In Conversation with Francesca Battocchi from Laba Fanjove Island

‘It’s a really, really special place,’ says Francesca, speaking from what looks like some sort of thatched beachside building, ‘and it speaks for itself.’ Fanjove Island is the beach outpost of Laba Laba, a company that runs 5 lodges across Tanzania and which boasts an ethos of natural luxury where privacy, nature, and a disconnection from the world are the aims. ‘Guests get a shock – a positive one! – when they arrive, because no images do this place justice,’ Francesca says with a wry smile, ‘also, it’s a feeling, not just a lodge.’

As a lodge, though, it’s pretty darn good. It occupies the entire island, which was bought as a concession by the French couple who own Laba Laba in 2017, since when it’s been slightly scaled up. Whereas Fanjove was previously a relatively rudimentary – if still lovely – beach experience, it’s now a luxury one. Under the previous ownership, there were 6 rustic bandas. Francesca and the team’s first task was pulling these down, before constructing first 10, then a further 8 beach villas (there are 21 rooms in total). During – and ever since – the construction period, everything – and I mean everything – has been designed with eco principles front of mind. That includes the spectacular 19^th century lighthouse that was built by the Germans and has been lovingly restored as a unique dining experience.

‘The image and ethos of Laba Laba is ecological – and Fanjove is the jewel in the company’s crown, so we have to live them,’ says Francesca, whose passion for the island project is plain to see. ‘Every single material on the island is natural, locally sourced and, often, hand-woven by women. Our concept is natural and off grid, so there’s no glass on the island, there’s one air conditioning unit and it’s not even for the guests – it’s for the batteries.’ Doesn’t it get a bit…hot? ‘We have natural air con in the villas, which take advantage of the northerly and southerly winds that sweep Fanjove and keep everything cool, including the spa and gym.’

The gym. It gets a paragraph to itself. Forget the dimly-lit sweatboxes that spring to mind and imagine instead a thatched, A-frame beach house, open on all sides to its surroundings. Behind and to the side, lush vegetation and flour-white sand; in front, sweeping views of the sea as it stretches away beyond the horizon. It is, quite simply, the nicest-looking gym I’ve ever seen. ‘Yeah,’ laughs Francesca, ‘horrible views.’ Guests can use the array of machines, all whilst being cooled off by the natural aircon system described.

Managing to create what they have on the island must have been no mean feat, something made even more challenging by the strict adherence to the natural philosophy that permeates everything they do. ‘It’s been my biggest challenge for sure. We got everything onto Fanjove in a totally holistic way; everything was transported by dhows, nothing was put on a flight. It was…fun.’

It tallies, though. Really, everything about this wonderful place is natural. The food, the wine, the aircon, the sounds (‘absolutely no jet skis’), the swimming (‘no swimming pool, just the ocean’), the activities. This is a place for privacy and relaxation. You can swim, sunbathe, soak in the birds and the fish and the food. There’s a spectacular sounding day trip to see the neighbouring island’s resident whale sharks, one of the few places on Earth you can enjoy these majestic giants without company. And there’s the simply, timeless pleasure of being in a beautiful, unspoiled place, miles from home, ‘with an amazing energy.’

Unsurprisingly, this doesn’t come as easily as it sounds. Francesca likens herself to ‘a duck, calm on the surface, frantically paddling underneath.’ There are 70 people (‘a family, not a team’) who make the magic happen on Fanjove, with Francesca as the matriarch. ‘They’re my relatives, not my colleagues, we have people who arrived as casual labourers and are now integral to the running of the island. We want to upskill and support as much as possible.’

She likens what she does to a dance, treading carefully and skilfully around guests’ requirements. It’s something made all the trickier by the fact that Fanjove doesn’t really run on a set structure; instead, everything’s dictated by the guests – ‘and the tides’. By the end of the stay, Francesca says with a laugh, ‘guests are dancing as well.’ In fact, she says that it’s seeing the same guests melt away into the comfort and magic of the island that gives her the most satisfaction. ‘They arrive with a handshake, they leave with a hug.’