Bahari View Lodge

South East Coast – Price Guide: From £57.00 per person Half Board

Bahari View Lodge has been around for some years but in 2009 was taken over by new owners and fully renovated and upgraded and now provides good mid-range accommodation and facilities. We feel Bahari View is very good value for money.

Location

Just north of the large fishing village of Jambiani on the south east coast about 1 hours drive from the Airport and Stone Town. Jambiani village stretches for about 2 miles along the beach and visitors get a good feel of village life by taking a stroll through the village.

Accommodation

There are 14 comfortable and spacious rooms in Swahili styled thatched bungalows, each with 2 rooms. Most rooms have sea views and furnished in a traditional Zanzibari manner. Rooms have either double or twin Zanzibari beds with mosquito nets, have en-suite bathrooms (shower only), ceiling fans and each has a small terraces looking out to the beach and ocean beyond.

Facilities

There is an attractive swimming pool, open sided bar and restaurant area where international dishes are served, however, the menu leans towards local dishes with an emphasis on fresh fish cooked in a variety of ways. Meals are well priced compared to other hotels, and there is an extensive wine list which is very reasonably priced. A feature of Bahari View is the extensive beach area with plenty of trees providing shade where the pool, bar and restaurant are located. There is wifi internet access

Bellevue Guesthouse

South East Coast – Price Guide: From £40.00 per person Half Board

We feel that Bellevue warrants inclusion as a good “budget” Hotel due to the thought and imagination which Malanie Steggink and her team have put in to making it stand out compared to other similar priced hotels/guest houses.

Location

On the south east coast near the village of Bwejuu. It6 does not front directly on to the beach, but is a 3 minute walk to the beach where there are sunshades for Bellevue guests.

Accommodation

There are 4 Standard Rooms which are en-suite with cold water shower, mosquito nets, ceiling fans and floor standing fan. To take advantage of the breezes there is no glass in the windows, but they are covered with mosquito netting. They have a small private verandah with chairs. The Jungle Bungalow is built of local timber, circular in shape and is half closed and half open sided. It is en-suite with hot and cold water, has a ceiling fan and standing fan and its own private verandah. The 3 Deluxe Bungalows are en-suite with hot & cold water, have netting on the windows but no glass, a ceiling fan and standing fan, patio area and 2 of the Deluxe Bungalows have an additional bed for triple occupancy. The Honeymoon Suite is extremely spacious, has wonderful views of the ocean from its private balcony, is en-suite with hot & cold water, king size double and a single bed and the windows have netting but no glass. All rooms are tastefully and imaginatively furnished using almost exclusively local materials. There are little touches which set the bedrooms apart from other hotel rooms on the island.

Facilities

The lounge, bar, dining area is set in shaded tropical gardens serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The management offer a very wide range of excursions at very reasonable prices. It is a 5 minute drive to one of the best kite surfing beaches on Zanzibar. There is internet access.

Karamba “Resort”

South Coast – Price Guide: From £65.00 per person Half Board

Karamba is not a “resort” at all. It is difficult to describe as, on the surface, it appears as a budget hotel, not having facilities such as air-conditioning, etc. However, you do not have to scratch much below the surface to appreciate the friendliness of the well trained staff, the excellent food and the thought which goes in to making a stay rewarding and interesting.

Location

Karamba is on the south coast in the fishing village of Kizimkazi, the setting-off point for dolphin viewing. The Hotel arranges dolphin trips at times which avoids sharing the experience with many other boats.

Accommodation

There are a total of 20 en-suite rooms plus a Honeymoon Villa all of which have sea views. The rooms vary in size and the larger Superior Rooms accommodate triple occupancy in comfort, as well as families of up to four people. Many of the rooms have al-fresco shower “rooms”. All rooms have ceiling fans and have locally built furniture and fittings. The Honeymoon Villa has air-conditioning and a Jacuzzi and is in a very private location.

Facilities

There is a spacious, open sided bar and restaurant area overlooking the beach and ocean. Owner, Gemma Crespi and chef, Paul, serve excellent and imaginative meals, many Swahili/African dishes are offered using locally sourced ingredients. Paul also specialises in sushi, sashimi meals and takes a pleasure in catering for vegetarians. A nice touch is that dinner orders are taken in the early evening and guests indicate the time they want to eat, thus avoiding waits. There is a large infinity swimming pool with ample sun-loungers. The beach at Karamba is shared with local villagers and fisherman which makes the Hotel feel part of the village. A variety of massages are offered; there is a children’s play area, a recreation area with TV, library and pool table and a small boutique.

Mangrove Lodge

West Coast – Price Guide: From £32.00 per person Half Board

We feel that Mangrove Lodge provides a standard well in excess of other hotels in a similar price range.

Location

Approximately 10 miles north of Stone Town on the west of the island. Whilst the west coast does not have the allure of the beaches on the east coast, Mangrove Lodge has access to two beaches, one in a mangrove bay and the other fronting the ocean where one can sip a sundowner and watch magnificent sunsets.

Accommodation

There are 5 cottages each with 2 rooms with well separated entrances. All rooms are en-suite, have ceiling fans, traditional 4 poster beds with mosquito nets, nicely furnished with locally made fixtures and fittings. Each room has a small patio. Though rooms are not air conditioned, they are built in the lush tropical gardens with trees providing shade keeping rooms relatively cool even in the hot season.

Facilities

There is an open sided bar, lounge and dining area with views over the mangrove bay. Meals at Mangrove Lodge tend to be typical Swahili dishes, with occasional Italian touches, reflecting the cuisine favoured by owners Haji (from Zanzibar) and Marina (from Italy). As much of the ingredients as possible are sourced from local producers, and seafood is always available (often purchased from the fishermen who leave from the bay next to the Hotel). A massage service is provided, as well as hair braiding and henna tattoos. The beach bar is the place to watch the wonderful sunsets. The Hotel will arrange a variety of excursions. Being some way out of Town, Haji & Marina will arrange taxi or mini-bus transfers for visits to Town. They can also arrange for boat hire for trips to nearby islands. A feature at Mangrove Lodge are the beautiful and immaculately maintained tropical gardens.

Ras Michamvi Beach Resort

South East Coast – Price Guide: From £57.00 per person Half Board

Ras Michamvi Beach Resortis not a “resort” but is a small hotel with the most stunning views over the Indian Ocean. It is locally owned/managed and, as such, service may have more of a local feel rather than hotels managed by ex-pats.

Location

The hotel is located on the northern tip of the south east peninsular about one hours drive from the airport & Stone Town, the last mile is on a very rough road. It must be one of the best located hotels on Zanzibar with amazing views where guests are able to witness both the sunrise and the sunset.

Accommodation

There are 15 en-suite rooms, some of which have sea views. All rooms have airconditioning and ceiling fans, have locally built furniture and fittings, mini-fridges and have verandahs. Rooms are spacious and when we visited rooms were pristine clean.

Facilities

There is a spacious, open sided bar, restaurant area and games area overlooking the beach and ocean. There is a reasonably equipped fitness area. The large swimming pool is set above beach. Diving (with a PADI accredited centre) and snorkelling can be arranged, though snorkelling can be done off the beach at high tide. There are two beaches which are almost exclusive to hotel guests.

Red Monkey Lodge

South East Coast – Price Guide: From £40.00 per person Half Board

For people looking solely for beach chill-out, this may not be the place for you. It is more about mixing beach with learning something about, and contributing to the local people. Mark Dieler takes pride in the contributions being made in many ways to the local community.

Location

In the fishing village of Jambiani on the south east coast about a 1 hour drive from the airport and Stone Town.

Accommodation

There are 9 en-suite rooms with palm-tree roofs. They are simple, functional and tastefully decorated. They have a double bed with large mosquito net and ceiling fans.

Facilities

The restaurant sources most of its produce locally and offers light lunches and 4 course a la carte dinner. There is a well stocked bar serving local beers, a wide range of international wines and cocktails. The Lodge is a wi-fi zone. There is a kite centre on site and a private boat to take guests snorkelling. Scuba diving can be arranged from the Lodge. Guests are encouraged to learn about village life as well as the ventures the Lodge is involved with to improve the lives of local people.