The Mnarani Beach Hotel / Cottages

About Mnarani Beach

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 or diving. 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.

Rooms at Mnarani Beach

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 Zanzibari 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.

Dining

Mnarani Beach Cottages has a fantastic restaurant where you can sample local cuisine. You'll be offered lots of freshly caught seafood, literally bought straight from the fishermen as they return with their morning catch for preparation that evening. Dinner is usually served on the terrace close to the sea. You can also enjoy barbecues on the beach under the stars. Vegetarians and non-fish eaters are catered for, so let us know well before your visit what you'd like. The restaurant aims to please, but needs to order specific requirements way in advance. It is certainly one of the highlights of Mnarani.

There is also a small bar among the palms, which protrudes out over the rocks to provide exquisite views of the lagoon. This is the place to gather with other guests to enjoy a round of sundowners and a game of the traditional Zanzibari game bao. (Don't leave Zanzibar without learning how to play!) If the mood is right, the staff suggests packing in a round of soft drinks and taking the boat out to enjoy sundowners on the water.

Facilities

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.

General

Mnarani is usually closed in April and May during the monsoon rains.