*Denotes local charge
*Denotes local charge
Part of The Zanzibar Collection, Baraza is family-owned, and the authentic touches and personalised service add an extra something special to its high standards. Chosen as one of the top 25 hotels in the world at the 2016 TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards, its setting on Bwejuu beach – voted one of the top 30 island beaches in the world by Condé Nast – completes the escapist dream. There’s an easy tempo here and an eye to detail, blending Arabic, Swahili and Indian design and evoking the opulence of the Sultan era, with brass lanterns, intricate antiques, dramatic arches and beautifully manicured gardens. The resort is also environmentally aware, with solar power, a desalination plant and recycling methods. Dining focuses on fresh produce and menus inspired by Arabic, Indian, Persian, Asian and Swahili flavours. Breakfast is served at the resort’s open-air restaurant, the Livingstone Terrace. The Ocean Lounge Bar & Restaurant offers buffet-style lunches from its tandoor oven, salad bar, pizza oven or daily chef’s special menu, as well as afternoon tea. Dinner is either al fresco at the Livingstone Terrace or in the stunning Sultan’s Dining Room. A coral reef faces the shore for snorkelling straight from the beach, and there’s kitesurfing, sailing and paddle boarding amongst the watersports from the excellent Water Club centre on the beachfront. The stunning candle-lit Frangipani Spa is a tranquil sanctuary complete with outdoor relaxation area, Sultan’s bath and lap pool with underwater music. The décor of the villas reflects that found throughout the resort – white walls, luxury fabrics, ornate furnishings and splashes of gold. Each has its own lounging area, plunge pool and spacious terrace, plus a bathroom with freestanding bath and separate shower. Villas are available with one or two bedrooms, with garden or ocean views, or at the oceanfront.
Bluebay’s beautiful 30-acre gardens house over 1000 palm trees. The Makuti Restaurant is the main eatery set around the large swimming pool, and if you book on All Inclusive, you’ll take all your meals here. Breakfast is a relaxed affair, offered buffet-style or from the live cooking stations. For dinner, you’ll be able to sample a variety of different cuisines during your stay through ten themed evenings, which include Indian, Swahili and Italian. And the theme carries on after dinner, when there’s entertainment ranging from Swahili dancers to acrobats. Each night there’s also live music from the resort’s resident band. Other dining options include the Makuti thatch-roofed Beach Bar & Restaurant for daytime pizza and snacks, and the evening restaurant, Bahari Grill, which serves up an à la carte menu specialising in succulent steak and seafood. At the Oasis Spa, ask the therapists to mix local spices and fruits right in front of you and you’ll see how freshly prepared the treatments are here. The spa has a small pool in a lovely stone-walled garden and seafront treatment rooms. There’s also plenty to do at Bluebay, with a range of sports and watersports. All rooms are decorated in traditional Zanzibari style with four-poster beds. Comfortable Garden Rooms overlook the grounds, while the popular Superior Rooms are slightly elevated, offering views over the gardens to the beach and ocean beyond. Spacious Junior Suites are the closest to the beach and are split level, with a sitting area and an outdoor shower in the private garden.
Part of The Zanzibar Collection and fronting one of Condé Nast Traveller’s top 30 island beaches, Breezes is a tropical hideaway that’s particularly popular with couples. There are plenty of shaded loungers on the white sand beach, and the hotel’s exotic gardens surround a large freeform pool. This family-run resort is environmentally aware, with a desalination plant and a recycling system in place. It also supports a local school and has funded the creation of a maternity unit at the village clinic. The choice of restaurants includes the Salama Dining Room, where breakfast and dinner are served if you’ve booked on Half Board or Full Board. Dinner alternates between themed buffet dining and table service menu. The Breakers Grill serves a lunchtime menu on the beach under the palms, and at The Sultan’s Table you can sample seafood flavoured with Indian and Swahili spices in a beautiful ocean view setting. For something extra special, reserve The Tides – a thatched pavilion overlooking the ocean, with just a single table for two. Spacious rooms are housed in two-storey buildings and have a white and brass colour scheme, with cotton throws and Zanzibari furniture that was hand-carved by a dedicated team of carpenters. Standard Rooms are on the ground floor and set back from the beach, while Deluxe Rooms are at the heart of the resort. Suites are located on the upper floor with a large balcony area.
Set in 80 acres of lush oceanfront gardens once occupied by Shirazi princes, and with excellent service and attention to detail, The Residence Zanzibar is a sophisticated, world-class escape. Exceptional dining opportunities include international cuisine with a hint of Zanzibar ‘spice’ and ocean views at the Persian-inspired Dining Room, and Mediterranean-Middle Eastern flavours at the modern Pavilion Restaurant. For the ultimate in comfort, opt for in-villa dining on your sun deck. The spa is the first hotel spa to offer the energy-based Ohashiatsu concept of acupressure and Oriental diagnosis, and has six pavilions and a tranquil whirlpool nestled in five-acre gardens. Free activities include kayaking, tennis and snorkelling, and all guests can enjoy the use of dedicated bicycles to explore the vast gardens and local area. Contemporary private pool villas have views of the gardens or the ocean. They’re particularly spacious too, with a large light and airy living room. Luxury Pool Villas are more romantic, with a four-poster bed, while the Frangipani Pool Villas have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, making them ideal for families.
Set amid exotic sultan's palaces and ancient dhow harbours in the heart of Stone Town, the Zanzibar Serena Hotel is a pocket of peace overlooking the Indian Ocean. With an elegant Swahili style, it’s also a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Designed so that the dhows sail right past its windows, the Baharia Restaurant offers all-day international and Swahili cuisine, while the Terrace Seafood Restaurant is a romantic rooftop restaurant overlooking the bay. There’s a short stretch of public beach in front of the hotel where you can watch as locals go about their daily life, but for more private sunbathing, opt for the lovely pool terrace overlooking the ocean or take the hotel’s complimentary shuttle the Mangapwani Beach Club with its restaurant, bar and stunning stretch of coast (leaves at 10am, returning at 3.30pm). Wi-Fi is free at the hotel. Rooms and suites are elegantly furnished in traditional Zanzibar style, with locally carved furniture and shuttered windows. The colour scheme is cool and calming, with white walls and linens and splashes of ocean blue.
The exclusive Zanzibar White Sand is the eco-friendly vision of one of east Africa’s most renowned architects, with stunning facilities designed to blend with the natural environment. There’s a strong focus on sustainability here – the resort is powered by solar and wind energy, and has its own water source and recycling policies to help ensure that ‘luxury shouldn’t cost the earth’. The stylish restaurant overlooks the main pool and serves up an international menu with Zanzibari flavours. Or for extra privacy, you can dine in your villa. There’s a tropical spa in a tranquil area with waterfalls, a steam room and sauna, where therapists use local products from coconut to spices in the wide range of treatments. The calm waters of Paje beach provide one of the world’s best kitesurfing spots (from mid-December to March and mid-June to September), and the resort has its own high-end watersports centre. Stunning sea facing pool villas have two separate spaces – one a living area with a light and airy lounge and dining section, the other with a bedroom, dressing room, bathroom with rain shower and outdoor bathtub – connected by a garden with terrace and private pool. In Beachfront Villas, your pool sits right on the sands, and as well as the garden and terrace there’s an outdoor staircase that leads up to a private rooftop terrace with daybed, perfect for relaxing. Family Villas have two en-suite bedrooms.
Riu Palace Zanzibar sits in sprawling exotic grounds – complete with manicured lawns and botanical gardens – on a beautiful stretch of beach. Diverse dining options include the main Aqua Restaurant serving international buffet-style cuisine as well as hosting two live cooking corners: ‘pasta and noodles’ and ‘grill and pizza’. For guests staying in higher room types, dining at the à la carte restaurants is also included. Ishi-Teppanyaki offers oriental fusion dishes and sushi, whilst The Carnivorous & More specialises in meats ranging from ostrich to crocodile. Cool drinks, exotic cocktails and tea are offered at The Makuti Beach Bar and Horizon Terrace Cigar & Shisha lounge. For indulgent relaxation, the Hideaway Spa & Health Club offers rejuvenating massages and body treatments. Rooms here are evocative of Zanzibar’s African-Arabic and colonial heritage, each with balcony or terrace with ocean views. The Luxury Junior Suites make up the majority of the rooms and have a bathroom with dressing area, while the Prestige Junior Suites occupy corner spots with panoramic views. If you opt for a Superior Junior Suite, Jacuzzi Suite or Prestige Beach Villa with its own pool, you’ll enjoy access to an exclusive area with private access to the beach, bar, butler service, 24-hour in-room dining and fine dining at Ishi-Teppanyaki and The Carnivorous & More.
With just nine villas dotted along a clifftop in one of Zanzibar's most sought-after settings, Zawadi does away-from-it-all luxury perfectly. It's exclusive but laid-back, where the décor is understatedly elegant and delicious dining and personalised service top the priority list. Opened in June 2016, Zawadi has excellent sister property credentials, too – it belongs to The Zanzibar Collection, which includes the popular Breezes Beach Club & Spa and world-class Baraza Resort & Spa, and shares its sister resorts' idyllic south-east coast setting. There's a focus on fresh produce and local spices. Breakfast and dinner are served at the Drift Wood Dining Room, while lunch is a more casual affair on the comfy sofas at The Mswakini Beach Bar. Fitness buffs can work off some of the all-inclusive indulging with a morning run along the 900m jogging trail that winds through the gardens. Towards the centre of the hotel the cliff recedes to reveal a tranquil cove of soft white sands where you can snorkel straight from the beach. A scheduled shuttle also runs to its sister resorts, where you’re welcome to stay and use the numerous facilities. The spacious villas all have a private plunge pool. Surrounded by bougainvillea, they have been designed to make the most of the view. Inside they are light and airy, with a subtle beach theme and a neutral palette of pale greys and creams.
Swim in teal waters, taste authentic local food and indulge in restoring spa treatments at this magnificent, boutique resort. Nestled on the honeyed sands of Pemba Island – famous for its clove plantations and emerald hills – this African retreat is unlike other hotels on the island, with its quiet and remote feel. Winner of a TripAdvisor 2018 Travellers’ Choice award, The Aiyana Resort & Spa is hedged by pure, unspoilt landscapes and features luxurious, ecologically-built villas – some with their own private infinity pool. Life is busy, but you can take a step back and follow the restful pace here. Using natural products inspired by plants from the Indian Ocean, the resort spa is the place to be for a pampering session. Whether you choose a facial or massage, the friendly staff can customise any treatment to suit your needs. The peaceful beach is another favourite spot for chilling out, or if you want a little more action from your island escape, you’ll love the island’s watersports offering – especially if diving is your thing. Take a PADI course and discover Pemba’s rainbow-coloured reefs and exciting marine life, from sea turtles to manta rays. You can tuck into fresh seafood and African-inspired delicacies at the resort’s ocean-view restaurant, and the bar is a cosy spot to wind down in the evening. Make dinner a romantic occasion with its private dining option; indulge in a candlelit meal beneath a starlit sky as you listen to the gentle waves rolling in. Each exquisite beachfront villa is luxurious and minimalist; its features are made with locally-sourced materials such as coconut brooms, giving the rooms a rustic look. They are also really spacious and contemporary, with lovely outdoor terraces.
Fundu Lagoon
4.5
Set on a remote, picturesque beach on Pemba Island, this rustic and boutique resort is paradise personified. Nicknamed the ‘The Spice Island’, Pemba is known for its aromatic clove harvests which perfume the ocean air with a sweet floral fragrance. It’s a great spot if you’re travelling as a couple. Fundu Lagoon oozes romance with its quaint African tented-style lodgings, cerulean sea and private dining by the shore. The island and its surrounding waters are home to lots of exciting wildlife such as vervet monkeys, bush babies and dolphins. If you’re a watersports fan, take advantage of this world-class dive resort and learn a new skill on an instructed PADI course, where you can swim with tropical fish and see unspoilt coral reefs. There are many other ocean-related activities on offer if diving’s not for you; try your hand at wake boarding or game fishing and explore the local mangrove forests on a kayaking adventure. Back on dry land, you’ll find the retreat’s beachfront restaurant serving traditional Zanzibari specialities with an international touch, and there are three bars to choose from, too. The small Fundu Fusion Spa offers a series of exotic treatments from organic facials to Balinese massages, or you can book in for a body scrub and be exfoliated with essential oils infused with natural herbs and spices grown in Zanzibar. Dotted along the beach and hillside is a collection of secluded rooms and suites, each featuring ocean views and spacious terraces. The traditional tented-style rooms are housed under an authentic thatched roof and designed with wooden furnishings. Upgrade to a suite and take a dip in your own plunge pool or drink in the dramatic Indian Ocean views from your private deck.
Opened in spring 2018, the Zuri Zanzibar Hotel & Resort is an idyllic choice if you’re looking for a stylish, yet authentic couples’ escape. The beach is the big pull here, and with its sapphire-shaded ocean and powder-soft sand it’s no wonder Kendwa is known as one of the best beaches in Zanzibar. Whether you’re sunbathing by its clear waters or dining by candlelight at the shore, this coastline offers spacious surroundings and a stunning cliff backdrop. Unlike all the other beaches on the island, Kendwa isn’t tidal, so you’ll be free to swim all day in the calm cobalt sea. It means that travellers retreat to Zuri for a week's beach escape and not just for a post-safari stay. Discover the traditions of Swahili cuisine with a cooking lesson in the resort’s Spice Garden House or practise yoga while watching one of Zanzibar’s famous sunrises. Stroll through the lush gardens of this peaceful African village-style resort, and discover the authentic spice gardens at the back of the property. Located in the north of Zanzibar, there is a treasure trove of activity to enjoy outside the resort, too. Meet the rare red colobus monkey in Jozani Forest – Zanzibar’s National Park, or awaken your senses in Stone Town – the historical heart of Zanzibar. Here you can explore multi-coloured markets, taste authentic street food and discover local museums and grand architecture. The hotel’s three restaurants offer a combination of European, African, Arabic and Indian dishes and you can enjoy fruit daiquiris and home-made smoothies at the peaceful Peponi bar. Half Board is included so you can have the best of both worlds and get out and explore the eateries in Kendwa (five-minute walk) and Nyungwe (30-minute walk), but you can upgrade to Full Board or All Inclusive if you prefer to stay put. The elegant design and rustic tones of the spacious bungalows, suites and villas combine to create a luxuriously traditional quality. Sip local wine on your outdoor private terrace or enjoy a refreshing tropical shower with views of the magnificent spice garden or tranquil beach.
Baraza Resort & Spa
Bluebay Beach Resort & Spa
Breezes Beach Club & Spa
The Residence Zanzibar
Zanzibar Serena Hotel
Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa
Riu Palace Zanzibar
Zawadi Hotel Zanzibar
The Aiyana Resort & Spa
Zuri Zanzibar Hotel & Resort
