. But you can also choose to make the most of your solitude with a private dinner in a secluded forest clearing or enjoy the light-hearted intimacy of a sandcastle dinner set to the sound of the waves gently sighing on the shore.

Scuba diving (Included)

Catering for every diver, from novice to experienced, Mnemba Island’s dive sites vary in topography, substrate and marine life, making for an exclusive and varied underwater adventure like no other.

With most dive sites a short 10 to 20-minute boat ride from the island – a few of which can even be dived directly from shore; our PADI-certified dive masters and instructors know the reefs around Mnemba Island intimately and take divers to sites best suited to their specific interests. For non-divers, an introductory PADI Discover Scuba Diving course is available, providing the incredible opportunity to see the vast majority of what the islet has to offer in the first 12 m (39 ft) of water. Other PADI-certified experiences and courses for divers from ages eight and up are also on offer.

Scuba Diving Courses (Additional cost)

The Dive Centres at Mnemba Island offers a full range of PADI-accredited courses for those looking to advance their diving qualifications.

PADI BUBBLEMAKER & DISCOVER SCUBA
This introductory diving course is perfect for little ones or adults who are keen to explore the fascinating underwater world of diving, facilitated by experienced, multilingual professionals.

MANDATORY REFRESHER DIVER COURSE
This course is mandatory for any diver with less than 25 dives, who has not logged a dive in the last six-months, or any diver with 26 – 100 dives, who has not logged a dive in the last year (12-months).

PADI OPEN WATER DIVER COURSE
Learn to scuba dive independently in buddy teams to a depth of 18 m (59 ft). This four-dive course takes three to four days, where upon conclusion, guests will receive a lifetime global certification.

PADI ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVER COURSE
This dive course only applies to already certified Open Water divers. After successfully completing five dives, the course will certify divers to dive down to a maximum depth of 30 m (98 ft).

SINGLE TRAINING DIVE & ADVENTURE TEST
This is ideal for those who would like to try specialised dives, such as deep dives and drift dives. This course will be credited towards your Adventure Diver or Advanced Open Water diver certification.

Sea kayaking (Included)

Explore the warm Indian Ocean waves in utter tranquility in a tandem deep-sea glassbottom kayak. Ask one of Mnemba’s Dive Instructors for a quick tutorial session or set off with your partner on the quiet waters protected by the island’s surrounding reefs. Paddle along the shoreline, admiring its shifting features, or venture farther into the ocean's depths in hopes of encountering dolphins or sea turtles. Combine exercise with underwater marvels, offering a unique perspective of the island.

Snorkelling (Included)

Armed with a snorkel, mask, and fins, step directly from your Banda into the ocean to explore the vibrant coral reefs encircling the island. With the added option of full-face masks, you can fully immerse yourself in this underwater world, taking your snorkelling fishing experience to new depths.

Stand-up paddle boarding (Included)

Experience an exhilarating aqua tic adventure aboard an inflatable stand-up paddle board (SUP).

Glide gracefully on tranquil waters as you master the art of balance and exploration. Whether you're a beginner seeking leisure or an enthusiast craving a workout, SUPing offers a unique perspective and connection to the sea. Perfect for the calm waters off Mnemba Island, this activity immerses you in your surroundings, providing exceptional views of the ocean waters and the Mnemba horizon.

Wellness Treatments (Additional cost)

From daily yoga classes and sound bath therapy to specialised alternative therapeutic methods and meditative practices, Mnemba Island seeks to provide a holistic healing experience. Using only 100% natural Healing Earth products, pamper yourself with a soul-soothing massage in the Wellness Banda or book a private in-room wellness treatment in the comfort of your Beach Banda.

WILDchild programme (Included)

Families and groups will fall in love with the tranquility of the island. We will only accommodate a maximum of two children under 12-years at Mnemba Island at any given time. Travel to Zanzibar is recommended for children eight-years or older.

ACTIVITIES
Children visiting the lodge can take advantage of the fun-filled and interactive WILDchild programme thatoffers various activities such as:
• Morning walks with turtle monitors to observe turtle nests
• Assist with replanting trees in the island indigenous tree nursery, learning about the various vegetation types that grow in and around the island
• Join the lodge chefs to welcome the local fishermen onshore and check where the catch-of-the day is on the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) List
• Assist the Community and Conservation (CNC) Rangers with building coral bases to plant coral
• Learn about the incredible impact initiatives in and around the Mnemba Atoll in the Ocean Without Border’s (OWB) interactive centre
• Get involved in the dive centres helping the OWB staff
• Go snorkelling along the coral reef
• Help in the OWB staff input new and exciting sightings in the Beyond Sightings platform, while learning about the various sea creatures
• Go on beach and nature walks around the island
• Hand-line fishing from a dhow or the beach
• Enjoy sea kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding
• Bake turtle biscuits with the lodge chef

CHILDMINDING
While we don’t have trained childminders, we can offer the services of certain staff members who are wonderful with children. This will be at an additional cost.