Thanda Island, East Coast Africa, Thanda Island Vacation Rental

 

Located off the coast of Tanzania in the Zanzibar Archipelago, Thanda Island is a luxurious and breathtakingly beautiful private island hideaway. Here is the ultimate island accommodation set in Tanzania’s Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve and surrounded by its own coral reef. An exceptional spot for sea safaris, in sparkling seas awash with corals, reef sharks, dolphin and fabulous fish. Thanda Island provides exclusive use of the whole property including all amenities and facilities. All meals and drinks included as well as Thanda’s selection of alcoholic beverages wines, spirits, champagnes and cocktails. Exclusive use of Thanda Island with its select team of staff members. The lodge delights in its location with a wealth of toys - beautiful boats of all kinds, paddle boards, jet skis, snorkels and diving equipment, all for guests’ use. This tiny island paradise in the Indian Ocean is ideal complete, luxurious privacy. All-inclusive ocean adventures including scuba diving (whether it is being certified on Thanda Island or taking excursions to Mafia Island) deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, sailing, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, water skiing, jet-skiing, wakeboarding, tubing or day trips to Mafia Island to experience the pygmy hippopotamus.

Luxury Villa (5 en-suites bedrooms) - Personifying the dream of beach house romance, nostalgia and elegance, it is designed in coastal whites, greens and blues for a perfect East African summer, with luxurious living and sleeping areas leading directly onto the outdoor pool and living area, surrounded by turquoise seas and silken white sands. Includes an indoor aquarium, a variety of musical instruments, magnificent wine collection, glass rim-flow swimming pool, air-conditioned gym, library including an extensive Ernest Hemingway book collection, and a wraparound dining area with its 180-degree view of the ocean. Each suite includes indoor showers and outdoor baths, air-conditioning, and private patio space. Allowing you to make the very most of your glorious surroundings, each of the villa’s five bedrooms lead directly onto the beach. Sink into one of the deep copper bathtubs located right on the sand and watch the changing colors of sunset, before savoring a bonfire beach barbecue. The villa sleeps up to ten in five sumptuous and luxurious double rooms, each with beautifully finished glass and tile bathrooms and outdoor showers and blissful star baths. Additional guests can be accommodated on request. Whilst off-grid and 100% self-sufficient, the villa has Wi-fi Internet access and mobile phone reception.

Two Tanzanian Banda Style Beach Chalets– these beautiful double-story bandas are designed to meet your every comfort while retaining their authentic ocean-cooled island feel. Offers an additional 4 en-suite bedrooms. Glass rim-flow swimming pool, tennis court, fitness center and yoga pavilion.

In terms of design, Thanda is more Cape Cod than typical Tanzania style, with whitewashed, smooth wood work and flowing curtains giving a fine, luxury finish, complete with a grand piano, Provencal-styled central dining area and wide, covered verandas from which to soak up the magnificent sea views on all sides. Here, you can rest, rejuvenate, enjoy adventure sports and explore your pristine playground, where shades of turquoise infuse your days and tropical spices your nights. Thanda provides a curious mix of modern luxury, smart home comforts and ecological consciousness. Infuse your being with the warmth of the sunshine, the glitter on the water and the character of the people.

EXOTIC DINING:

Our cuisine is fresh, delicious and customized to your palate. Our chefs will contact you ahead of your visit to discuss the menu of your choice and to find out if you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies. Our menu includes ocean-fresh fish and seafood, vegan and vegetarian dishes, beef, game and poultry, crisp seasonal vegetables and tropical fruits, and a choice of divine desserts. From breakfasts on the beach to romantic dinners and bonfires to picnics on a sandbank in the ocean or on a neighbouring island - whatever you desire, we’ll deliver.

Guests can experience a Swahili feast, dedicated to the flavours and aromas of Tanzania, tickled with spices from Zanzibar. Swahili curries, rice dishes, grills, local deserts, chai and more. Guests are seduced by East African cusine. Ancient Arabian culture is infused in East Africa and we offer our guests an exotic experience of Arabian nights with a themed evening of indulgence, with chiffon drapes, incense, Afghan rugs, low tables, Arabian music and culinary delights to evoke all your senses.

If you enjoy fish and seafood, this is paradise and our chefs are fish and seafood masters: the menu includes fish cooked to perfection, fish carpaccio, sashimi, sushi, prawn curries, lobsters freshly caught off Mafia Island, mangrove crabs, tuna, red snappers and a choice of other sea-fresh fish, daily caught by you or our team, as well as seasonal oysters freshly-picked from Thanda Island. Pizza-making on our private island resort is part of the entertainment and everyone gets involved at the alfresco dining area, where there is a traditional hand-built Italian pizza oven. Here you can help to make the pizzas with a choice of delicious ingredients

Our chefs set a high value on healthy food. Every meal they prepare is fresh, from herbs freshly picked from the Island herb garden to papayas, coconuts, watermelons and pineapples. They make their own coconut milk for the curries, and they handmake the ice cream, sorbet, yoghurt and muesli.

WELLNESS:

Our spa therapist offers an all-inclusive menu offering a special spa experience, including signature massages, facials and body treatments with an exquisite range of non-allergic products. To enhance your wellness you can participate in yoga and meditation sessions in our beautiful outdoor sala overlooking the ocean. We invite you to enjoy simple, exquisite pleasures - strolling along your own private 1,1km beach or exploring the 8ha Island where the only sign of human habitation is the occasional, traditional fishing dhow in the distance. Many of us find it difficult to relax, but the beauty of Thanda Island is that it does it all for you. You’ll find yourself spontaneously relaxing while you restore our vital force in a serene but adventure-filled environment where time dissolves. Your personal wellness specialist will guide you into a deeper sense of relaxation and aliveness during your stay. Through a blend of different techniques, they will help you to release tension, manage stress, have more fun, enhance your mental strength, emotional resilience and physical fitness so you can fully discover yourself and explore life to the fullest.

For our guests who want to relax, there’s music, yoga, spa treatments and time out at our magnificent rim-flow pool. For our energetic guests, we’re geared for action, including scuba diving and snorkeling, big game fishing, exploring the ocean in our catamaran or cruiser, playing tennis and volleyball, working out in the gym, walking and jogging on the beach, exploring the island, our special Egret Walk and, of course, dancing in the moonlight under African skies. On the Island, guests can rejuvenate and enjoy a variety of water sports or island activities as they explore this remarkable destination, where shades of turquoise infuse the days and tropical spices the nights.

THE BEACH & MARINE LIFE:

Thanda Island’s beautiful beach stretches for a kilometre, surrounded by the pristine Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve. We are a site for nesting sea turtles, and the migrating route for humpback whales and vast cruising whale sharks, from October to March annually. These incredible creatures - sometimes up to 18 meters in length - are the largest fish in the world. What's more, the expert Thanda guides will bring along GoPro cameras to record this truly magical moment. Our certified marine sanctuary is also home to dolphins and turtles.

ECOLOGICAL CONSCIOUSNESS:

On-site marine biologist assisting with leading conservation and community programs in partnership with Tanzanian Marine Parks and the leading NGO, Sea Sense. Marine conservation is at the core of the Island’s offering and guests are encouraged to get involved in a range of projects, such as marine wildlife monitoring or awareness workshops with villagers on neighboring Mafia Island. Your air-conditioning and gallons of fresh water are provided by power from the lodge’s own solar farm; the second largest in Tanzania! With our environmentally sustainable with off-grid solar power and desalination plant all water is desalinated on the island. More is being done to water the island and extend the gardens.

The island employs and nurtures their own in house marine biologist, who spends each day recording and documenting local sightings, guiding guests on dives and snorkeling expeditions, and nurturing her underwater coral nursery and gardens. The emphasis is on conscious nurture of the marine environment, and developing awareness.

SCUBA DIVING:

The Mafia Island Marine Park is the largest protected reserve in the Indian Ocean and is home to turtles, sharks and dugongs - plus much, much more! Just one of many incredible dive sites, the Milimani Coral Gardens are teaming with vibrant-coloured fish. Meanwhile, experienced divers can explore The Kinasi Pass; the 30-metre drop-off is home to barracuda, giant gropers and reef rays. Thanda Island have partnered up with the five-star PADI-certified Mafia Island Diving Centre, offering expert guides and state-of-the-art equipment.

CULTURE AND HISTORY:

Set sail on a traditional dhow boat towards Chole Island. Since the 8th century, this charming island was an important base for the Arabic traders. As you explore, visit a traditional boat maker who still manually carves the village's dhow boats. Helping out the local community, every guest visiting the island aids to support the running of the primary school by paying a modest fee.

Thanda Island is a tropical island off the east coast of Tanzania. One of the most exclusive and totally private island getaways, eight hectares in size, one kilometer in circumference and 350 meters wide. Thanda has been shaped into a beloved jewel in the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean, creating a new option for luxurious stays in a stunning island location.

GETTING HERE:

To get to Thanda Island, guests fly directly to Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam with Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airlines, Etihad Airlines or South African Airways. The following international airlines also fly into the region and use local airlines to fly to Dar es Salaam: Swiss Air and KLM.

On landing at Dar es Salaam, the Thanda Island team will meet you and accompany you through customs, ensuring a smooth, quick entry into this beautiful country. From here, you board either an 8 or 4-seater helicopter and 45 minutes later you land on Thanda Island, right at the villa for the start of your private island adventure. Alternatively, several domestic carriers fly the 30-minute route to Mafia Island's 1.6km tar runway, where the Thanda team will greet you and transfer you to the Island by boat.

Check-in: Flexible

Check-out: Flexible

Children are welcomed

No pets

No smoking indoors

Minimum 5 night stay

Local tax at 18%

Gratuities

Conservation Levy per person per stay

Marine Park Levy per person per day

50% down to book

Balance due 60 days prior

Please bring proof of identification

Passport Required for non-resident

Travel insurance recommended

All bookings are final

Rates and fees subject to change without notice