Overview
Chapwani Island Lodge, also known as Grave Island Lodge, is an idyllic, tiny coral island with only one lodge that is suitable for honeymooners and nature-lovers. It's situated about a kilometre off the coast of Stone Town, a 15-minute boat trip away. The five thatched bungalows nestle into coconut palms and baobabs on a beautiful golden strip of beach. The island is less than a kilometre long and not more than a hundred metres wide. One of the beauties of Chapwani is that visitor numbers are limited to 20 and there are no other residents, so you have the island almost to yourself. There are no beach hawkers, passers-by or anyone to disturb you. From the main stretch of beach and the bungalows you can still see Stone Town over the ocean in the distance.

Accommodation
• There are five semi-detached, thatched bungalows set right on the beach, offering a total of 10 rooms. The bungalows are nestled in-between the baobab, coconut palm and mangrove trees growing along the beachfront.

• The rooms are very simply furnished with Zanzibari décor. Each one has a four-poster bed with mozzie net, ceiling fan and a small Zanzibari writing desk. Each room has a veranda and shelves were added recently.

• The en-suite bathrooms are attractive but unusual and consist of an oval-shaped sunken bath (no bath plugs though) with a hand shower. The addition of solar heating has thankfully made hot water available.


Facilities
• There are no televisions, telephones or air-conditioners, which we find adds to the romance of this small island.

• The open-plan thatched lodge blends in perfectly with the landscape. It consists of a bar, dining room and lounge decorated in Swahili antiques.

• The lodge runs on a generator which is switched off in the evenings, which means the ceiling fans aren't always able to operate at full potential.

• All meals are served in the open-plan restaurant area where you can gaze out to sea as the fishing dhows glide by.

Activities
• This is not a resort, so there's not much in the way of watersports activities. However, they do have a boat to take you snorkeling and exploring at Prison Island. The lodge can also arrange a variety of excursions on mainland Zanzibar.

• Chapwani is actually one of the few places in Zanzibar that is not affected by the tides, so you can swim out from the beach as far as you like at any time of the day.

• Take a short walk on the sandy paths leading through the lush tropical greenery to various secluded spots for sunbathing. You will encounter a variety of interesting creatures in the shrubbery. While trekking around the island, you'll notice that there is also a small cemetery on the island, which explains the island's English name, Grave Island.