Thanda Island – A Magical Luxury Private Island Experience

Upon arrival, Thanda Island instantly becomes your Indian Ocean home. This storied place is located on an uninhabited, 8-hectare tropical island in the turquoise waters of a marine protected reserve off the coast of Tanzania, East Africa.

A member of The Leading Hotels of the World that opened in 2016 as a luxury private island, Thanda Island has repeatedly been voted by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Exclusive Private Island.

Offering an exclusive, single-key Villa for you, your family and friends to enjoy completely for yourselves, it has five romantic, air-conditioned suites that open directly onto the beach, accommodating ten adults with additional beds available for children. On the island are also two traditional, open-air Tanzanian bandas (beach chalets) for your exclusive use.

This unique luxury getaway has been created for adventure, relaxation and total privacy. It offers spectacular snorkelling, diving, big game fishing and many other aquatic activities in this place of absolute natural beauty in the protected Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve.

At your disposal is Thanda Island’s 36-foot adventure yacht Sazi, 28-foot reef runner, deep-sea fishing cat, Real Magic, and 34-foot Cobalt motor cruiser, Island Princess, commandeered by the highly experienced captain and crew.

They are part of the select team on Thanda Island, looking after your every need, including your own Chef, Hostess and Housekeeper, Activities Guide and Boatman.

Thanda Island is deeply committed to conservation and partners with the Tanzanian Marine Parks and Reserves Unit in a range of marine conservation programmes including coral restoration and conserving the five species of marine turtles that occur in Tanzania’s waters, as well as the largest fish in the world – the gentle, human-friendly whale shark.

Thanda Island participates in community programmes on nearby Mafia Island, including education, sustainable fish harvesting and sport. Thanda’s Star for Life programme empowers young people on Mafia Island to reach for their dreams and lead healthy positive lives.

A Unique Luxury Stay For Any Island Lover

From above you see a teardrop of sand in a turquoise sea; a secret island with a private luxury Villa created with complete respect for the natural environment. Thanda Island opened in 2016 and has since repeatedly been voted by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Exclusive Private Island. It is the only member of the prestigious independent group of hotels, The Leading Hotels of the World, offering an exclusive-use, single-key luxury villa experience on a private island within a protected marine reserve. It is a place of absolute natural beauty where marine life flourishes and at the same time, it is an ultra-luxury experience with all the activities, adventures, amenities, and specific nutrition and lifestyle requirements you would expect during your stay.

WHAT MAKES OUR LUXURY ISLAND UNIQUE?

When you first set eyes on Thanda Island’s single-key Villa for your exclusive use, you know you will have the most beautiful, natural and luxurious time here, under East African skies. The Villa offers sublime living and sleeping areas leading directly onto the pool and outdoor living area, surrounded by turquoise seas and silken white sands.

You have a choice of thrilling water adventures, excursions and activities, including swimming with whale sharks, scuba diving, island tennis and exploring ancient Arabic history. At the same time, Thanda Island immerses you in pure, natural pleasures… strolling along your own private 1100 metre beach, dining on ocean-fresh seafood or exploring the 8-hectare island where the only sign of human habitation is the occasional, traditional fishing dhow in the distance. On Thanda Island you infuse your being with the warmth of the sunshine, the glitter on the water and the pristine beauty. Swim with the gentle whale shark; dive in the largest marine protected reserve in the Indian Ocean; ride the trade winds on a traditional Arab dhow; indulge in a Swahili or Arabian feast; have a massage or copper bath on the beach. This is just a taste of what makes Thanda Island unique.

What Amenities Would You Expect At Our Luxury Island?

You have exclusive use of Thanda Island and the Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve surrounding it, with a superb range of activities, adventures, facilities and features. Most of these are included in the rate, others are an optional extra. We have a full list of what is included that we can send to you, but to give you an idea, here is part of the list:

A superb choice of water and marine activities are included, with a boathouse full of equipment for you to enjoy. A boatman is dedicated to you as your personal guide. Our 36-foot adventure yacht Sazi, our 28-foot reef runner, deep-sea fishing cat, Real Magic, and our 34-foot Cobalt motor cruiser, Island Princess, are all at your disposal, commandeered by our trusted captain, and ably assisted by our Thanda Island crew.

Snorkelling is included, We have a resident snorkelling guide on Thanda Island who can take you on seven different snorkelling adventures around our Island. Big Game Fishing is included, led by our professional fishing guide to seek out iconic catch-and-release species or to bring home the catch-of-the-day for our chefs to prepare for your lunch or dinner. Excluded are: Thanda Island Spa massages, facials and body treatments that can be booked according to your needs. Yoga, Meditation & Reiki are excluded and can be arranged.

Scuba Diving and diving excursions are excluded and can be arranged for you with our accredited dive partner, Mafia Island Diving. The dive sites around Mafia Island are widely regarded as having the most spectacular reefs for diving and snorkelling in sub-Saharan Africa. We also offer a range of excursions that are an additional charge, and include, amongst others, exploring the spice island of Zanzibar, experiencing the gorillas in nearby Rwanda, and going on safari in the Serengeti.

THE VILLA

When you first set eyes on the Villa, you know you will have the most beautiful time. This luxury villa accommodation surrounds you in coastal whites, greens, and blues for a perfect East African summer, with sublime living and sleeping areas leading directly onto the outdoor pool and living area, surrounded by turquoise seas and silken white sands.

TANZANIAN BANDAS

Thanda Island also features two traditional open-air Tanzanian Bandas, making the island a nine-bedroom destination entirely for you. Each Banda has an en-suite master bedroom on the ground floor and two single beds with an en-suite bathroom on the first floor. Each story of the Bandas is 72 square meters with intelligent use of the space to maximize the indoor-outdoor flow. Beautiful, locally hand-carved furniture and fabrics from Mafia Island in soft, natural colours enhance the stylish, authentic feel.