&Beyond Mnemba Island

Cushions and comfort are the best way to describe the bar area, which is right on the beach, and the staff are laid-back but very attentive. The bar is backed by a curtain of turquoise glass beads that echo the colour of the ocean at its front. Drink your favourite cocktail with the sand between your toes. Lunches are served in the cool, shaded guest area, and dinners are presented on the beach.

There are just 12 simple thatched bandas with all the comforts you could wish for. Each has an enormous mosquito-netted bed set under a fan, a spacious bathroom complete with a stone shower with a glass-beaded curtain, comfortable seating and a covered veranda on which to laze and read or simply lose yourself in the ocean views.

The fully equipped dive centre is at the centre of the action, offering everything you need for snorkelling, sea-kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. If it's fishing that excites you, then fly-fishing and deep-sea fishing trips are also available. If you're visiting between February and September, take a guided visit to see threatened green turtles nesting. Look out for dolphins, whale sharks (the world's biggest fish), lots of birds and 600-odd species of coral reef fish. Or chill with a massage on the beach.