The Beaches

At the Mangrove Lodge two white sand-beaches are available and easily reachable from the bungalows (50 mt.). Like other beaches in the west coast, they are surrounded by tropical vegetation, palms, mangroves, red almond trees and so on.

One is the Mangroves Beach, a very suggestive corner, amazing during the high tide, when the sea steeps into the little lagoon overarched by the Chuini ruins.

The other is called Mawimbini Beach, it is definitively larger and supplied with deckchairs and beach umbrellas, here you can stay till sunset and admire an unforgettable overview.
On the beach you’ll find the Mangrove bar, a nice makuti building, perfect to enjoy drinks, appetizers and romantic dinner with grilled seafood.
Next to the bar, Haji’s shop, a typical bazaar, offers the wooden-carved handiworks from Mwenge, a quarter in Dar Es Salaam on the continental cost of Tanzania. In his shop are also available hand-tied leather sandals, t-shirts, traditional women clothing, paintings, spices and…a lot of cordiality.

Activities

One purpose of the Mangrove Lodge is let the guests discover the island far and wide, and to this aim several activities are organized. Moreover, information about safari in the mainland National Parks and trip to Dar Es Salaam are available, just contact email info@mangrovelodge.

Firstly, you can join a wide set of excursions. Haji will take you to the different beaches and villages or to the capital Stone Town, for a tour or simply for shopping.
To reach the several beaches the Mangrove arranges a coach hire service with 7-seater or 14-seater minibus with driver for half day or whole day.

If you’d like a perfect place to relax, soak up the sun and take a break from some busy sightseeing, you can reach one of the islands lapped by the warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean with a little boat hired from the mangroves beach or from the small port of Stone Town. If you’d like to go fishing instead, you can reach the Mangapwani beach, which is worth a visit. Once you’re back with your fish you can ask the chef to cook it.

During the day you can join the Swahili courses, the official language, and the dance courses to learn moving your body like the African women do! There are also cuisine lessons to learn making chapati or handicraft courses to learn work with palm leaves or wood.

The Mangrove offers a very flexible entertainment, letting the guest free to enjoy the night. On the occasion of special dinners the staff puts on shows with typical African live music.
For more lively evenings the Mangrove proposes a happy hour in one of the city bars, in order to let the guest enjoy the sunset and dinner at the Forodhani Gardens near the Wonder House, a place where Zanzibar people from 6 pm start cooking and expose their food on the stalls. Meat and fish kebab, croquettes, Zanzibar pizza enliven and scent the whole garden. But alcohol sell is forbidden, remember that it is a Muslim land…

The week end is dedicated to live music and disco clubs! The disco clubs selected by the Mangrove are the most famous in the city, and security is always guaranteed.

Monthly on the beautiful beach of Kendwa the Full Moon Party takes place. Food and drink around a bonfire, music from all over the world make you dance on the sand till early in the morning together with a lot of people from all over the island. The Mangrove generally organizes a coach trip to this party after dinner.

At the Ngome Kongwe, an ancient Arab fortress, the Swahili Music Festival yearly showcases the best of the Swahili Coast music scene, including Zanzibar's favourite music, Taarab. For nearly a week famous musicians from East Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda play one after the other on the stage of this ancient building. The show starts at afternoon and lasts till late at night. Here are guested bands from the near Mozambique and from the west nations as Senegal as well. The musical genres played are several: from the modern Bongo Fleva to the traditional Zanzibar Taarab. The Mangrove will take the guests to this cultural event and enjoy with them the music.

Services

The Mangrove Lodge provides airport and seaport transfers by booking. Our drivers will pick you up at your arrival, they will recognize you through a sign in which your name and ‘Mangrove Lodge’ is written. Moreover, the Lodge provides transfers to and from other places, cities and resorts in the island. Prices change depending on the distance. A transfer service to and from the city, Zanzibar town, by 7-seater or more minibus is also available.

The Mangrove provides massage service with natural nourishing creams or coconut oil, hair braiding and tattoos. Massage is generally a two hands massage and lasts one hour, but guests can also ask for a shorter treatment or for a four hands massage.
The hair braiding is the favourite pastime among the African girls. They create the hair-style you want, short or long braids with extensions. The price changes depending on the requests, but normally this service costs from 10 to 50 dollars.
The black henna tattoos are very common among Zanzibar girls. Local women like decorate their breast, hands, legs and feet, above all on special occasions or parties. The guest can choose any other part of the body and the pattern he likes. Henna is a natural pigment, not allergenic, and lasts more or less two weeks. The price of the tattoos is to agree upon.

On demand it is possible to benefit from the laundry service and kitchen. 

At the restaurant of Mangrove Lodge an internet wireless connection 24 hours a day is available.