Shooting Star Lodge

Location

Kiwengwa Beach runs for several kilometres down Zanzibar’s east coast, a broad stretch of white sand where the Indian Ocean performs its extreme tidal theatre daily, water receding one to two kilometres at low tide, exposing coral rock pools and sand flats, then returning six hours later for a high-tide swimming window that lasts until the next retreat. This is not all-day ocean swimming; it is tide-dependent, which means the infinity pool earns its keep rather than sitting as decoration.

Shooting Star occupies the northern end of the Kiwengwa strip, where the coastline climbs to a coral cliff headland rather than sitting at beach level. The lodge sits elevated on this natural platform, catching the onshore breeze at an angle the beach-level properties below cannot match, with every sea-facing room opening to unobstructed sunrise views over the Indian Ocean. Stairs descend from the cliff to the beach below, atmospheric and worth the elevation.

The northern position keeps the property quieter than the central Kiwengwa stretch, where neighbouring resorts cluster more tightly. The village and its handful of beachfront bars are walkable, though this is not Stone Town; dining and nightlife options remain limited. Mnemba Atoll, the area’s principal marine reserve, lies twelve kilometres offshore.

The cliff faces east, which means sunrise over the ocean and afternoon shade on the terrace. Whether that trade works depends on when you prefer your light.

Rooms

Four room categories at Shooting Star Lodge trace how Elly Mlang’a’s property has evolved over three decades: from simple garden rooms to three-storey villas with private pools and rooftop bathtubs. The construction method remains consistent throughout (makuti thatch, lime-washed coral walls, coconut wood, carved Zanzibari beds), which gives the place a unified architectural language even as the room categories diverge sharply in scale and privacy.

Garden View Rooms sit inland, back from the cliff, air-conditioned and en-suite with private terraces. They deliver the traditional aesthetic without the Indian Ocean sightline. Sea View Rooms occupy the cliff edge, where the extra metres of elevation make the difference: the ocean dominates the view rather than competing with it. Both categories follow the owner-operator’s intentional “unplugged” philosophy: no televisions, no telephones, no hair dryers. Wi-Fi lives in the public areas. Some interpret this as dated; we read it as deliberate.

Sea View Family Cottages split across two levels: ground-floor double, upper twin. The configuration suits families with older children who can manage stairs and appreciate their own space. At the top of the hierarchy, the Monsoon Villas (Kusini and Kaskazi) occupy their own section of the hilltop. Three storeys, two bedrooms, private pools, and rooftop terraces with open-air bathtubs. They are the only rooms here that justify a multi-night stay purely for the accommodation itself.

Communal Areas

The cliff-top position that defines Shooting Star’s character also shapes its communal spaces: everything faces the Indian Ocean from an elevation that pulls breezes off the water. The Baraza Lounge sits adjacent to the Monsoon Restaurant and pool, with the same carved-wood detailing and lime-washed aesthetic that runs through the property. The saltwater infinity pool spans the cliff edge, close enough to hear the ocean but far enough above the tide line that it does not depend on it.

Three venues handle meals and drinks: the Monsoon Restaurant for a la carte cooking with a Zanzibari-influenced seafood focus, the Baraza for sundowners, and the Starfish Beach Bar for feet-in-sand refreshment. No buffets, no fixed sittings; meals arrive on their own schedule. The small spa offers massage services but no structured programmes.

The intimacy comes from what is not here: no kids club, no evening entertainment, no walkable restaurant row; Shooting Star is simple, yet for those seeking escape, it can be ideal.

 Activities

The daily rhythm at Shooting Star tracks the tide. High tide brings open-water swimming off a broad white sand beach; low tide exposes the reef and the rock pools that occupy the flats between cliff and waterline, worth investigating in reef shoes (sea urchins are present and entirely indifferent to bare feet). The saltwater infinity pool operates on no schedule but its own.

The lodge arranges local fishing trips on traditional ngalawa outriggers, sailing from the beach below the cliff. Guests keep what they catch, and the chef prepares it that evening — an arrangement that turns the sourcing into half the meal and gives low-tide afternoons a purpose. Diving and snorkelling run through PADI-certified partners; we book Mnemba Atoll as the default, twenty minutes north by boat and the headline site in the area’s protected marine conservation zone. A small spa covers massages but nothing structured.

The excursion desk handles the standard Zanzibar circuit: Jozani Forest, Stone Town, Prison Island, and spice plantation tours. Kite surfing peaks between June and October when the kusi trade winds establish themselves along this stretch.