GUIDE ON MNEMBA ISLAND IN NORTHEAST ZANZIBAR

Surrounded by pure turquoise waters, set out to take a barefoot stroll on the soft, powdery sands of Mnemba Island where the soft breezes of the Indian Ocean caress you, allowing you absorb the tranquility of this private isle amidst rustling of swaying screw pines, giant-leaved fig trees, wild rubber figs, whistling pines and the many more that cover the island in a cover of lush greenery.

AfricanMecca guests can reach the island by taking a 15-minute boat ride from the northeast end of Zanzibar Island at Matemwe Beach. Surrounded by more than 10 miles of stunning reefs that create a sheltered lagoon, Mnemba is a veritable paradise on earth that hosts a number of birds and smaller terrestrial fauna but no snakes or scorpions that might mar the pleasure of your castaway beach tour in Africa.



Explore the white beach strip at high tide and you will see many wading birds like curlew sandpipers, ruddy turnstones, sanderlings and the lesser and Mongolian sand plover. Watch as they join other birds like crab plovers in feasting on sea lice, sand shrimps and other invertebrates on the sandbars by the seashore. You will be amazed to know that many of these wading birds have migrated to Africa from the Arctic Tundra biome. Mnemba Island Lodge is the only lodging on the isle.

Explore the miniature forest while beach holidaying here, and you will spot delightful creatures like the rare Zanzibar suni antelope while white forest vagrant butterflies flit among the bushes. Your guide will inform you that the whistling pines you see are not endemic to the island, but their dune stabilizing properties have probably contributed to protecting the island from erosion by the ocean. But your dream trip to Mnemba Island has more in store for you.



You still have to discover the underwater world hidden below crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean on a diving and snorkeling trip to its atoll. The filter-feeding oceanic coral forms a complete eco-system that supports a number of colorful sea creatures, their shapes and forms creating a wondrous, unique environ. Look for moorish idols, long-horned cowfish, semicircle angelfish, hawksbill turtles, powder blue surgeonfish, green turtles, vagabond butterflyfish, manta rays, starfish, anemones, crabs and scores more. You could swim with the striped dolphins and view massive whale sharks alongside rays.



In the deep seas outside the marine park, try your hand at fishing for barracuda, sailfish, swordfish, yellowfin tuna and marlins, and enjoy tagging and releasing them back into the ocean. Or simply lie on the pristine, white sands and let the warm rays of the tropical sun wash over you as you take long languorous siestas at on sun loungers. These are only some of the allure that you will experience on your AfricanMecca beach vacation in Tanzania.