If you would like to enjoy a little piece of paradise, the idyllic Chapwani Private Island is so delightful you will not believe it's true. it's a small coral island nearly a kilometre long and a few 100 metres wide. It’s sixteen acres, and it's surrounded by small coves, sandy bays and crystal blue waters, with a gorgeous white sand beach running down one side. At low water, you'll walk around the entire island exploring the exposed coral and little coves and inlets.
It is only fifteen minutes by boat, which is simply over a mile from Zanzibar's capital Stone Town, but you're miles and miles faraway from its hustle, bustle and smells.
Privacy and a high level of service are the important features of Chapman, which features a maximum of twenty guests at anybody time. What this effectively means is not any crowds!! because it may be a private island you will not be disturbed by beach hawkers, or people walking by and watching you, which is wonderful.
Everybody staying on Chapwani must ensure transfers are organised. this may either be from the airport or the seaport. For all guests staying on Chapman, it's necessary to rearrange a transfer from the airport or port, into Stone Town, and across to the island by boat. As an alternate, you'll get one among the regular boat transfers a day at 09.00hrs and 16.30hrs. The boat arrives at and leaves from Mercury’s Restaurant ahead of the Old Dispensary in Stonetown.
You will get to wade calf-deep into the ocean off the beach to board and again once you land on the island, so waterproof shoes are useful.
Your arrival is at the southern end of the island, where a jetty stands proud into the ocean.
ACCOMMODATION
You will be accommodated in one among ten bedrooms in five thatched bandas, nestling into coconut palms, mangrove trees and baobabs. Inside you will find a spacious room with an outsized bed the normal Zanzibari four-poster with a screen draped over it whose plump pillows are adorned with a freshly-plucked hibiscus flower. they're decorated with colourful African prints and provided with local antiques, and a ceiling fan!! There's only enough space for a cot or an additional bed.
At the rear is a toilet with a basin, shelves; and a separate toilet. Please note the bathrooms are attractive with a sunken bath, but no plug, and an open plan hand shower. there's now solar heating so predicament is out there, but do not forget that as there's no water on the island, and it's all shipped from the mainland, so don't use an excessive amount of water.
The generator that supplies the Lodge is transitioned within the evenings, therefore the ceiling fans don't work also, and you'll want to stay cool by opening the banana leaf shutter to let the ocean breeze in.
No television, no telephone, no airconditioning, so no 21st-century disturbances, just increase the wonderful feeling of escapism and romance. within the evening when the most generator is transitioned, the ceiling fans operate only on their lowest settings. However, this could not be an excessive amount of of a problem as there's usually an honest breeze.
Outside maybe a wooden terrace with deckchairs, and just beyond that a thatched parasol together with your own sun loungers. the ocean is so close that at very high tides it practically laps at your terrace. The terrace may be a lovely place to take a seat and watch the sunset.
You can take your sun loungers onto the beach and find a secluded spot to sunbathe.
FACILITIES
On this magical little private island, the open-plan thatched lodge is within the centre of the island with views to each side. This might offer you some idea of how narrow the island is!!
It is reached by sandy paths, which are lit by paraffin lights in the dark, and it blends in perfectly with the landscape and consists of a bar, dining room, and lounge decorated in Swahili antiques.
The lounge area might better be called a lounging area due to its handmade furniture and cosy sofas may be a nice place to cover from the warmth of the day. the entire place is airy and pleasant and has the type of laid back beach atmosphere, that has long gone from the Maldives and therefore the Pacific Islands.
All your meals are taken within the restaurant which is true by the water's edge, where Swahili chefs prepare delicious three-course set meals which have a particular Italian bias, due in no small part to the Italian owners!!
If you've got a special celebration then it's possible to rearrange a table on the beach for a romantic dinner, or lunch in your room.
The food is great and sometimes includes freshly caught fish, crayfish, prawns and other tasty treats, although having said that it's possible to eat the odd steak!! If you're worried about eating during a place like this, then don't!! The food here is safe, tasty, well cooked. it's worth adding that the menu changes daily, and as you would possibly expect during a small intimate lodge-like Chapwani there's an inexpensive amount of choice and discussion.
If you're a breakfast lover, then you'll have a choice of fresh fruit, juices, hot drinks, bread, jam and eggs to order.
Many visitors take the dinner/ breakfast half board option so that they can visit Stone Town and have lunch out, but if you only want to relax and stay, then you'll have light lunches cooked for you.
The bar may be a relaxed place to collect within the evenings. The bar is well-stocked soft drinks, beer, South African wine and liquor. it's an excellent forum, and there's nothing quite like cocktails at sunset on a tropical island, especially once you can see the sunset.
There is a diesel generator for electricity, this pops at about midnight and starts again within the morning. For the rest of the time, a little generator keeps the lights working within the rooms
Chapwanis sixteen acres are covered with massive ancient baobab trees, coconut palms, edible fruit and giant cacti.
The jetty stands proud into the ocean at the southern end of the island, where there are several small sandy coves, and where there's an outsized sandbank that emerges at low water, meaning you'll swim regardless of the state of the tide.
The north shore of the island is principally reef with fossilized coral cliffs rising 3 to 4 metres out of the ocean and fringed with vegetation. This side of the island bears the wave action and has been carved into interesting shapes In one place there's a little gap within the coral which lets the ocean in and out at high water, leaving a tranquil inland lagoon during which to swim. The southern shore features a wide sandy beach. The centre of the island is usually covered with dense vegetation, through which winds a network of paths.
The island is sweet for bird watching, with many birds using the island as a roost. within the early evening, the egrets flock from their feeding grounds on Zanzibar island, back to Chapwani for the night. During the day you'll sit within the bar and be careful with Sundevall’s blue duikers, a rare endemic species of which there are about sixty on the island.
The thick vegetation here could also be why it's home to a stray colobus whose presence on the island nobody can explain. Shy and reclusive, he's only occasionally seen swinging from one tree to a different.
The large herd of some 60 dik-diks, miniature antelope, native to Zanzibar hide here during the warmth of the day within the thick undergrowth, to emerge within the evening within the open.
One of the trees at the southern end of the island is additionally home to an outsized flock of fruit bats (over 1,000), these sleep within the safety of the island during the day and leave in large swarms at dusk towards the mainland, returning only shortly before dawn to their resting place.
Along the South West Coast of the island runs the ocean wall protecting the tiny but fascinating British seamen’s graveyard. this is often a historic monument of great interest and wonder and therefore the graves through their inscriptions tell the stories of tall ships, battles with Arab dows during the slave wars, and therefore the sinking of HMS Pegasus, the primary shot to be fired within the First war. You’ll notice that there's also a little cemetery on the island, which explains the island’s English name, Grave Island. British used it within the late 1800s and early 1900s to bury Royal Navy sailors who lost their lives stumped. It also contains gravestones for the crewmen of the HMS Pegasus, which was bombed in Zanzibar harbour in 1914 by the German cruiser SMS Konigsberg. The cemetery hasn’t been well-maintained, but it's a particular atmosphere and is interesting historically. It’s worthwhile taking a walk around to read the inscriptions on the stones.
From here the long sandy beach stretches for over 500 yards all the thanks to the Northern tip of the island. The sand is ok and white and excellent for swimming for a few eight hours out of twelve. At low water, the reef surrounding the island is uncovered, revealing crevices and pools within the coral-filled with multi-coloured small shore life. Shoals of teleost fish can often be seen off the island and dolphins regularly pass accessible the shore.
In the early morning, a flock of white egrets and other sea birds gather at the Northern tip of the island. An early morning dip during this spot is an unforgettable experience, the birds dive within the water all around you, totally oblivious to your presence.
The two little coves at the North of the island provide perfect privacy and must be one among the foremost idyllic spots within the whole of Zanzibar to spend each day on the beach in total isolation.
Moving around the island to the North-Eastern coast of Chapwani, we come to a natural pool, emptied at each low water through a little gap within the coral but refilled with fresh seawater with each tide. this is often another idyllic spot to swim and sunbathe.
The remainder of the North East Coast is lined with rugged coral broken by only a few small isolated coves suitable for swimming only at high water.
At night the island is great. The lights of Stonetown sparkle within the distance and therefore the stars above are breathtaking.
The island is surrounded by small coves, sandy bays and crystal blue waters and is ideal for snorkelling, windsurfing and diving at the various interesting locations near the island.
Another great plus is that you simply can swim out from the beach as far as you wish at any time of the day. Chapman is one among the only a few locations in Zanzibar once you can swim all day, no matter the tide. When the water is low you'll also walk out onto the reef, where you'll join local fishermen in trying to find starfish, sea cucumbers which quite a thing.
In truth it’s a touch basic, and would be more of a fantasy escape island could you not always see the boats anchored within the harbour.
