Where the Indian Ocean
Becomes Your Sanctuary
Learning the art of slow living… one private island at a time.
Five of East Africa’s most exclusive private islands, each a world apart, each an invitation to disappear entirely. These islands represent the very pinnacle of seclusion and luxury. Johari Kenya presents to you these five remarkable retreats where the only agenda is your own.
Exclusive Island Buy-Out
Whale Shark Encounters
Marine Reserve
Helicopter Access
1
Tanzania · Indian Ocean
Thanda Island
The World’s Leading Exclusive Private Island, entirely yours.
Off the coast of Tanzania, nestled within its own protected marine reserve, Thanda Island stands alone as one of the most awarded private island retreats on the planet. Recognized eight consecutive times by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Exclusive Private Island, this pristine five-hectare sanctuary in the turquoise waters of the Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve is not merely a destination; it is a statement.
The island is booked exclusively as a single-key villa for up to ten adults, ensuring absolute privacy for you and your chosen companions. Five elegantly appointed, air-conditioned ocean-facing suites open directly onto the beach, complemented by two traditional Tanzanian bandas for additional guests. The design echoes the quiet confidence of a Cape Cod beach house, with whitewashed interiors, rich timber, flowing linens, a grand Steinway piano, and a glass-rimmed infinity pool framed by endless sea.
Between October and February, whale sharks congregate in the surrounding waters, one of nature’s most humbling encounters, arranged with consummate ease by Thanda’s marine guides. Sea turtles nest along the shore, dolphins arc past at sunrise, and a resident marine biologist leads immersive conservation experiences across the reef nursery. Arrive by private helicopter from Dar es Salaam in just 35 minutes, and let the island become yours… entirely, unhurriedly, unforgettably.
2
Kenya · South Coast
Chale Island
Kenya’s only single-resort island, where ancient forest meets the open ocean.
Just 600 metres off Kenya’s southern coast, and yet a world away, Chale Island is the country’s sole single-resort private island. Situated within 15 acres of indigenous ancient coastal forest, this 1.2-kilometre island is a living sanctuary: mangroves teeming with birdlife, sea turtles nesting along powder-white coral beaches, and some of the tallest mangrove trees in all of East Africa rising from the island’s interior.
The resort, built in the spirit of authentic Kenyan hospitality, blends Swahili-style coral stone architecture with rich mahogany finishes and open-air living. Accommodation ranges from elegant Ocean View Bandas with private verandas overlooking the Indian Ocean, to the extraordinary Overwater Suites, the first of their kind in Kenya, suspended above the lapping tide on a covered wooden jetty. For absolute seclusion, the Suite on the Rock occupies its own private islet connected to the main island by a stone bridge, featuring a private pool and panoramic azure views in every direction.
Nine bars and restaurants serve everything from traditional Swahili seafood feasts to Italian and Oriental cuisine, with the Mkoko Sunset Deck offering perhaps the most dramatic sundowner experience on the Kenyan coast. The island’s dive centre, spa, and carefully curated activities — from mangrove kayaking to deep-sea fishing and snorkelling over the vibrant reef — make Chale Island the perfect coastal companion to any Kenya safari.
Overwater Suites
Turtle Nesting Beach
Dive Centre
15 Mins from Stone Town
70 Private Pool Villas
Overwater Lagoon Suites
3
ZANZIBAR . TANZANIA
Bawe Island
Zanzibar’s newest icon of private luxury. 30 hectares of untouched paradise.
Opened in 2024, Bawe Island is Zanzibar’s most anticipated arrival in the world of luxury travel — and it has arrived with extraordinary ambition. Set on 30 pristine hectares of tropical wilderness just 15 minutes by speedboat from the UNESCO-listed Stone Town, this African-chic resort redefines what it means to retreat. Its concept is elegantly simple: 70 independent villas, each with a private pool and dedicated butler service, set within wild lush vegetation, yet never more than a short stroll from powder-white beaches and a coral reef ranked among the finest in Zanzibar.
The villas are bold statements of considered luxury — from Sunrise Villas on the eastern shore where the Indian Ocean ignites at dawn, to Sunset Suites on the west where the African sky burns amber and gold each evening, to the extraordinary overwater Lagoon Suites, perched above crystal-blue water with sweeping ocean panoramas. For the most discerning guests, the Sultan Palace offers a two-storey private sanctuary accommodating up to nine, with its own kitchen, grand living spaces, and the privacy of a private estate.
The island’s dine-around concept sees four restaurants — including Teppanyaki, Italian, and fusion beach dining — included in all stays. The Rebirth Spa draws on natural Healing Earth products, and Bawe’s own solar park and desalination system place it at the forefront of sustainable island luxury. Close to Tanzania’s legendary game reserves, Bawe makes the seamless safari-and-sea combination not just possible but effortless.
4
Songo Songo Archipelago · Tanzania
Laba Fanjove Island
A Robinson Crusoe dream made real. Barefoot luxury at Africa’s edge.
There are islands, and then there is Fanjove. The smallest of six in Tanzania’s remote Songo Songo Archipelago — barely a kilometre long, ringed by 11 kilometres of pristine coral reef — Laba Fanjove Island is the kind of place that renders comparison impossible. Here, the outside world does not simply recede; it vanishes entirely. The only reminders of human history are a restored 19th-century lighthouse and the occasional shadow of a passing dhow on the horizon.
The lodge — Laba Laba — occupies this private island with just six elegantly appointed, solar-powered beach bandas, each positioned along the shore to ensure complete privacy and uninterrupted ocean views. Shaped to echo the form of a traditional dhow sail, the open-fronted bandas are designed from locally sourced natural materials: sustainable timber, mukuti palm leaves, and thatch — a philosophy of building that leaves the lightest possible footprint on one of East Africa’s most unspoilt ecosystems.
The waters surrounding Fanjove are 28°C and visibility reaches 30 metres — conditions that make the coral gardens among the most vivid in the Indian Ocean. Spinner and bottlenose dolphins are frequent companions, endangered green turtles nest on the shore, and humpback whales pass through on their seasonal migration. Arrive by charter flight from Dar es Salaam to Songo Songo, then by traditional dhow to the island itself — the journey is the first of many extraordinary experiences Fanjove will offer.
19th-Century Lighthouse
Dolphin & Whale Encounters
Dhow Sunset Cruises
All-Inclusive &Beyond
Marine Conservation Area
Daily Diving Included
Turtle Nesting Site
5
Zanzibar · Tanzania
Mnemba Island
&Beyond’s legendary barefoot paradise, where the reef begins at your doorstep.
Legendary in the truest sense, Mnemba Island has been setting the standard for barefoot luxury in East Africa for decades. Managed by &Beyond, this 1.5-kilometre atoll off the north-eastern coast of Zanzibar is one of the most romantically distilled island experiences in the world — no roads, no shoes required, no clocks, and no agenda beyond what the tides dictate. Following an extensive full rebuild completed in late 2024, the island’s 12 open-air bandas have been reimagined as intimate cocoons beneath the casuarina forest canopy, each opening directly onto the coral-white sand.
The philosophy here is radical simplicity elevated to an art form. There are no doors, no windows — only the sigh of sea breeze and the rustle of palms through hand-woven walls. Fresh baskets of seafood, lobster, and tropical fruit arrive daily by traditional ngalawa outrigger, prepared into exquisite, unhurried feasts enjoyed on the beach with bare feet in the sand. With just 24 guests and 64 dedicated staff on the island at any time, the ratio of care to comfort is extraordinary.
Mnemba’s house reef — a marine conservation area of global significance — harbours dolphins, hawksbill and green turtles, reef sharks, and an astonishing diversity of tropical fish. Two guided dives are included daily, along with snorkelling, kayaking, traditional dhow sailing, yoga, and the deeply moving privilege of witnessing turtle hatchlings charge toward the ocean under a canopy of stars.
Your Island Awaits
Let Johari Kenya craft your bespoke private island itinerary from the perfect island pairing to seamless safari connections and exclusive transfers.