Mnemba Island Lodge is a barefoot paradise, where just ten simple but luxurious palm-frond bandas lie hidden in a tropical beach forest fringed by a white beach. Midway between the bandas and the Indian Ocean are shaded traditional Zanzibari ‘beach’ beds, perfect for reading, sleeping, gazing at dhows or doing nothing at all. When it’s time to wash off the sand and salt, a corridor of woven palm leaves leads to a large shuttered bathroom with a massive stone shower behind a glass beaded curtain. Romantic candlelit dinners are served on the beach with the waves gently lapping a few metres away.