Rating: Mid-range
Fumba Beach Lodge has 40 acres of tropical gardens and offers a perfect blend of casual elegance and friendly service. It is in the Menai Bay Conservation Area in the remote southwest of Zanzibar but is just a 30-minute drive from Stone Town.
The lodge has 26 en-suite rooms scattered throughout the grounds, shaded by baobab and palm trees. These include deluxe rooms, luxury suites and baobab suites, all with private terraces. The 2 beachfront baobab suites, the first two suites actually built at the property are built around a 300-year-old baobab tree and are ideal for honeymooners. They are large with a deck and have direct access to the ocean.
The comfortable open-air restaurant serves local dishes, international cuisine and fresh seafood. There is a comfortable lounge area and bar serving hot and cold drinks, and a beach bar which has been constructed from an authentic Zanzibari dhow and is the hub of early evening conviviality as cocktails are served at sundown.
This comfortable and inviting hotel encourages you to relax. You can sunbathe at the pool or on the beach, swim, stroll in the gardens, explore Fumba village and enjoy a massage at the spa. The hotel can arrange a variety of sightseeing excursions, dhow cruises, picnic trips and full day tours. There is a dive centre and plenty of superb sites to explore.
Open: Fumba Beach Lodge is all year.
Location: Fumba Beach Lodge is on a peninsula in the Menai Bay Conservation Area on Zanzibar, home to humpback and bottlenose dolphins. It has 40 acres of private gardens. It is about 30 minutes’ drive south of Stone Town and airport.
Rooms: There are 26 en-suite rooms including 20 deluxe bandas with private terraces, 4 luxury suites with outdoor showers and roof terrace and 2 baobab suites with bathrooms open to the sky and direct beach access. All rooms have fans and mosquito nets and views of either the gardens or sea.
Activities: Swimming, walking in the tropical gardens and forest, visiting Fumba village, exploring the beach at low tide. Guests can indulge in a range of treatments at the spa. Fumba offers a range of excursions including picnics on neighbouring islands, dhow cruises, snorkelling and sightseeing trips on the island. Safari Blue is a full day trip exploring the Menai Bay Conservation Area which includes a seafood barbecue lunch. Kayaks and windsurfers can be hired. Diving is popular and Fumba has a fully qualified diving team and regularly serviced equipment. There are many dive sites including Ukombe Reef.
Facilities: Fumba’s restaurant has access to fresh produce from its vegetable garden and fruit trees as well as freshly caught fish and serves delicious Zanzibari and Mediterranean food. Guests can enjoy a range of drinks and tapas at the dhow beach bar. The indoor bar and lounge serves hot and cold drinks and has a range of board games. The Baobab Spa offers various types of massage and has a Jacuzzi built into the tree. There is an infinity swimming pool and a sundeck with steps leading down to the sea.
Dining: Meals are taken at individual tables.
Children: Children of all ages are welcome. Cots, extra beds and babysitting can be arranged.
Health: This is a malarial area.
Communication: Internet access is available to all guests free of charge at the Wifi Hotspot or in the restaurant and reception areas only.
Come and meet the big cats of the Masai Mara!
Four days of superb wildlife viewing in Selous in southern Tanzania is followed by 5 nights at an Indian Ocean beach lodge. A wonderful trip at a great price.
Fumba Beach Lodge has local welfare at its heart. It was originally built with the help of the Fumba villagers and some of those people are still employed by the lodge, even the Sheha (chief) of the village regularly passes by to say hello.
Guests can ask at reception to be accompanied by one of the villagers to show them around where they live, to experience the culture and daily life, and Fumba lodge gives back by using the local guides, providing support to the nursery & village school, by providing financial support to the Menia Bay Conservation Area, and the cleaning of Stone Town.
You can be secure in knowing that as well as being an amazing experience for you, your holiday also benefits the local area and its people helping to ensure that it remains a beautiful place to visit.
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0"A lovely, rustic beach lodge set right on the beach. It’s for all kinds; action- packed activity centre, romantic and relaxing spa or just chilling by the pool and beach. It’s quiet and relaxed so don’t expect evening entertainment! Come here if you want traditional Zanzibari weather and comfort."
TRIBES REPLY: We have spoken with Mr Haywood about this. Whilst Fumba gets many excellent feedbacks as a rule, it does seem that Fumba Beach was not the right choice for Mr Haywood. We have apologised for getting it wrong on this occasion.