The lodge is perched on the hillside above a fantastic sandy beach at the end of the Michamvi peninsular, far from other resorts and their crowds. In fact, we’d go as far as saying that perhaps only Pongwe has a more beautiful beach on the entire island! The 2 beaches are actually quite similar – both are gorgeous little coves bracketed by coral headlands, so you really get that feeling of isolation and privacy (unlike the long straight stretches of beach found elsewhere on the East coast where lodges and resorts lie literally side by side) The other thing that we love about the beach is that its sandy platform is littered with palm trees, making it both wonderfully picturesque as well as providing very welcome shade in which you can relax by slumping in a lounger.

At beach level also lies the swimming pool, perfect at low tide for taking a dip to get some welcome relief against the heat of the day. Then there’s also a simple massage hut on the sand where you can get any remaining city stress gently pummeled out of you! Above this picture-perfect stretch of sand lies quite a steep hillside, with the main lodge building and bungalows lying perched on its crest. A pretty hectic flight of stairs connects the 2, so the lodge is definitely not suited to travelers of restricted mobility. On the other hand, the 59 steps (yip, we counted them!) are probably a blessing in keeping your waistline from expanding too much under the assault of loads of delicious food that you’re subjected to here! The thing that we love about the beach is that its sandy platform is littered with palm trees, making it both wonderfully picturesque as well as providing very welcome shade in which you can relax by slumping in a lounger

The main lodge building is a simple yet welcoming affair under makuti thatch which includes the restaurant, lounge area and a charming bar constructed using hundreds of bottles salvaged from the local village rubbish dump. There's a mixture of buffets and set menus, with the buffets perhaps surprisingly being the better received generally. At night, the woven lamp shades suspended from the roof sway in the ever present breeze, creating a wonderfully romantic atmosphere.

The bungalows and villas are very spacious and simple yet comfortable with charming hand crafted African style furniture that fits in perfectly with the exposed beams of the makuti thatched ceilings. Apart from the great sea views, another huge plus is that the individual bungalows are very generously spaced on what are very large grounds, so there is a real sense of privacy and space. Our favourite rooms were probably the higher-priced beach villas – quite a bit more spacious with bigger bathrooms and stairs to a second floor level where there are extra beds for kids if needed.

All in all, Kichanga is a fantastic option for couples or families wanting a quiet break in gorgeous natural surroundings – it’s pretty isolated, so if you’re looking for more action with loads of beach bars and restaurants this isn’t the place of you. By the way, in case you’re concerned about being the only English-speakers surrounded by Italians, the lodge has made a concerted effort to get a more cosmopolitan mix – so the split is normally around 40% Italians and the remainder of guests from countries like the UK and USA (and a few from SA of course)

Spectacular position overlooking one of the most gorgeous beaches on the entire island - perhaps only Pongwe's is better!

Wonderfully spacious grounds giving you plenty of privacy

Simple yet very spacious and airy rooms - they're also generally standalone so give more privacy than the semi-detached rooms common at most competitors

Steep stairs down to the beach means that Kichanga is not for guests whose mobility is limited

Bathrooms weren’t of a great standard (although we understand that refurbishment is taking place 1 room at a time)

Not suited to party animals on account of its isolated and quiet nature