Fumba Beach Lodge opened its doors in June 2005, and has been a fantastic addition to the beach-side lodges on Zanzibar. It is a fabulously original place that oozes style and has been elegantly crafted with clean, crisp lines and bold colours. All of the rooms and the main areas are beautifully put together – this is one of our favourite beach lodges on Zanzibar.
There is a large open-sided thatch area at Fumba Beach Lodge where you will find the main bar and lounge, as well as the dining area. Outside is a large patio which is furnished with tables and chairs and leads across to the fabulous infinity pool. Adjacent to the pool is the open-air 'sunset bar' made from an old African dhow. This is a great place to have a drink at the end of the day whilst enjoying an unobstructed view across the ocean towards the sunset.
All of the bedrooms are nestled around neatly manicured gardens and reached via meandering sandy paths. The rooms at Fumba Beach Lodge are divided into twenty Deluxe Rooms, four Luxury Suites and two Baobab Suites. All are colourful and stylish with plenty of space, though the suites do have much larger bathrooms.
For those who wish to indulge themselves during their stay at Fumba Beach, there is a new spa, and a brand new scuba diving centre. Fumba can also organize the full-day 'Safari Blue' trip which explores nearby islands and the lagoon. This departs from the next bay so makes for a very convenient excursion.
Though we think that Fumba Beach Lodge is a fantastic lodge, you need to be aware that it doesn't have the kind of perfect, idyllic powder-white-sand beach that you will find on Zanzibar's East Coast, or Michamvi Peninsular. Instead Fumba is situated on a yellow-sand beach that is dotted with exposed coral rock. It still has clear turquoise waters; it still has great spots for sunbathing – but it's not quite as aesthetically pleasing as the powdery beaches on the east coast of Zanzibar.
To see Fumba's actual beach, have a look at the satellite map. However, this satellite photo was taken prior to Fumba Beach Lodge being built in 2005, so currently you can't see it's buildings!
Central facilities: The main areas at Fumba Beach Lodge are all centered around the large kidney-shaped infinity pool which has a spectacular view across the ocean. Around the pool is a large red-stone patio with plenty of comfortable loungers and tables and chairs for dining.
Adjacent to this is the bar/lounge and indoor dining area, which is a large open-sided thatch banda. The lounge/bar is beautifully designed, with low built-in sofas around the edge, scattered with lots of comfortable cushions. Next door is the immaculate dining area, furnished with intimate tables and comfortable chairs, on highly polished stone floors.
Nearby, on the other side of the pool is the 'Dhow FumBar'. This bar is constructed from an old dhow and sits under an enormous baobab tree on the edge of a coral cliff. It is a stunning spot for sundowners with a perfect view of the setting sun and is also a sociable spot. The guests usually gather here before dinner – the result is a lovely buzzing atmosphere.
Fumba Beach Lodge also has the new Baobab Massage Centre – this is cleverly built around a baobab tree and features a massage room as well as jacuzzi that sits 6 metres above the ground in the tree itself!
For the more active, there is also a new PADI scuba diving centre. Visiting early 2007, the scuba kit was very high-quality and brand new, and the team of instructors were great fun as well as very professional. Fumba is the only lodge in this area, so the diving from here is peaceful and quiet.
Heading out to the sites on a dhow (albeit with an engine) rather than a huge speed boat is really relaxing. Furthermore, Fumba, unlike most resorts on the east coast, have a relatively small dive boat, so you are likely to be one of only a small number of divers on each trip; not one of twenty.
Directions: It is about a 35-minute flight to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam, and then it is a further 45 minutes south along bumpy roads to Fumba. Note that Fumba Beach Lodge is on the right side of town for the airport; so it's a good lodge to end at if you're leaving on an early-morning flight from Zanzibar.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
Usual board basis: Half Board
Food quality: Fumba Beach Lodge are very relaxed about their meal timings and they will happily accommodate any dietary requirements. Breakfast is usually a variety of fruits and cereals as well as a full English breakfast. Lunch can be chosen from an a la carte menu, whereas dinner is a more formal 4-course affair.
When we were last there the food was excellent and there was always some fantastic fresh seafood on the menu. The food was beautifully presented and really tasty – it was some of the best that we experienced on Zanzibar!
Dining style: Inidividual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Room service: On request Fumba Beach Lodge will do private dinners, however all room service should be arranged in advance as there are no phones in the rooms.
Drinks included: Drinks are not included.
Children
Attitude towards children: Children are welcome at Fumba Beach Lodge.
Age restrictions: There are no age restrictions at Fumba Beach Lodge.
Activities: Fumba Beach lodge can offer babysitting.
Equipment: Beautiful Zanzibar cots are available on request.
Generally recommended for children: We would recommend Fumba Beach Lodge for children.
Notes: When we were last there, there were a few families with children staying with us at Fumba Beach Lodge. They particularly enjoyed the pool. The lodge's team was very good, organizing lots of activities – from snorkeling to dolphin-watching, to help keep the children entertained.
Central communications
Power supply: Mains Electricity
Communications: There is an email facility in the office that guests can use on request for no charge. Though it is the office computer, so its use is dependant on how busy things are for Fumba. There is intermittent cell-phone reception in the area.
TV & radio: There is no TV or radio at Fumba Beach Lodge.
Health & safety
Malarial area: Yes
Medical care: The nearest doctor is in Stone Town, which is about half an hour away in the car.
Dangerous animals: Low Risk
Security measures: Fumba Beach Lodge has a closed gate and security guards.
Fire safety: There are fire extinguishers dotted around the main areas of Fumba Beach Lodge.
Extras
Disabled access: On Request
Laundry facilities: The laundry is an extra charge and when we were last there it was around $2 - 3 per item.
Money: Fumba Beach Lodge will happily exchange US dollars, pounds and euros.
Accepted payment: You can pay for any extras in US dollars, pounds, euros and Tanzanian shillings cash. If you wish to pay by Visa there is a 3.5% charge, and for Mastercard there is a 5% charge. Travellers' cheques are not accepted.
Fumba Beach Lodge review
Fumba is in a quieter part of Zanzibar and although it does not have white beaches it really didnt make any difference. The sea was turquoise and clear and you could walk a long way when the tide was ...
Fumba Beach Lodge review
Fumba is natural and basic. The room design is really good and blends in with the environment but the bedding could have been better. It would have been nice to have had a quilt instead of the basic...
Fumba Beach Lodge review
Fumba was Paradise. It was everything I had imagined for a few luxury days by the sea. The rooms were spotless, with lovely colourful soft furnishings. We thought that the whole setting and the bea...
Useful links...
We want you to understand more about Fumba Beach Lodge. We're also confident that a trip there with us cost you the same or less than booking it any other way, even directly. So follow the links below.
Fumba Beach homepage This is a short but clear website that’s light on hard information, but does have the right feel for the lodge.
