Kichanga Lodge

Eclectic in style, the main dining and lounge area is as refreshingly unusual as the lodge itself. It's open to the sea breezes, with bright fabric-covered chairs and couches arranged beside the central bar – a real talking point with its front decorated with glass bottles that gleam in the evening. Canvas directors' chairs and locally built tables make up the dining space, which opens to the gardens and a series of steps leading to the main beach.

Twenty-three terracotta-walled bungalows with roofs of makuti thatch stretch along the gardens and shoreline. All are spacious and comfortable, with hand-crafted furniture, soft furnishings of bright local fabrics and a hammock from which to gaze at the ever-changing colours of the sea. The amenities are basic but adequate, and the units have been designed to allow the cool ocean breezes to enter. There's a large honeymoon suite and a few double-storey private villas with wonderful ocean views and stone showers.

You'll find it hard to drag yourself away from the beach, from early morning walks to late-night strolls beneath the palms. If you succeed, head to the lodge's on-site dive centre and and hire snorkelling gear to explore the coral reefs and their bright inhabitants, and perhaps even spot dolphins. Try beach volleyball or kite surfing, or arrange a sundowner dhow cruise. If you're looking for mementos, rent a taxi to visit Stone Town or take a fragrant spice tour.