andBeyond Mnemba Island is a small island lodge off the north-east tip of Zanzibar, with 12 beachfront bandas and a reef on its doorstep. It suits couples, honeymooners and divers who want seclusion on the water more than a resort programme.
The Oloi Selects view of andBeyond Mnemba Island
Access to Mnemba is restricted to lodge guests, which is the main reason it appeals to privacy-led clients. These notes come from trade listings and the lodge’s published details, and we mark the points we verify.
At a glance
- Twelve timber-and-thatch bandas with private beach salas. Two can be linked to make a family suite.
- The island lies about 1.5 km off the north-east tip of Unguja, and access is restricted to lodge guests.
- Full board, a selection of drinks, refreshments on lodge activities and water sports from the dive school are listed as included in the sources we checked. We confirm this in your quote.
- Snorkelling, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, sundowner dhow cruises and fishing. Diving is run by a PADI dive school, and instruction costs extra.
- Turtles nest on the island from October to January, and hatchlings reach the sea about two months after the eggs are laid.
- An older rate sheet shows the lodge closed for several weeks in April and May. We confirm this in your quote.
- A swimming pool and exclusive use of the whole island are not mentioned in the sources we checked. We confirm this in your quote.
Who it suits
Couples, honeymooners and divers who want a small, secluded reef island with a high level of service, usually as the last stop of a safari.
Who it does not suit
Guests who want restaurants, shopping or nightlife within reach, and anyone looking for a lower price point. Everything happens at the lodge or on the water.
Its place in a route
It usually closes a Tanzania safari with three or four nights on the water. Allow a half day for the transfer, which is about 1.5 hours by road from Zanzibar airport or town to the boat station, plus a 10 to 15 minute boat ride.
Families
Two bandas can be linked as a family suite, and the lodge runs a children’s programme called WILDChild. One trade source states that no more than two children under 12 can be on the island at any one time, that children under 6 are not allowed in the bar area and that children aged 6 and under eat at set times. It also says diving instruction is not included for guests under 12, and it gives no general minimum age. We confirm this in your quote. Because the limit on children is so small, we check family availability first.
Getting there
Road transfer of about 1.5 hours from Zanzibar airport or town to the boat station, then a boat of 10 to 15 minutes. Return transfers between Zanzibar and the island are listed as included. Zanzibar and Pemba are malaria areas, and our quotes include yellow fever and malaria guidance.
What the rate usually excludes
The sources we checked list gratuities, premium alcohol, champagne, cigars, phone calls and personal items as extra, with a small per-person nightly infrastructure charge on one older rate sheet. Spa and wellness treatments and diving instruction cost extra. We confirm this in your quote.
What we would choose instead
For a larger beach property with more to do on land, we look at Zuri Zanzibar or The Residence Zanzibar. For a remote island stay on the Pemba side, we look at The Manta Resort or Fundu Lagoon.
Last checked against the property’s own information: October 2026. Details change, so we confirm them again when we quote your itinerary.