The Aiyana Resort: a romantic escape

The Aiyana is a romantic escape where you can relax in harmony with your partner and nature. It was built by Ashok Sungkur, a landscape architect who fell in love with Pemba and its people. Originally from India, his vision was to blend Hindu and Zanzibar design, with a pure white colour palette and ornate wooden doors carved by a local artist. All of our 30 villas face the sea and feature soaring ceilings and outdoor showers. Our most lavish is the Royal Villa, which is set on an ocean-view clifftop with its own pool and private stretch of beach.

We’re located in the north of Pemba in a very secluded coastal spot. There’s only one road to reach us that leads through a tropical forest full of monkeys and birds. In this part of the island we have some of the world’s best beaches – there’s no need to edit your photos here. The views from the resort are gorgeous, you have the turquoise water, powder-soft sands and the sun setting in front of hotel every night. You can sit on your private terrace and watch as the sky changes colour over the ocean.

The resort is set in a huge garden home to over 100,000 exotic plants and has an amazing infinity pool and restaurant with sea-view terrace. For a romantic experience, you can book a couple’s treatment at the Rock Spa, which lies on one of three tiny islands just off the coast. For honeymooners, we like to set up private beach meals under the stars. The food at Aiyana is a real highlight, we have a daily menu and serve fresh seafood, including lobster and crab sourced from local fishermen. Guests particularly enjoy our regular barefoot beach BBQs.

As well as relaxing at the resort, we can organise trips to a nearby sandbank which is out of this world. I’ve worked in the Seychelles and Maldives but have never seen anything as beautiful, it’s a popular wedding spot and has a ‘lost at sea’ vibe. Then there’s the mangroves, which you can explore by boat, as well as snorkelling excursions and boat trips where you’ll often see dolphins. Divers flock to Pemba for its pristine reefs and marine life; a few weeks ago, some of our guests even saw whale sharks while they were out on a dive.

Our visitors tell us that they love the romantic atmosphere of the Aiyana, the elegance and sense of space and privacy. It’s all about the architectural beauty, beach setting and ever-present smiles of our friendly staff.