Everything you could possibly ever want or expect from a tropical beach house can found inside Thanda Villa, the delightfully comfortable, welcoming and well-equipped contemporary centrepiece of the island’s extensive guest accommodation.

Designed, decorated and furnished in a fresh Scandinavia-meets-Cape Cod style, its roomy and inviting central living and dining room exudes hospitality and charm. Its desert island luxuries include an aquarium filled with colourful fish, a grand piano, a collection of guitars and other musical instruments, a selection of wonderful wines and a cigar humidor. Upstairs the relaxing Sea View Room library includes an extensive Ernest Hemingway book collection.

Thanda’s talented kitchen team can conjure up whatever delicious dishes their guests’ hearts and tastebuds desire, and every dietary requirement can be catered for. Seafood platters are out of this world, with fresh fish, prawns and crayfish plucked straight from the ocean. Children love helping to create a pizza at the outside oven, while couples can enjoy a romantic dinner beneath a canopy of stars.

Everybody loves a mouth-watering Swahili or Arabian feast and the Thanda team will serve their tasty meals absolutely anywhere that guests request – at the indoor dining table or on the covered verandah, on the beach under a traditional Bedouin tent, nestled under the palm trees in the fresh air, or as a picnic out on a nearby sandbank.

From luxury speedboat to cabin cruiser to catamaran to SUP, Thanda Island’s extensive fleet and experienced captains and crew are always at guests’ exclusive disposal.  Set sail in a traditional Arab dhow, put out to sea in a dinghy or kayak or by paddle board – or expend some adrenaline jet-skiing, wake boarding or water skiing.

SCUBA dive or take an underwater course with an instructor, snorkel the seven coral reefs with the resident guide or catch your lunch from the deep-sea fishing boat.  Venture further afield with an expert guide and explore historic Zanzibar, discover the mangrove forests and birdlife of Juani Island, meet the boat-building craftsmen of Mafia and visit the remote Swahili communities of Chole Island.

Relaxing and keeping fit on the island couldn’t be easier or more fun. Enjoy games of tennis and volleyball on the island’s flood-lit Astroturf court – partners and opponents are available if required.  Work out in the spacious air-conditioned gym – it’s very well-equipped with a wide range of equipment from running and cycling machines to weight training and boxing equipment.

Enjoy a massage or spa treatment or relax in a therapeutic copper bath on the beach. Take part in yoga, reiki and meditation sessions in the peaceful and private yoga pavilion overlooking the ocean. For a tranquil and restorative health and wellness experience, Thanda has its own personal wellbeing specialist.

Considered a ‘marine life nursery’ and the largest marine protected area in the Indian Ocean, Shungi Mbili Marine Reserve is blessed with extraordinary biodiversity. It hosts an outstanding mosaic of tropical marine habitats that are still in pristine condition – including coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove swamps and intertidal flats.

Rich and diverse coral reefs teem with over 400 species of tropical fish and scores of sea turtles. The reserve provides a home for dolphins and endangered whale sharks and dugongs. Conservation and Community are driving forces behind Thanda Island which has become one of the region’s leading centres of ocean regeneration and marine protection.

The whale shark, which breeds just south of the island, is the largest fish in the world. Its great size, gentle nature and tendency to swim at the surface in known sites makes it a focus for marine tourism.  Tanzania’s waters are home to five species of marine turtle, all categorized as endangered.  Green and Hawksbill turtles recently returned to nest on Thanda and the very first turtle nest hatched 110 babies.

Thanda Island is pledged to the protection and regeneration of coral reefs. Resident full-time marine biologist Rianne Laan is the brain behind several conservation projects including the underwater coral nursery where she grows and rehabilitates coral fragments. These are ‘transplanted’ back into the reef – stimulating recovery both of the reefs and the marine species that depend on them.