andBeyond Mnemba Island is a private-island lodge off the north-east coast of Zanzibar, with just 12 open-fronted bandas — including one family banda — set among casuarina trees on a tiny coral island ringed by white sand and a protected reef. It is barefoot, all-inclusive luxury on a single exclusive island: no shoes, no crowds, and nothing between your bed and the ocean but soft sand and shade. Named the world's #2 best island in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards 2024, Mnemba is designed for couples, honeymooners and families who want total privacy, superb snorkelling and diving, and quietly faultless service.
Because the whole island holds only 12 bandas, Mnemba can also be booked on an exclusive-use basis — the entire island, its beaches, kitchen and dive team reserved for one group.
- Location: A private island off the north-east coast of Zanzibar, reached by boat
- Style: 12 open-fronted, thatched beach bandas (including a family banda)
- Best for: Couples, honeymooners, families and exclusive-use island buyouts
- Rates: All-inclusive — meals, drinks and most island activities
- Marine life: Snorkel with turtles and dive the protected Mnemba Atoll reef
- Recognition: #2 Best Island in the World, Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice 2024
Where is andBeyond Mnemba Island?
Mnemba is a tiny private island lying just off the north-east tip of Zanzibar, near Matemwe, encircled by the coral gardens of the Mnemba Atoll. You reach it by road transfer to the Zanzibar coast and then a short boat crossing, so arriving already feels like leaving the world behind. The wider island is easy to explore before or after your stay — read our overview of Zanzibar Island to see how Stone Town, the spice farms and the beaches fit together.
The 12 bandas
Accommodation is a scattering of just 12 bandas — light, open-fronted thatched rooms tucked into the shade of the forest, each only steps from the sand. Built from timber, palm thatch and coral rag, they are deliberately simple and cool, with a comfortable bed under a mosquito net, a shaded lounge and a hanging chair, and views straight out to the beach. One larger family banda suits parents with children. The style is comfort without excess and privacy without walls, so the island itself becomes your room.
All-inclusive island dining
Dining at Mnemba is fully inclusive and wonderfully relaxed. Meals change with the day's catch and the chef's mood — fresh seafood, island fruits and spices — served wherever you like: at the sand-floored central dining area around a fire pit, at the beach bar, on your own stretch of sand, or set up privately at the water's edge with lanterns in the sand. Drinks are included too, from morning coffee to sundowners as the dhows sail home.
The Mnemba Atoll and its marine life
The reef is the reason many guests come. The Mnemba Atoll is one of the finest snorkelling and diving sites in East Africa, with clear warm water, coral gardens and the chance to swim with green turtles, dolphins and clouds of reef fish. Guided snorkelling trips leave straight from the beach, and certified divers can explore deeper walls and drop-offs just offshore. Even at low tide, reef walks reveal starfish, urchins and the quiet life of the flats.
Activities and experiences
Beyond the water, the pace is gentle: yoga on a shaded deck, sunset dhow cruises under a lateen sail, guided island walks, and long afternoons doing beautifully little. The team can also arrange trips back to the main island for a spice tour or a day in Stone Town. Zanzibar pairs perfectly with a mainland safari — see how to plan a safari from Zanzibar, or browse our Luxury Tanzania safari packages to add the Serengeti before or after the beach.
Conservation and sustainability
Mnemba is as much a conservation project as a lodge. andBeyond protects the surrounding Mnemba Atoll Marine Reserve, runs a long-standing green turtle protection programme and supports coral-reef restoration, and the island is recognised among the world's most sustainable hotels. Staying here directly helps fund the reefs and the marine life they hold — barefoot luxury with a genuine purpose.
Beach and barefoot luxury
The whole island is fringed by soft white sand and shallow turquoise water that shifts with the tide. Days drift between the beach, the hammock outside your banda, the shaded bar and the reef, with barely another footprint in sight. This is the definition of barefoot luxury — polished service in a place that feels wonderfully wild.
Best time to visit
Mnemba is a year-round island escape, with the clearest water and best diving from June to October and again from December to February. The long rains fall mainly from March to May, when the island typically closes for part of the season. For a month-by-month view, see our guide to the best time to visit Tanzania, which lines the beach and diving seasons up with the mainland Serengeti migration calendar.
Good to know
Mnemba is a small, laid-back island where days are spent barefoot, so pack light, breathable clothing, reef-safe sunscreen and a cover-up for visits to Stone Town and villages, where modest dress is appreciated — our note on what to wear in Zanzibar and our Tanzania packing guide both help. If you are combining the island with a safari, we can arrange the flights, boat transfers and the whole itinerary end to end.
Plan your stay at andBeyond Mnemba Island
We can reserve one of the 12 bandas or arrange exclusive use of the entire island, and build a seamless Zanzibar-and-safari itinerary around your dates. Browse more island and beachfront options in our Zanzibar accommodation collection, and send us your travel dates and party size for a tailored quote.
