GUIDE ON FANJOVE PRIVATE ISLAND IN TANZANIA

Fanjove Island is a part of the Songo Songo Archipelago that is made up of a cluster of five islands and twenty separate colonies of reefs. This striking East African Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean at a distance of 125 miles (200 kilometers) to Dar es Salaam and can be reached with a 40-minute flight from the city airport. Do contact AfricanMecca Safaris to make the necessary arrangements for you including the boat ride that will take you to Fanjove Private Island.

As you step off the boat on your Fanjove Lodge beach trip, you will have the impression of leaving civilization behind you and entering into a world of sheer tranquility and beauty, the kind that you can only dream about. It will seem to you that you are the lone inhabitants of an island that has never before been visited by humans.



The sand beneath your feet is an immaculate white in striking contrast to the turquoise of the ocean waters. The only sounds that greet you are that of the waves softly stroking the sand and the ocean breeze rustling through the palm trees of the island. Thanks to the coral reefs, the strong currents of the Indian Ocean are tamed to a gentle flow by the time they reach the island making it the ideal place for swimming and exploring the underwater mysteries of this fragile world.

Every time the tide ebbs and flows, it changes the sand formations, so the island presents itself like a new entity again and again. And each new entity will enthrall you completely. Combined with the shifting sands is the cliff created out of coral that offers you yet another contrast to the perfection of the sands.

The warm waters of the Indian Ocean remain at more or less constant temperatures supporting the diverse flora and fauna, both aquatic and terrestrial, of this enchanting world. Take a scuba diving and snorkeling excursion, and you will be able to view the many colored fish such as butterfly, unicorn, parrot, puffer, angel, scorpion, lion fishes to black triggers, moorish idols, barracudas and many more as they drama around the coral reefs spread on the ocean bottom.



Also, see the green and hawksbill turtles nesting in the months from April to July. And on some auspicious days, schools of spinner dolphins might visit across the island. The island is home to the endangered species of coconut crabs, so called because of their coconut diet. During the night, hermit crabs can be seen walking around. Avian fauna also call the island their home. Some of them use it as stopovers on their migratory routes while other are here for the monsoons.

Herons and also egrets use the north-eastern part of the island as their nesting venue and others like the coconut plovers, ruddy turnstones and many others feast on the fish at low tide. So, take your binoculars and cameras and embark on a birding discovery expedition. Incredibly, the island turns into a burst of color every January when butterflies like the orange tips, common leopards and diadems, painted ladies, yellow pansy and among others, materialize on it. If you chance to take a Tanzania island vacation and visit Fanjove during the months from May to September, you might be able to view humpback whales as they travel on their oceanic passage.

If you can tear yourself away from the allure of the natural beauty of Fanjove Island, you can visit one of the other islands of the Songosongo Archipelago. Have a picnic meal on a sandbank or watch the sunset with a glass of wine while seated in a dhow. You could also just take a sailing trip on the Swahili dhow to experience how native fishermen handle their traditional crafts.



Kayak trips are another way to explore bird habitats on the other islands or to view the mangrove forests up close. But do check for high and medium tides. Also attempt this only if you are in good physical condition because kayaking can be strenuous in strong currents, and of course, you need to be an excellent swimmer.

To learn more about the customs and traditions of the local people on your Fanjove Island tour, you could visit Songosongo Island. It is recommended, though that you respect their sensibilities and dress appropriately. Meet the fishermen and listen to them talk about the world they love so much or watch them fashion their dhows. The only trace of human history on Fanjove is its lighthouse. It was constructed by the occupying colonial Germans to guide incoming ships.



The lighthouses were built with coral stone and lime, produced by firing coral stone and seashells that are freely available on the island. You can visit Fanjove Island on your African beach holiday from most of the year, from June to March, and because it is has a tropical climate, temperatures do not vary much. The monsoon seasons do have heavy rains and the rains in Kilwa and around Songo Songo start from November through April, initiating with short rains and later augmented by the long rains.

When it is not raining, you can expect to see sunny skies year around with picturesque distant clouds. If you are looking for dry, warm weather and clear skies to spend your days sunbathing and swimming, you need to visit during the months from June to October. This is the dry season; though with increased trade winds, offering you the best weather conditions possible.