Hotels in Zanzibar

We describe just some of the hotels on Zanzibar and the islands of Pemba & Mafia. There is no official grading of hotels, but those we describe are all of a standard which people expect when booking with a tour operator. We have set out the hotels according to their location on the island.

Stone Town & Surrounds

Stone Town is the old part of Zanzibar Town and has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. All buildings, therefore, have to retain their original exterior features which means that hotels are converted from former 19th Century mansions (like 236 Hurumzi (formerly Emerson Green), the Dhow Palace Hotel) or former commercial buildings (like the Serena Inn and Tembo House Hotel). There are a wide range of hotels in Stone Town, from the luxury Serena Inn, to the basic guest house. We have detailed some hotels which have been popular with our clients, and we encourage people to stay in hotels located on well lit streets. Unless specifically requested, we do not to book people into basic guest houses, as most really are very basic.

The North Coast

Nungwi village, where fishing and the building of dhows are the main industries, is at the very north of the island about 1.5 hours drive from Stone Town. Over the years it has become a popular destination for travellers on a tight budget, hence the mushrooming of many guest houses catering essentially for backpackers. The hotels we describe are of a better standard, providing clean en-suite rooms.

There are a couple of dive centres near the village providing a wide range of water-sports. Most people book accommodation on a bed & breakfast basis as there are a choice of places to eat/drink in close proximity to each other. The Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel, the only 1st grade hotel on the north coast, is set well apart from Nungwi village so accommodation is on a half board basis. The vegetation at the north of the island is generally sparser than other areas of Zanzibar, therefore there are fewer palm trees along beachfronts.

North East Coast

With a reasonable sealed road, most of the north east coast can be reached in less than an hour from Stone Town. Along this stretch of coast there are different types of hotels, from the very "resorty" type catering for people on package, all-inclusive holidays, to the small "boutique" style hotels such as Matemwe Bungalows, Matemwe Beach Village and the Shooting Star Inn. Of the resort hotels, we favour those which cater for visitors from a variety of countries, such as the Bluebay Beach Resort. Accommodation tends to be on a half board basis as most hotels are some distance from other places to eat. Most beaches on this coast are of tropical island dreams, with palm trees lining the beach and at high tide the azure ocean is calm, protected by the reef.

South Coast

Though only about 30 miles from Stone Town, the going is slow as the second half of the trip is on an extremely rough road; the journey takes about 1.5 hours. The beach stretches for 15 miles, or more, and is flanked by palm trees and a number of interesting fishing villages. The hotels cater for all grades of visitors, from the very exclusive Sultan Palace, Breezes Beach Club with its wide range of facilities and comfortable rooms, to the smaller Sunrise Hotel, Sau Inn and very acceptable budget accommodation at the Palm Beach Inn.

Pemba Island

North of Zanzibar, Pemba Island is reached by plane with several half hour flights each week, or a tortuous 4 hour ferry trip, really not recommended. Pemba is primarily a destination for scuba divers as it has little more to offer the visitor than they experience on Zanzibar. We give details of the exclusive lodge of Fundu Lagoon.

Mafia Island

South of Zanzibar, Mafia is served by several local airlines with flights via Dar es Salaam. The island is almost untouched by tourism with only a few places for visitors to stay. It is not a destination if you are looking for a beach holiday, the main attraction being the Mafia Island Marine Park, the largest marine reserve off the East African coast, where scuba diving and snorkelling are extremely rewarding. A visit to Mafia must rank as one of the World's true "away from it all" destinations, so do not expect frills.

"We will recommend others to use Zanzibar Travel especially if they have not been to Africa before. The advice during booking and pre-departure material is invaluable in preparing people for their holiday. " Deborah Richardson - October 2006

“Beautiful island and lovely people. Roads need serious attention. The island is very good value for money for a tropical destination.” Barbara Webb - February 2007.