Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge

Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge sits on its own small island off Bagamoyo on Tanzania's Swahili Coast, cut off from the mainland by a tidal lagoon and reached by boat. Twelve large beach bandas are built from timber and palm in traditional Swahili style, with steep thatched roofs to catch the sea breeze, raised wooden floors, wide verandas and interiors furnished by local craftspeople. One shore is nine kilometres of white sand with swimming at all tides, protected by an offshore coral reef, while the other side gives way to sandstone and coral formations and a mangrove forest home to suni antelope, bush babies and vervet monkeys. The island is entirely off grid, with freshwater boated in and generator power at set hours, adding to its sense of remove. Days are spent kayaking, snorkelling, sailing local dhows, fishing or simply relaxing by the pool, with sundowners and beach dinners lit by lantern as the sun drops into the Indian Ocean. Lazy Lagoon Island Lodge is run by Foxes Safari Camps and makes an easy beach extension from a northern or southern circuit safari.