Baraza Resort and Spa is one of the most luxurious hotels on Zanzibar. It transcends traditional expectations of a beach hotel and provides a phenomenal service that offers its guests every creature comfort and more! It boasts one of the finest beaches on the island and combines this with some incredible facilities. You are in very safe hands with this top end beach resort.

Baraza Zanzibar - The Facts

Baraza is found on the south eastern coast of Zanzibar. It’s found on one of those perfect beaches that has made Zanzibar famous.

The hotel is spread out over large grounds that boast some lovely Arabic inspired buildings. The hotel is white and pristine, with the staff going to huge lengths to make sure that the gardens, swimming pools and restaurants remain of the highest standard.

The villas are spread out around the main palatial looking buildings. The ocean front and sea view villas are the best, with great views onto the stunning beach. They are spacious and incredibly decadent. There are day beds and plunge pools to make sure that you are constantly relaxed. The room service is excellent and they also provide you with a fridge full of drinks and fresh fruit. Despite it being such a big hotel the personal service that you will receive is incredible. The food is truly amazing, as you would expect from a hotel of this stature. They cater for everyone and are often cooking your dish up in front of you! Eating at Baraza is a highlight.

The facilities are also fantastic - Baraza has one of the best water sports centres on the island.

The hotel is perfect for all Tanzania holidays, honeymooners and families alike. It does come with a fairly hefty price tag, but it certainly doesn’t have many rivals on Zanzibar.

Kilindi is run by the very reputable Elewana. Originally privately owned and built to be Zanzibar’s new big thing, Elewana have done a great job at keeping it a top property. Management has reformed Kilindi into one of the best two person accommodation options on Zanzibar. The pavilions are what make Kilindi, with two private plunge pools, massive bathrooms and bedrooms and great views. There is also a family pavilion and with the ever-increasing standard of service it’s certainly one of our recommended top hotels on Zanzibar.

Kilindi Zanzibar - The Facts

Kilindi is located on the North-West coast of Zanzibar about an hour’s drive from the airport and Stone Town. Zanzibar is only a 20 minute flight from Dar es Salaam. The location of Kilindi allows access to Kendwa and also remains very private. This is a top end Tanzania holiday destination.

Kilindi refers to its rooms as pavilions, which could be an understatement. Kilindi is designed to make wise use of all its space. Each pavilion consists of a seating area, two cooling plunge pools from which to soak in the views, a comfortable shaded baraza sun deck and an enormous wet-room with rain-shower. One of the plunge pools sits at the foot of the spacious bed to naturally cool the main room. The eco-designed rooms have domed roofs, that collect rain water to water the gardens and simultaneously reflecting the heat of the sun.

The fifteen pavilions, spa and restaurant are dotted around the property exploiting the elevation and expanse, to ensure each unit has uninterrupted views over the beachfront. The plot has been logically landscaped to retain the natural appeal of the coastline that was here before the lodge was built, whilst the spa and each pavilion is enclosed within the walls of its own private tropical garden.

The restaurant, that looks over the sea and the 25 metre T-shaped infinity pool, has built a great reputation for its fresh and vibrant cuisine that is served exquisitely. A premium wine list also offers guests the extra choice of the very best South African, Italian, French and Lebanese classics.

Kilindi has an onsite spa with various treatments which make for a perfect afternoon of pampering and relaxing. All typical activities like diving, snorkelling, sailing trips, fishing and many more can be arranged from the lodge itself.

Kilindi is the perfect way to round off a romantic Southern Tanzania Itinerary after an adventurous safari in Selous or Ruaha, or both! In Selous look no further than Beho Beho. With their ultra-luxurious bandas and their very special treehouse, spending three or four nights here will find you surrounded by oppulance. If you were to also visit Ruaha then Jabali Ridge offers the most luxurious stay in this National Park. With open and airy rooms and an infinity pool with a view that is unrivalled, a mixture of these properties and Kilindi would make for the most romantic and luxurious holiday or honeymoon one could wish for.

Kilindi is probably the most romantic lodge on the island and is one of the best options for a Zanzibar honeymoon which is why combining it with an ultra-luxurious safari makes for such a perfect blend. From the waterways of the Selous to the baobab dotted landscapes of Ruaha followed by the crystal white beaches of Zanzibar, there really is no better way to spend two weeks!

Travel writers have often named Mnemba as one of the top beaches in the world, certainly in Africa. Mnemba is the ultimate definition of barefoot luxury, one of the few places where you can snorkel straight off the beach and onto pristine reef. Owned and run by &Beyond, the food and service is top class- however, all this does come an eye watering cost…

&Beyond Mnemba Island Lodge, Zanzibar - The Facts

Mnemba may be one of the most expensive beach lodges on the coast of Zanzibar (and Africa as a whole!), however, the lodge is very simple and the sheer beauty of the beach delivers one of the finest barefoot luxury experiences in Africa. It's luxury is that it sits on one of the more beautiful private islands in Africa, and being an &Beyond camp, you know the service, food, and accommodation is world class. This is the pinnacle Tanzania holidays.

The communal area is simple and open with views onto the white sand of the beach, serving excellent fresh sea food as well as pretty much anything you want!

Accommodation is in just 10 roomy, thatched beach bandas with bathrooms set back along a soft corridor of woven coconut palm, each set back from the beach in a private clearing in the forest. All bedrooms, verandas and central living areas are atmospherically designed with light cotton nets, soft African prints and cushions, and - once the astronomical rates have been afforded - all fresh tropical cocktails, diving expeditions, water sports and fishing trips are included!

The lodge runs a professional scuba diving school and has traditional wooden dhows from which to explore the warm, clear waters and coral reefs. Guests then return to their island hideaway to enjoy sumptuous feasts of fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood and meats all fabulously prepared and presented. This is the best place to take a Tanzania honeymoon. Visitors to this most exclusive of Indian Ocean island hideaways could find themselves sharing cocktails with Mnemba fan Bill Gates!

Zanzibar Mnemba Island Lodge Rates & Booking

It is not cheap! It comes in at roughly $1,700 per person per night... If you are set on Mnemba Island Lodge, give us a call and we can tell you the best time to go to avoid these peak season prices, and also the honeymoon deals which makes it that bit more affordable (but you still have to have quite a deep pocket!). If you aren't quite looking to spend so much on your Tanzania honeymoon though, there are plenty of other fantastic options on Zanzibar and the surrounding islands. Please see our honeymoon blog for the low-down on some of the most romantic beach spots.

How to get to Mnemba Island?

It could not be easier. International flights hop into Dar es Salaam and within a few hours you can be relaxing on Africa's best beach... You connect in Dar to a flight to Zanzibar's Stone Town. At the other you are met by a representative from &Beyond, driven to the crossing point, popped on a little boat and you are there! It is so easy to combine this world-class lodge with more exceptional camps on a Tanzania safari.

We don't just know Zanzibar!

Although we are the Zanzibar experts, our knowledge also extends to the rest of Tanzania & Africa. For a chat about our favourite spots on this beautiful continent then please do just give us a call... We would be more than happy to hear from you!

An absolute favourite of ours, White Sand Villas near Page has set a new standard on Zanzuibar. The beach here is very, very good and the luxurious and spacious private villas are perfect for families and honeymooners alike. If it can be afforded, it should absolutely be top of your list on Zanzibar.

White Sand Luxury Villas and Spa

The newcomer on the island, White Sand Villas is much what we have dreamed of for Zanzibar, putting it in first place as our favourite choice for top end accommodation on the island. Private, quiet and lovely, it is an ideal Tanzania honeymoon hideaway, but also, oddly, it is superbly appointed for families, extending so far as to accommodate a huge party group of up to twelve in the five bed presidential villa.

White Sand has just 12 villas with a range of room options, but it sprawls through gardens and pathways along a vast 2km beach on the east coast. The gardens are gorgeous, each villa, whether a one room, two room or the monumental five room presidential villa, has its own sandy ‘garden’, with plunge pool and comfortable chilling areas with beds and hammocks. They are all vast. Each double or twin room is huge, with grand billowing nets and blackout blinds over the floor to ceiling windows and sliding doors. The air conditioning is contained within the bed and net, alongside a heavy, nearly silent modern fan. These are the details that count for so much!

Smart, slick bathrooms have generous ‘rainwater’ showers inside, and glorious outdoor baths and showers amid private palms and frangipani flowers. Rooms are smart, simple, authentic and extremely well designed, possibly a little excessive even, with their additional huge sitting room with tv. The wifi, showers, coffee machines, air-conditioning, fans are all tip-top,

It is expensive, but if you can afford it, choose it. In comparison with similarly priced East coast hotels, it has the charm and privacy and much better sea swimming, although being small and quiet there are less activities – almost none, bar a game of table tennis or trip to the spa. The coral sands are unspoilt at this point, a little messed with seaweed which the hotel tries to clear, and at least twice a day, at high tide, the swimming is excellent, a great Tanzania beach resort.

The accessibility of Zanzibar makes it a great destination after a safari in either the North or the South of Tanzania. If you have time constraints then a Southern Tanzanai Itinerary is better suited due to the easier and shorter internal flights. Getting from Dar es Salaam to the lush and vibrant Selous or the dry and arid Ruaha is very straightforward as is flying from them to Zanzibar. Nothing quite compares to sipping a cool drink on the beach after an enthralling and exciting safari full of late nights and early mornings.

The two parks make for an excellent combination when topped with a beach break. The Selous is full of waterways that allow up close and personal sightings of wallowing hippos and basking crocodiles whilst Ruaha prides itself on the huge elephant and buffalo populations.

Whilst on Zanzibar, make sure you take the time to visit the cultural city of Stone Town. Staying in the city itself is certainly an option and makes for a great stop-over after you safari with the Park Hyatt being the pick of the bunch. From the bustling markets to the rooftop bars, exploring Stone Town is quite an experience!

Whether you are travelling as a family, on honeymoon or looking for an extended break, there are a plethora of options for hotels and deals on Zanzibar so make sure you contact one of our Tanzania experts who would be more than happy to talk you through what hotel and deal would best suit you.

Xanadu is a new and welcome addition to Zanzibar, a boutique property with 6 beautiful private villas. Situated on the South East Coast of Zanzibar, Xanadu has a beautiful private beach and views over the Indian Ocean.

Xanadu Resort - The Facts

Xanadu is situated on the South East Coast of Zanzibar on a beautiful stretch of beach, just South of the luxury Baraza Lodge. It is relatively new but establishing a quick name for itself as one of the best luxury villa options on the island.

There are 6 luxury 1 and 2 bedroom private villas, each are beautifully designed and uniquely appointed and are perfect for couples or groups. There is an element of Zanzibari tradition in the architecture, but it also has a very contemporary and understated feel.

Since its opening, Xanadu has only had Michelin starred chefs, so naturally the menu is a big focus and the food is incredible. There is no dining room as such, withn guests free to choose where they want to eat, whether it be in the privacy of their villa lounge or in the main pool/bar area.

Both diving and snorkelling can be organised from Xanadu, as welkl as excursions to the spice farms and into the bustling Capital of Zanzibar, Stone Town.

The hotel is perfect for all Tanzania holidays, honeymooners and families alike. It does come with a fairly hefty price tag, but it certainly doesn’t have many rivals on Zanzibar. If you are looking for other honeymoon recommendations, please see our blog of the most romantic options for a Zanzibar honeymoon.

The accessibility of Zanzibar makes it a great destination after a safari in either the North or the South of Tanzania. If you have time constraints then a Southern Tanzanai Itinerary is better suited due to the easier and shorter internal flights. Getting from Dar es Salaam to the lush and vibrant Selous or the dry and arid Ruaha is very straightforward as is flying from them to Zanzibar. Nothing quite compares to sipping a cool drink on the beach after an enthralling and exciting safari full of late nights and early mornings.

The two parks make for an excellent combination when topped with a beach break. The Selous is full of waterways that allow up close and personal sightings of wallowing hippos and basking crocodiles whilst Ruaha prides itself on the huge elephant and buffalo populations.

Whilst on Zanzibar, make sure you take the time to visit the cultural city of Stone Town. Staying in the city itself is certainly an option and makes for a great stop-over after you safari with the Park Hyatt being the pick of the bunch. From the bustling markets to the rooftop bars, exploring Stone Town is quite an experience!
Whether you are travelling as a family, on honeymoon or looking for an extended break, there are a plethora of options for hotels and deals on Zanzibar so make sure you contact one of our Tanzania experts who would be more than happy to talk you through what hotel and deal would best suit you.

The Zuri Zanzibar Hotel and Resort marks a new departure for Zanzibar hotels; it is big enough to classify as a large hotel, but with only 55 suites, rooms and villas dotted through its beautiful gardens and beach, it exudes a confident air of luxurious glamour. All areas are big, bold, and well designed for stylish comfort, and come in a variety of options and price ranges to suit various requirements and budgets.

Zuri Zanzibar Hotel and Resort - The Facts

The beach location is superb, on one of the least tidal and most deliciously soft sandy stretches of this northern coast. The beach is a little bit busy, with quirky Zanzibari football or meandering Maasai, but the hotel extends the sandy stretch back to allow for a vast, peaceful, hammock slung beach experience. Then, further back and up the hill, the gardens are a delight, with huge baobabs and well established palms and flowering shrubs, all laced with pathways linking the villas and suites. The central swimming pool is impressively long and luxuriant, with funky beats pulsing out from the shades at the back

Zuri is bigger than the 12 room hotels and way smaller than the 200 rooom hotels; smart, glamorous, with 55 suites in various configurations; with private pools, plunge pools or simple bungalows, deluxe suites and double or triple room villas. There are currently two restaurants, the main restaurant and the pool bar and grill, and a cocktail bar, with a new beach bar/ restaurant due to open soon. The spa and the yoga and exercise salon are particularly lovely, with a glorious polished sprung floor open on all sides for optimum breeze enjoyment and sunset viewing.

The reception area has been stocked with one of the most impressive hotel libraries we have ever encountered; properly sourced literary fiction and fact, picture books and quirky print material all superbly selected for the hotel. This curls around a popular, airy pool table, in reach of sofas, the cocktail/ sunset area and, should you need one, the resident doctor.

All in all, Zuri provides a blissful playground for honeymooners or families, and enough space and attitude to house both side by side. The location on Kendwa Beach is superb, for local swimming and water sports and also the option to explore the coast a little on foot.

The accessibility of Zanzibar makes it a great destination after a safari in either the North or the South of Tanzania. If you have time constraints then a Southern Tanzanai Itinerary is better suited due to the easier and shorter internal flights. Getting from Dar es Salaam to the lush and vibrant Selous or the dry and arid Ruaha is very straightforward as is flying from them to Zanzibar. Nothing quite compares to sipping a cool drink on the beach after an enthralling and exciting safari full of late nights and early mornings.

The two parks make for an excellent combination when topped with a beach break. The Selous is full of waterways that allow up close and personal sightings of wallowing hippos and basking crocodiles whilst Ruaha prides itself on the huge elephant and buffalo populations.

Whilst on Zanzibar, make sure you take the time to visit the cultural city of Stone Town. Staying in the city itself is certainly an option and makes for a great stop-over after you safari with the Park Hyatt being the pick of the bunch. From the bustling markets to the rooftop bars, exploring Stone Town is quite an experience!

Whether you are travelling as a family, on honeymoon or looking for an extended break, there are a plethora of options for hotels and deals on Zanzibar so make sure you contact one of our Tanzania experts who would be more than happy to talk you through what hotel and deal would best suit you.

For further information please see our blog posts about other fantastic Zanzibar honeymoon options, as well as our introduction to Zuri.

Very very sadly Ras Nungwi burnt down in 2017 and we are still waiting to see if it will be rebuilt. The below information was true of the old hotel

Ras Nungwi

Ras Nungwi benefits from being on the North tip of the island with a very good beach which is relatively quiet compared to other beaches on the island; and also only a short boat ride to some of the very best diving and snorkelling spots on Zanzibar. The hotel is about a 1hour drive from Stone Town and the airport. It's a great Tanzania holiday all-rounder.

The main area of the lodge is a huge structure with a Makuti thatched roof, housing the dining areas, bar and reception. Following a path down to the beach among the chalets you will find a lovely swimming pool and, overlooking the beach, a bar and dining area.

There are 3 main room types, Garden Lodge rooms at the rear of the property, very spacious and good value but lack being right on the beach. The other two categories are the Superior Chalets and Superior Deluxe Chalets, the latter being closer to the beach and are very popular on a Tanzania honeymoon..

Ras Nungwi has a very good onsite water sports centre and somewhere you can rent all dive equipment, kayaks, organise deep sea fishing etc. The location of Nungwi is very good for those wishing to dive and snorkel on the Mnemba Atoll.

The Ocean Suite is an exclusive private suite run by the Ras Nungwi beach hotel. The private house has its own private steps down to the beach, just to the side of the main hotel. One of the best suites on the island, complete with private plunge pool, great privacy and lots of space.

Nungwi- The Ocean Suite - The Facts

This suite is a two storey private house set to one side of the hotel, giving you perfect privacy and relaxation. There are wooden steps leading straight onto the beach from the suite and when you don’t feel like chilling out on the beach there is a good sized plunge pool and terraced area to relax and enjoy some drinks.

The suite is very spacious, 200 square metres with a sitting room and large bedroom with huge Zanzibari 4 poster bed, spacious bathroom and air conditioning throughout. Amenities include music system, well-stocked mini-bar, refreshment facilities.
The suite's bedroom is bright and airy with large French windows opening onto the plunge pool and magnificent Indian Ocean beyond. There's a secluded sundeck, complete with private plunge pool and stylish furnishings; it's a private and romantic escape, perfect for a Tanzania honeymoon.

While staying in the ocean suite guests use the same facilities as the main hotel and also the excellent water sports centre which has diving, snorkelling, kayaking and deep sea fishing.

The Palms really is the most intimate and luxurious lodge on Zanzibar. It is a honeymooner’s paradise! It offers an impeccable standard of service, one of the most beautiful beaches on Zanzibar and some incredibly lavish accommodation. The staff at Palms go that extra mile to make sure that their guest’s every need is catered for. It’s an extremely romantic beach destination….

The Palms - The Facts

The lodge is located in between its two sister properties, Baraza and Breezes, on the beautiful south east coast of Zanzibar. It is the most exclusive of the three, with only 6 thatched rooms (bandas) built in a very secluded Tanzania holiday resort.

The banda’s are set back from the beach but with a lovely view of the Indian Ocean in all its glimmering glory. Between the bandas and the beach is the main guest area which is designed in true Swahili style and exudes it with an effortless charm. The area is enveloped in a beautiful tropical garden that only enhances your feeling of exclusive seclusion. There is an evening bar and a pool bar for the day time. It even has a small internet bar for those wanting to stay completely connected. The main swimming pool is tiered and particularly inviting…

Each banda contains two bedrooms, each of these boast a large en-suite bathroom. They all have a private plunge pool, satellite television, mini bar and every other little luxury you could ask for. The beds are vast and extremely comfortable, allowing for an extremely relaxing stay. Each banda is also given its own sheltered beach bed to allow for maximum privacy, even on the beach front.

The Palms really do provide an exceptionally intimate service that goes way beyond what one would usually be expecting from a beach lodge. They go to great extremes to make sure that each one of their guests is completely content.

The activities are all readily available at both Baraza and Breezes next door! Fantastic dive sites and all kinds of water sports are available at the click of a finger.

The Residence Zanzibar is one of the most luxurious resorts on the Zanzibar, with sister properties in Mauritius, Maldives and Tunisia. This large resort is located in the south west of the island, which is not necessarily best known for its beaches, however, with each room coming with its own private infinity pool it doesn’t really matter! A choice of excellent restaurants, top end service and an array of activities- all in all, a top quality resort on Zanzibar. A close contender to Baraza.

The Residence Zanzibar - The Facts

The Residence Zanzibar is a super luxury resort located on the south west of the island, approximately one hour from Stone Town, where the airport is for the island. The resort is near the Kizimkazi which is a fishing village and a good spot to swim with dolphins off the coast.

The resort is large with 66 villas, spa, reception area, kids club, two restaurants and bar areas. The resort is spread out over a large area and the best way to get around is on a golf cart or bicycle supplied by the lodge. The centre area of the lodge is around a huge infinity pool, with plenty of sun loungers and space to relax with a drink near by, perfect for a Tanzania Family Holiday.

There are 66 villas in total, 34 Luxury Garden Pool Villas with one bedroom, 13 Luxury Ocean Front Pool Villas with one bedroom, 11 Prestige Ocean Front Pool Villas with one bedroom, 5 Frangipani Garden Pool Villas with two bedrooms, 2 Frangipani Ocean Front Pool Villas with two bedrooms, 1 Presidential Villa with two bedrooms.

The villas are very spacious with modern finishes to a very high level. There is the option to eat meals on your veranda or in the villa itself if you wish. There is a water sports centre where you can arrange to hire kayaks, small sailing boats and arrange diving and snorkelling trips.