The Aiyana Resort & Spa

Overview

The Aiyana Resort & Spa is a family-run, beachfront villa resort on the coast of Makangale, on the Pemba Channel side of Pemba Island. Guests praised it as an exceptionally clean, quiet property with a genuinely warm, family-style welcome; the on-site chef and the diving, beach and landscape were repeatedly singled out in guest reviews. The resort has a year-round outdoor pool with sea views, a spa and wellness centre, a bar and a restaurant, and can arrange snorkeling and diving directly from the property.

Rooms

Accommodation is arranged as private beach villas rather than standard hotel rooms. The Prestige Beach Villa is a 915 sq ft one-bedroom villa with a king bed, sofa bed, patio, air conditioning and outdoor shower facing the ocean. The Superior Beach Villa (1,184 sq ft) adds a separate living room with two sofa beds. The Ambassador Beach Villa (2,045 sq ft) is a two-bedroom villa with its own private pool, sleeping up to 4 guests, with an external terrace facing the ocean.

Amenities

Amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, a spa and wellness centre with massage and body treatments, a fitness centre, a private beach area, a bar, a restaurant serving continental and a la carte breakfast, airport shuttle, free Wifi, air conditioning throughout, and activities such as snorkeling, diving, fishing and canoeing arranged on site.

Location & Nearby Attractions

The resort sits roughly 2,600 ft (about half a mile) from the centre of Makangale village, on Pemba's Pemba Channel coastline. Wawi Airport, Pemba's main airstrip near Chake Chake, is about 26 miles away; the mainland airports at Ukunda (Kenya) and Tanga (Tanzania) are 40 and 44 miles away respectively as the crow flies and would typically be reached by connecting flight rather than by road. Guests specifically praised being able to walk out to see red sea stars when the tide is low, and recommended bringing reef shoes for this.