The experience of arriving at Mnemba Island, a private resort two miles from Zanzibar, was exactly as I remembered. When the speedboat neared the pearly shore, a crooked line of hotel staff dressed in white and navy began to wave. As I disembarked, my bare feet sank into a soft sand, as fine as icing sugar. It sparked another memory: Here on Mnemba, shoes aren’t required. In fact, they’re discouraged.
I first visited this idyllic isle 14 years ago, during a trip around the…

