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The
Privé 100 2026 Indian Ocean Nº8
The Privé Collection 2026 · A Private Experience

Thanda Island

A whole private island in a Tanzanian marine reserve off Mafia, one villa and two beach bandas, taken by a single party at a time, with the reef and the whale sharks for neighbours.

The whole island, yours
Shungimbili · off Mafia, Tanzania 7° 42.29′ S  /  39° 41.22′ E
Satopia Travel presents A cinematic travel experience In partnership with Thanda Island
The Island

One island, one party, and a marine reserve all around.

Thanda is a single private island in the Shungimbili reserve off Mafia, southern Tanzania: white sand, palms and a house-reef, taken exclusively by one group. There is no other resort, no other guests, only your party and the crew.

The main villa and two Robinson Crusoe bandas together sleep a family or friends; the water around is protected, and whale sharks pass Mafia on their migration.

Overview Shungimbili · off Mafia
Setting
A whole private island in a marine reserve off Mafia, Tanzania
Accommodation
One villa and two beach bandas, taken exclusively
The island
The entire island, your party alone
Getting there
Via Dar es Salaam, then a light flight and boat, or helicopter
The stay
Stay 4 nights or more, and we plan your whole experience
Satopia experience
Tailor-made for you: reef, whale sharks and the crew, arranged end to end
A private island · 4:5
Enquire

Every experience begins with a single click. Tell us when and with who and we'll design a world around you.

Guests From 2 to 20 guests
2
Nights Minimum 3 nights stay
3
WhatsApp Email Satopia reservations
The Island

You do not book a room here; you book the island, and everything on it.

01 / 06
01 Accommodation

One villa, two bandas, the whole island between them.

The villa holds several suites, a pool and open living that runs to the sand; two beach bandas add space and seclusion. Together they take a family or group, and no one else is ever on the island.

It is exclusive-use by definition: the crew, the boats and the reef are all yours for the stay.

Villa
Several suites & a pool
Bandas
Two on the beach
Sleeps
On confirmation
Use
The whole island
The island villa · 4:5
02 Culinary

A private chef, and the reef for a larder.

A chef cooks to your party alone: Swahili-spiced seafood, produce brought from the mainland, meals wherever you want them, on the sand, on the reef edge, by the pool.

There is no menu but yours; barbecues on the beach and sundowners on a sandbank are simply arranged.

In the villa
Your private chef
The style
Swahili seafood, your way
Your own table · 4:5
03 Experiences

A house reef, and whale sharks off Mafia.

Snorkel and dive straight off the island over protected coral; the crew take you to Mafia’s reefs and, in season, to swim with the whale sharks that gather there, among the most reliable sightings on earth.

Kayaks, paddleboards and a boat are on hand throughout; the sea sets the day.

On the reef
Snorkel off the sand
Off Mafia
Whale sharks, in season
Whale sharks · 4:5
04 Wellness

A spa sala, and an island of quiet.

A therapist can be arranged for treatments in the villa’s sala or on the sand, and the island’s absolute privacy does most of the restorative work.

Yoga on the beach, a swim before anyone wakes, and nothing on the schedule but what you put there.

Treatments
In the sala, on request
The setting
A private island
Island quiet · 4:5
05 Service

A dedicated crew, and one designer over the whole stay.

The island runs with its own crew, chef, butler, guides, boat captain, for your party alone, so service is total and unhurried, with no other guests to share it.

Behind them sits your Satopia travel designer, who holds the island, times the transfers and stays one call away throughout.

On the island
Your private crew
Behind it
One Satopia travel designer
Quiet hospitality · 4:5
06 Setting

The Tanzanian reef, protected and remote.

Mafia’s waters are a marine park, quieter and richer than Zanzibar’s, with whale sharks, turtles and reef by the mile. Thanda has a whole island of it to itself.

To stay is to have a protected Indian Ocean entirely to your party, and to help keep it that way.

Around you
A marine reserve
Reached by
Flight, boat or helicopter
A protected sea · 4:5
Moments

The island, in motion.

Follow @satopiatravel on Instagram
Image slot An island with only your footprints.
Image slot A whale shark below the boat.
Image slot A chef’s table on the sand.
Image slot The reef glowing at low tide.
Plan your Experience

What's the forecast?

Everything here is to help you picture it. Your travel designer handles the arranging: the flights, the cars, the guides, the tents held for you alone.

When to go
Best · June – October & December – February · the dry seasons; whale sharks off Mafia roughly October to March
32°
Jan
32°
Feb
31°
Mar
30°
Apr
29°
May
28°
Jun
28°
Jul
28°
Aug
29°
Sep
30°
Oct
31°
Nov
32°
Dec
Rainfall Driest August · wettest April
Dry seasons · ideal Warm & humid · check dates Rainfall trend
For a gathering

The whole island.

One villa, two bandas and a private crew for a milestone few will match.

For families

Safe and boundless.

A protected reef off the sand, whale sharks in season and an island to roam.

For two

Castaway, catered.

Total privacy with a chef and crew, and the reef for company.

For the ocean

Whale sharks & reef.

Among the most reliable whale-shark swims on earth, guided from your own island.

Plan your journey

How far is it from you?

Choose where you would set out from. We'll estimate the flight and how much the time change is likely to ask of you.

The Satopia Advantage™

You choose the place.
We'll do all the planning.

We hold the relationship with Thanda Island, so we can take the whole island for your party on your dates. From there a single travel designer composes every day around you. You simply arrive.

What we secure

The entire island, and its crew, held for your party and the season. The access a direct booking rarely reaches.

What we arrange

Every day composed by one travel designer: the reef and the whale sharks, the flights and the boats, present when wanted, unseen when not.

People we bring to you, on request
Dive & reef crew
Whale-shark guides
Private chef & butler
Spa therapists
Childminders
Photographers
Satopia Insider

A few things worth knowing.

Drawn from recent guests.

A remote island retreat

Thanda Island sits well off Mafia Island, making it a true hideaway that requires a little extra travel time. This is not a spot for a brief visit, instead rewarding a longer stay where you fully settle into island life. The staff handle all the logistics so you can simply unwind the moment you arrive.

Make the marine life the centre of your days

The surrounding waters and marine life naturally become the focal point of daily life here. Snorkelling, diving and exploring the reef stand out as the defining highlights for families and groups. Sharing these encounters with friends makes the experience even more memorable once you return home.

Extend your stay

Want to stay a little longer?
We'll plan that too.

Thanda is the coast to Tanzania’s bush. A few we would pair it with, each arranged as one seamless experience.

Image slotThe Serengeti · 9:16
The bush

A Serengeti safari

Bush before island: the migration and big skies, then the reef to unwind.

Add to your enquiry
Image slotSouthern Tanzania · 9:16
The wild south

The southern parks

Nyerere (Selous) and Ruaha, wilder and emptier than the north, an easy hop from the coast.

Add to your enquiry
Image slotA Gulf stopover · 9:16
The way home

A Gulf stopover

Break the journey with a city night in Doha or Dubai on the way in or out.

Add to your enquiry
Enquire · The Privé Collection 2026

Every experience begins with a conversation.

Tell us who is coming and your dates. We will shape the rest around you. Nothing is booked yet, and we reply within a day.

01

When would you like to come?

Choose one or more months, or tell us you're flexible on dates.

Ideal season · June to October, December to February

02

What's the occasion?

Choose any that apply.

03

An indicative budget?

An estimate of your budget for the whole stay helps us plan your experience. Below is an estimated nightly rate, excluding experience budget, to help you plan.

04

Who shall we reply to?

Included in your experience
  • Exclusive island buyout
  • Dedicated staff (chef
  • Butlers
  • Guides)
  • Meals
  • WiFi
  • Watersports equipment
Arranged separately
  • International flights
  • Inter-island transfer
  • Big-game fishing charters
  • Premium wines

Thanda Island is priced by whole-island buyout, by night and by season. The figures shown are indicative. Once we check live availability we confirm an exact, all-in quote for your dates, and nothing is booked and no payment taken until you approve it in writing. A deposit then secures your dates, with the balance due before arrival. The full booking terms, cancellation policy and any security deposit are set out in your confirmation.

Private & tailor-made · the whole island, yours Enquire
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