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| The
hotel |
If you're after a small,
intimate and reasonably priced lodge on the quieter flank of
the Nungwi Peninsula, Mnarani Beach Cottages is a great
option. The bungalows are nestled privately in a cove near
the lighthouse on the tip of Nungwi. Divers will appreciate
its reasonable proximity to the Mnemba Atoll (just less than
two hours away) and for part-time partygoers the lively bars
and restaurants of Nungwi are just a 20-minute walk away.
There is a fantastic sandy beach where you can laze about on
sun lounges and develop that long-awaited golden tan. But
the beach quality does vary according to the tides and time
of year, so there may be times when you need to walk a short
distance to the western side of the peninsula to find a
better beach to swim. We didn't find this too much of a
drawback though.
Mnarani is the only lodge development for kilometres on
either side, so you're not inundated with hoards of
tourists. Thank goodness! Its location fairly close to the
village means you get to see the goings-on in a typical
fishing village. However, don't expect to find all the
facilities of a large beach club at Mnarani. There's not
much in the way of water sports, no dive centre and no
swimming pool. But you can go out with a local Zanzibarian
on the lodge's dhow to enjoy a day of sailing, fishing or
snorkelling. Mnarani's dhow is rather high-tech for these
parts and is probably the envy of most of the traditional
fishermen. It is fitted with outboard engines, short-wave
radios, GPS and fish finders, and all kinds of fancy fishing
rods. They have just recently completed their swimming pool,
so guests are assured of somewhere peaceful to relax.
Your days at Mnarani can be spent relaxing and enjoying the
freedom of being able to walk on a long stretch of beach.
There's also a local village where they build dhows and the
Mnarani Aquarium to visit.
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| The
rooms |
There are 27 comfortable rooms at Mnarani Beach Cottages, situated along sandy paths in the greenery. They're all en-suite with hot water and mosquito nets.
The standard cottages are small, arranged in pairs and face the sea. They are furnished in simple Zanzibar style. If you're into star signs, you'll enjoy the names of these rooms.
 The four new apartments are more spacious and are recommended for couples or families, since the children can sleep upstairs and the adults downstairs. They have a lounge and kitchen.
There's also a romantic honeymoon cottage called Mahaba House. It is situated separately from the lodge and has its own garden and access to the beach. Mahaba is an open-plan, double-storey cottage. There's a kitchenette and sitting room on the ground floor, which leads out onto a large balcony (great for relaxing over sundowners). Upstairs is an airy bedroom decorated in local style with wooden floors and reed matting
covering the walls. If you can't go without music, no matter how much you love the sound of the ocean, there's a CD player.
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| The
facilities |
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Location: Mnarani Beach is situated near the village of Nungwi, on the northern tip of Zanzibar. It's located on the eastern side of the lighthouse and is a 20-minute walk along the beach from the festive bars and restaurants of Nungwi Village. It's about a one-and-a-half hour drive from Stone Town.
General facilities:
• Restaurant
• Bar
• Motorised dhow
• Swimming Pool
Room facilities:
• En-suite rooms
• Mosquito nets
• Honeymoon suite
Activities:
• Diving trips to Mnemba Atoll can be arranged with Nungwi operators.
• Mnarani has a dhow to take you snorkelling or deep-sea fishing (kingfish, tuna, marlin).
• You can walk along the beach to see the local dhow builders, friendly people in the village and the fishing market.
• Visit Mnarani Aquarium.
• Laze about on a sun lounges or hammocks on the beach.
Open: Mnarani is usually closed in April and May during the monsoon rains.
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| Bookings |
Bookings
for Amaan Bungalows are done
through this website:
Contact:
African Encounters |
Postnet
Suite 45
Private Bag x 12
Roosevelt Park
2129 |
Tel:
(011) 880 3079
Fax: (011) 447 6773
email: info@africanencounters.com |
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