LAZY LAGOON

Lazy Lagoon is a small, private Indian Ocean island retreat, in the Zanzibar channel, off Tanzania’s mainland coast of Bagamoyo. This is the ideal place to unwind at the beginning of or the end of a safari, ideal for honeymooners or those seeking peace and solitude of Tanzania’s coast. The island is also suitable for families as there is plenty to interest young children, teenagers and adults alike.

Lazy Lagoon has just 12 rooms set in eco-friendly “bandas” along a 9km stretch of white, sandy beaches. The clear azure blue water allows for swimming at all tides, snorkelling for an underwater safari where one can be mesmerized by shoals of iridescent tropical fish hiding among the pristine coral reefs surrounding the island. The island is also home to wildlife like bushbabies, wildpigs, genets, baboons, duiker and suni antelope living in the indigenous forest habitat on the island

From the peace and tranquillity of your private veranda or the hotel lounge or swimming pool, you get to see the “ngalawas” or dhows sailing past the island, with fresh catch-of-the-day (most of which will grace your dinner table). Activities are optional and you can do as much or as little as you like – for the more adventurous, choose from kayaking, walks through the forest and mangroves, sunset dhow cruises to nearby sand islands and the coral reefs, scuba diving and other watersports. You can also visit the historical town of Bagamoyo – once a slave trading post, and the Kaole Ruins.

Lazy Lagoon is the island to retreat to if one wants to escape the hustle and bustle of Zanzibar for a few days or a week or more of total relaxation in peaceful surroundings.

BAGAMOYO

Steeped in the infamous past of slave trade, Bagamoyo literally means, “lay down your heart”. The tow was the exit port for many thousands of Tanzanians who were forced into slavery, leaving their hearts in their homeland.

Bagamoyo was also the capital of German East Africa – and the gateway to the interior of Africa for many European explorers – Livingstone, Burton, Speke, Stanley and Grant all made their way inland from Bagamoyo, searching for the source of the Great Nile. The town has an incredibly rich history going back to the Shirazi Arab trading settlements. In exploring the Kaole Ruins at Bagamoyo one can find a 12 th century mosque as well as the oldest Christian mission in Central and East Africa.

Bagamoyo is also full of mystique and intrigue with the Swahili people and Wazaramu tribe making their home here. Listen to the local legend, myth and the haunting history makes the town a fabulous place to spend a few days before or after a safari. There is an interesting museum of art displaying work by local artists and attached to the nearby school of art. Visit the local market full of fresh produce and an array of colourful displays