Over the years the Shooting Star Lodge has carved out a reputation as one of the friendliest beach lodges on Zanzibar. A lot of this comes down to the charming Zanzibarian owner Elly who has become something of a tourism legend on the island. But it also has a lot to do with the way that Shooting Star has been designed. Rather than the large single thatched roof buildings that you find at so many other hotels on the island which house everything from the restaurant to the lounge and bar all under one roof, Shooting Star has taken a different approach.

If the tide's out then simply hit the spectacular rim-flow swimming pool - this has to be one of the finest pools on the island What you’ll find is a series of closely interlinked areas, yet each under its own roof and identifiably separate. This has resulted in a series of wonderfully intimate spaces that simply beg for you to sit down and relax; perhaps with a good book in hand, or to enjoy a sociable game of chess or bao, or just savour a cold Kilimanjaro over a tasty meal enjoyed with your toes in the sand. This all means that you never get that feeling of being in a dining hall as can sometimes be the case in lodges with large, monolithic thatch dining rooms and lounges – instead you have a wonderful feeling of intimacy and being uncrowded all at the same time, even when the lodge is full.

The lodge is perched spectacularly on a cliff top, with great views out to sea where you can catch glimpses of the fishing dhows from the local village making their way out on the tide. Take the steep steps down the cliff and you find yourself on a gorgeous sandy beach perfect for a refreshing dip, or just relax in the charming wooden beach bar where you can also have your lunch served virtually over the water’s edge.

Room sizes vary quite widely but all are very adequate. The smallest rooms are those that are semi-detached units of two – these have almost all now been opened out beautifully with sliding Caribbean shutters leading onto the patio. But our absolute favourites are the double story units with a huge master bedroom downstairs and 2 single beds upstairs – frankly these probably represent some of the best value rooms on the entire island!

If the tide's out then simply hit the spectacular rim-flow swimming pool - this has to be one of the finest pools on the island, giving superb views down the coast and out to Mnemba Island in the distance.

One of the nicest lodge dining and lounge areas with cosy little pockets of chill space

Tasty and huge meals

Superb pool area edged with soft beach sand giving panoramic views up and down the beach

Hugely characterful beach bar just begs you to sit down and quaff a pint of Kili

Steep steps down to the beach could pose a challenge to less able bodies

Would be nice to see an upgrade from the hand-held showers still found in some rooms

Not as isolated as other lodges due to presence of large resorts nearby (though not in obvious sight from the lodge)