The beach immediately in front of the lodge must have the finest sand we’ve ever experienced – the same consistency as talcum powder and the purest white in colour! And that sand is not just a feature of the beach; it actually dominates the lodge too. How is that? Well both the restaurant and bar areas have sandy floors - so you can wiggle your toes about whilst having a beer! This has to be one of the most sure-fire ways of relaxing and getting into the island vibe that we know!The beach immediately in front of the lodge must have the finest sand we’ve ever experienced – the same consistency as talcum powder and the purest white in colour

And a stay at Mchanga is about just that – chilling and slowly feeling those city stresses melting away! This has to be one of the most relaxed and quiet little lodges we’ve experienced to date – the perfect place to just relax under a palm tree with a good book or take long strolls along the beach. We particularly liked the pool area where a band of palm trees offers welcome shade from the heat of the Zanzibar sun and the bar is just the short toss of a coconut away if you fancy an ice cold Kili. At the moment this is still one of the least developed stretches of beach along the east coast, surrounded mainly by small private villas and the local village with the nearest resort being quite a long stroll away. Party central this is definitely not – instead Mchanga is for people looking for a quieter, totally laid back beach holiday.

You will definitely be comfortable too – Mchanga’s 8 rooms are made up of 6 en-suite Sea View rooms, each of them simple, spacious and airy with a combination of cool screed floors, hand crafted wooden louver doors, electric ceiling fans, air conditioning and traditionally high beamed ceilings. A beautiful, finely hand-crafted Zanzibari four poster bed is the focal point in the room, together with the highest quality fine percale cotton bedding, ensuring maximum comfort. A classic baraza seating area with kanga covered cushions enhances the spaciousness of the rooms. There are also 2 larger en-suite Garden Suites enjoying the same furnishing, accessories and finishing as the Sea View Lodge rooms and also including a double baraza seating area. Add in a lovely swimming pool and gorgeous stretch of sandy beach and all the ingredients are there to enjoy a great relaxing holiday!

We loved the bar and restaurant’s sandy floors – just kick off your shoes and bury those toes!

The warm and charming Gloria and Thomas with his dry sense of humour make up an engaging and totally hands-on hosting team

The band of palm trees next to the pool is the perfect place to escape the heat of the midday sun

Simple yet stylish rooms are cool, spacious and very comfortable

This isn’t the place for people looking for a lively party scene or loads of activities

Depending on the season, you can get seaweed on the beach (the lodge does sweep this clean though every morning)

No kids under 12 - so families will have to look elsewhere