LABA Fanjove Island

It is not every day that a private island can boast the value-for-money experience that Fanjove does. A tiny wisp of an isle, curled around a coral reef south of Dar es Salaam, Fanjove has everything you could want from a private island: from shiny-white beaches and warm water to a forested interior ringing with birdsong. Exclusive, stylish and with only six individual suites, this lodge is ideal for privacy-seeking travellers, honeymooners and bush-and-beach-getaways – offshore lie dazzling reefs with 20-metre / 66-foot visibility, pods of curious bottle-nosed and spinner dolphins, and ephemeral sandbanks that are perfect for a lunchtime picnic. Look out for endangered green turtles and migrating humpback whales.

Fanjove is the sort of destination where you are encouraged to do as little or as much as the mood takes you. You can snorkel or kayak straight off the beach or join a sunset dhow cruise, go on a scuba-dive adventure or just enjoy a slow walk around the island. Apart from the friendly staff from nearby Songosongo Island, there is no-one else on Fanjove except you and your fellow guests; an old lighthouse and a passing fisherman or two are the few reminders of the outside world.

The lodge's designers worked in tandem with ecologists to create elegant, comfortable accommodation that leaves the barest of footprints on the landscape. Your suite is solar powered and made from traditional building materials; much of the water is harvested from rain and desalinated from the surrounding Indian Ocean. The ambience is relaxed, quiet and stylish, perfect for couples looking for a beach vacation in Africa.