Imagine being blissfully lost— like you’ve slipped off the map lost. Fanjove Island is such a place—a beach hideaway in the romantic Sea of Zanj, where time slows down and graceful dhows, with their billowing sails, still sail across the water, carrying stories, goods, and people.
Fanjove Island, one of the four coral islands in the Songo Songo archipelago, is a secluded sanctuary just off the east coast of Tanzania. Its powder-white sandy beaches, coconut palms, and crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean create an exclusive paradise that feels untouched by the modern world—because it was until 2013. The resort, built around one of the last nineteenth-century lighthouses, offers a unique experience that’s not about landscaped gardens and crystal-clear pools. Instead, it’s about the breathtaking setting, the ocean, and the opportunity to dive or snorkel in a tropical paradise.
The island’s ten beach villas are on the southeast side, facing the ocean. Access to your banda is via a pathway at the back, leaving you with private, uninterrupted views from the front. So private, it’s easy to forget you’re sharing it with a few others.
Explore the rock pools at low tide, or explore beneath the surface along ten kilometres of tropical coral reef. Here, it’s about marine life—bottlenose dolphins, puffer fish, turtles and, if you’re lucky, humpback whales on their migratory journey. Fanjove is an important nesting site for green turtles, with the young hatching between April and July in their thousands.
Reaching this paradise involves a short flight into Mafia Island and a boat transfer in a wooden dhow. Once you step ashore, the only thing on your mind will be how wonderfully far away everything feels. And the chances of bumping into your neighbour? Not unless they’re green turtles.
