From Carroll Pierce, Boston, MA:
“Going on safari is hard work.
Game-viewing wake up calls at 5:30 am. A ‘bush massage’ is compliments of Land Cruiser seats and dirt tracks. Neither the luxury of the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (www.ngorongoro-crater-lodge.com) or camp Beho Beho (www.behobeho.com) can erase the exhaustion of seven days in the Tanzanian bush. Having traveled to Botswana with the veteran team at boutique safari outfitters, Epic Private Journeys (www.epicprivatejourneys.com) , we knew to trust them that post-safari, the need for reflection and physical restoration is essential.
Enter the Indian Ocean’s Mnemba Island Lodge, (www.mnemba-island.com) the ultimate in “barefoot luxury.” Mnemba, 1.5 kilometers around, is privately owned by CCAfrica (www.ccafrica.com), which is dedicated to preserving and protecting Africa’s natural resources.
Mnemba sits amidst a marine conservation coral athol off the northeastern coast of Zanzibar. Access from the ‘Spice Island’ is a fifteen-minute power boat ride. Mnemba guests wade in shin-deep water to hop aboard the island transfer.
The water is azure/aquamarine. The sand is pristine white and deliciously soft. Dohws, the local sailing vessel’s distinctive sails, dot the seas. Upon arrival, the barefooted Mnemba staff greet you by name with the Swahili welcome of karibu. Cool, scented hand towels and iced teas are placed in your hands. You are introduced to your butler whose job is to ‘take care of your every wish during your stay.’ After a brief recap of the island life, you are off to settle into your banda (hut) and explore. Within hours of your arrival, both the masseur and the dive master husband and wife team of Leen and Jan introduce themselves. You might even see the latter strolling hand in hand around the island at sunset. You begin to get the sense that you are being let in on a well-kept secret—there is something very magical going on here.
There are only ten king-bedded bandas on the island. All have thatched floors, roofs and windows. Romantic mosquito netting, which is hardly needed for protection as the most dangerous animals on the island are crabs and cooing doves, drape the beds. You are encouraged to select from a colorful pile of sarongs (kikoys) as a mood setter. The bedroom connects to the bathroom via an open-air bridge. Furnishings are minimal. Strings of teal rock crystal glass beads are the shower curtain. It is minimal, luxurious chic!
Throughout the day, your needs, both known and unknown, are anticipated. Tea and snacks are in the bar at four o’clock. As the Southern Cross appears in the evening sky, a bonfire, complete with safari chairs, torches and ‘sundowners’ is lit outside your banda. It is an invitation, a gentle insistence, to gather ‘round and let the warm breeze envelope you. My husband and I, and our four young daughters, lounged around the fire for hours each evening. Conversation was easy. The mood relaxed. An in-room massage is the only reason one might miss the warmth of the fire. Dinner can be eaten under the stars in the main area, or outside your banda, at a moveable feast dining table that magically appears, complete with Smiley the chef to man the grill.
The food is innovative, fresh, and abundant. Mangos, pineapples, and seafood that has been caught by local fisherman who appear on the island in the morning are abundant. The bird watching is enthralling. Both the diving and snorkeling are extraordinary. On the way to my 14 year-old daughter and husband’s dive outing, Leen spotted dolphins, so the tanks were removed, swapped out for snorkels and over the side everyone went to swim with the dolphins!”
