Zanzibar Beach Hotels

ZANZIBAR BEACH HOTELS
swala@habari.co.tz
Revised May 29, 2006

South and Central East North-East North Stone Town

The selection given below is just a few of the hotels on Zanzibar's coast. For snorkeling and diving the best area is Matemwe. The reef near Mnemba Island has some of the best diving in the world. Also for divers is the island of Pemba. There are numerous little guest houses available, particularly on the east coast. They are approximately $20 for a room. Some of them will provide meals - and they can be surprisingly good.

A. SOUTH AND CENTRAL COAST HOTELS

SULTAN PALACE HOTEL. 5-star. All rooms are nicely furnished and have private garden, air conditioning ceiling fan, telephone, safe, mini bar, mosquito net, and hair dryer. Big bathroom with showers and bathtub Imperial suites. Situated on south-east coast, one and a half hour drive from Zanzibar Town. Beautiful setting by the sea surrounded by a pleasant garden. Two restaurants with balconies, TV room, souvenir shop, jetty on beach, beach bar and restaurant, Pool/Billiard Table, Snorkeling/Diving, Big Game fishing (on request). Ngalawa boats (small outriggers)are available for sailing.

MAPENZI BEACH CLUB: 87 rooms. 23 Sea Front Superior Rooms, 64 Superior Rooms. All rooms are en-suite, spacious, nicely furnished and air conditioned with fan, mosquito net, safe, hairdryer and a terrace. The Club is situated on the central-east coast, a one hour drive from Stone Town. Facilities include restaurant with excellent view of the Indian Ocean (big buffet for every meal), seafood restaurant (not part of the all-inclusive tariff), Bar and Disco, Big Pool with towel service, Two shops (souvenir and drugstore), and Fax service. Activities include Windsurfing, Canoeing, Snorkeling, Bicycle tours. Every Morning there is Aerobics by the pool. Nightly Animation/entertainment. Once a week Beach Barbeque with traditional dancing.

SAU INN: 27 Rooms. All rooms are the same standard and have Ceiling Fan and Mosquito Net. Situated on the South East Coast of Zanzibar, one and a half hour drive from Zanzibar Town. Facilities include Restaurant with a la Carte Menu, Fax and E-mail service, TV-room, Safe in reception, Telephone in reception, and souvenir shop.

B. EAST COAST. All hotels fave simming pool, beach bar, restaurant, ceiling fans, hair dryers, a personal safe, aovenir shop, and a discotheque.

BLUEBAY RESORT $60. 5-star. 88 Rooms: 5 Deluxe Rooms, 83 Superior rooms. Spacious, self-contained rooms with private balcony/terrace, air conditioning, ceiling fan, mosquito nets, TV, mini bar and hairdryer. Situated on Central East Coast of Zanzibar, approx. 1 hours drive from Stone Town. Overlooks ocean and near beautiful beaches. Activities include a diving centre, water sports (canoeing, windsurfing, catamaran - all included in tariff), gym, tennis court, table tennis, and Pool/Billiards.

BREEZES BEACH CLUB $90 Half Board. Situated near the village of Bejou. One hour from the airport. Has a wonderful beach. Spacious air-conditioned rooms with ensuite bathrooms. Personal safe boxes. Ten bungalows situated among the palm trees in landscaped grounds. Every bungalow has six rooms: two superior deluxe rooms on the upper floor and four deluxe rooms on the ground floor. All rooms have a refrigerator, as well as a terrace on the ground floor and a large balcony on the upper floors.

KARAFUU HOTEL. 4 star. 92 Rooms: 26 Seafront Cottages, 35 Cottages, 31 Standard Rooms. Air Condition rooms with ceiling fan, telephone, mosquito nets, mini bar (cottages only). Situated on east coast. One and a half hour drive from Zanzibar Town. Floating Restaurant with a la carte restaurant. Massage centre and henna tattoo centre. TV room, Jetty on beach, and safe at reception. Other facilities include Swahili night in the Masai village with traditional Masai and Zanzibari food as well as dancing on Fridays followed by bush-disco; dive centre, 2 tennis courts with lights, table tennis, billiard, darts, Safari Blues Restaurant by day – Lunch (lobster) on beach; snorkeling, sunbathing, Safari Blues by night – Dinner at the Floating restaurant.

C. NORTH-EAST COAST - MATEMWE BEACH

Matemwe Beach on north-east coast with a long, pristine white beach – the image of tropical dreams. It is a secluded paradise for swimmers, snorkelers, and divers. The beach is eight kilometers long and fringed with coconut and cassuarina trees. The water is crystal clear and the reef is teeming with fish and bright corals. It’s an easy 45-minute drive from town on a tarmac road, and yet it remains peaceful and undisturbed. So far, as at mid-November 2001, there are no ski boats operating off the beach. The noise of noisy motorized boats would upset the ambiance of this marvelous area.

There are three hotels along Matemwe Beach, all about 2 kms apart. They cover a price range from the modest Matemwe Beach Bungalows at $50 to the larger Zanzibar Beach Resort at $85 and the $126 Matemwe Bungalows. The exclusive eight chalet Mnemba Island Lodge, which is on an island just off-shore from Matemwe, is the jewel of them all and priced in the region of $600 per night.

MATEMWE BEACH BUNGALOWS $60 Full Board. Good value at an affordable price. The people are friendly, the food is good. The large grounds ensure privacy with a total of 17 rooms accommodating 34 people. The large, well-appointed and self-contained rooms are furnished in a comfortable Zanzibari style. All rooms have fans. The restaurant offers freshly caught seafood flavored with Zanzibar’s spices.

MATEMWE BUNGALOWS $130 Full Board. Established in the 1980's and one of the oldest and best of the East Coast hotels. There are 16 double rooms all with their own verandah, hammock and a great view over the ocean. A very eco-friendly hotel with solar powered lighting and showers. Seafood a specialty. Snorkeling and diving.

ZANZIBAR BEACH RESORT. Management is by the well-known South African Protea Hotels chain. There is a 12 room dive village, 24 de luxe rooms, 19 luxury chalets, a honeymoon suite and 4 luxury villas. All rooms have air-conditioning and fans. There is a conference centre, a 140 seat restaurant, and a well-stocked beach bar. One of the best-equipped hotels in Zanzibar for scuba and snorkeling. Catamarans for day sail.

TAMARIND BEACH HOTEL. Situated in Uroa on the east coast of Zanzibar and 36 kms from Stone Town on a tarmac road. The hotel has 14 rooms in bungalows, all with bathroom and ceiling fans. There is a bar and restaurant.

D. NORTH COAST

AMAAN. 48 rooms. 4 different types Bungalows: Type A (Two beds 4x6 foot, Self-contained, hot water, Fan); Type B (Two beds 4x6 foot, Self-contained, Fan); Type C (Two single beds, Self-contained, Fan; Type D (Two single beds, shared shower and toilet facilities). All rooms have mosquito nets and balcony. Situated on north coast of Zanzibar, approx. one-hour drive from Stone Town. Bungalows close to beach. Other facilities include two restaurants, bar with TV, laundry service, and Sun Terrace.

MNEMBA ISLAND $600 Full Board. Small and exclusive. Situated one kilometre off-shore from Mtemwe Beach. A Conscorp property.

NUNGWE VILLAGE BEACH RESORT $85 Full Board: 40 Rooms10 Premium Rooms (sea view), 10 Deluxe Rooms (sea view), 20 Moderate rooms. Self-contained, spacious rooms with ceiling fans and mosquito nets. Premium rooms and Deluxe rooms have air conditioning and a balcony. Situated on north coast approx. 90 minutes drive from Stone Town. Beautiful setting by the beach, with the bungalows spread out under the palm trees. Other facilities include a restaurant and bar facing the sea, TV lounge, souvenir shop, Telephone and Fax service at reception, massage service, henna painting, hair braiding, and laundry service. Activities include diving, snorkeling, volleyball, darts, and Pool/Billiards.

RAS NUNGWE HOTEL: 28 Rooms. 4 Superior Deluxe rooms (Sea view), 12 Superior Chalets, 12 Chalets (Garden view). All rooms are nicely decorated, self-contained, and spacious with ceiling fans, Mosquito Nets, Hairdryer and Balcony. The Superior Deluxe rooms and Superior Chalets have Air Conditioning and a Mini Bar. Situated on north coast90 m inutes drive from Stone Town. Relaxed setting by the beach. Other facilities include souvenir shop, two restaurants, bar, pool, and telephone, fax and e-mail service (at reception), safe at reception, and TV lounge. Activities include diving, windsurfing, water-skiing, and ocean canoeing.