Tamanzi Taggs, floating home on idyllic island & sauna -Hampton Court & Richmond

Relax in this unusual setting of a floating home on the inner lagoon of Taggs Island situated on the river Thames, close to Hampton Court Palace, Richmond & Kingston. Tamanzi offers guests a singular experience of living in urban nature in London.

Come and slow down at Tamanzi, immerse yourself in a bit of luxury & enjoy the best of both worlds - London sights & communing with nature.

Tamanzi offers an unique opportunity for two guests to enjoy Thames island life first-hand, in a very peaceful and unforgettable setting. The name Tamanzi originates from the Zulu word 'amanzi', meaning water.

When the sun rises you can take out the yoga mat from the rooftop box and do sun salutations to greet the day. Or sip a morning coffee in the rooftop hammock or take breakfast on the walkway patio. You might even have the ducks coming for breakfast too - we live adjacent and feed them daily so they will come to say hello. In spring you are spoiled with all the babies in tow - ducklings, cygnets, goslings.

As the day stretches out in front of you either jump on the Hampton Court train and pack in some hard-core London sightseeing. Connections from the Waterloo (the end of the line) is easy with buses, Uber, the London Underground and rental bikes. Similarly, you can work remotely from the large dining room table with fibre broadband speed or catch-up on a box set, with the added bonus of looking at the ducks and geese pass by the front of the floating home. All the mod cons are to hand to make modern connections as seamless as possible, including USB charging points around the rooms.

Alternatively, we dare you to simply just exhale at Tamanzi - to fully commune with nature and enjoy the water as backdrop. The floating home has been designed to celebrate urban nature and a bucket load of my home country South Africa. As water surrounds Tamanzi the green blues bring the outside in. To underscore this 'slow down, take it easy' approach the space has been filled with items to put the tech aside and herald back to the good old days before mobile phones such as puzzles, colouring books, and board games.

As the day progresses, you can always opt to enjoy the Swedish hot tub fired by a wood burner stove (additional charge, booked before arrival or at least 6 hours in advance). The hot tub is located on the semi-private garden entrance, adjacent to the public access road. It is a hot tub with a view and quiet with no jacuzzi bubbles in sight. There's also a two-person infrared sauna in the floating home that can be booked in advance (located in the host's side workshop). For those wishing to explore the Thames River we can also offer the use of our Canadian canoe and peddle kayak or a little river cruise (in summer) to take to the waters. The walkway around the floating home also has a pontoon ladder to go for some wild water swimming, however, remember to bring scuba socks and use a bright swimming cap or floating device to alert boats navigating the water ways.

As the sun sets retreat to your own rooftop with a cocktail or a glass of wine, with its green staircase to heaven. The green rooftop overlooks the lagoon mouth and the busy Thames beyond, where rowers are put through their paces and large river vessels pass paddlers and wild water swimmers.

Tamanzi will really fire your imagination and from its romantic lagoon setting, it truly offers the best of both worlds - a urban nature space on the river Thames with the bright lights of London just 40 minutes away.