Mia Boutique Hotel ★★★★

Karafuu Beach Resort & Spa ★★★★★

"The room was very cozy, and the staff were kind and friendly. Here, I could completely relax and lie down, enjoying three days of complete physical and mental rest. Wow!"

Shanuo Beach Bungalows ★★

"I would highly recommend Shanuo. Gillian and her staff could'nt have been anymore helpful and friendly. They booked taxi's and trips for me at very fare prices. The rooms are just what you need for a relaxed and comfotable stay. Very clean and well maintained. Excellent choices for breakfast served on your balcony. Directly on the beautiful beach with plenty of 'sunbathing' space / swinging beds and loungers on the property. Great advice how to travel around to local villages. As a solo female traveller I felt safe and comfortable at all times not only at Shanuo but in Zanzibar. Did not want to leave."

Hekaya Zanzibar ★★★★

"Great location right on the beach, good service and friendly staff. Not many rooms so quiet, but has everything you'd need. Food especially is very good, all fresh produce with a different menu each evening, usually featuring the catch of the day. Recommended!"

Upendo Beach Boutique Hotel Zanzibar ★★★★

"Our honeymoon stay at Upendo Beach Boutique Hotel was truly exceptional. We stayed in our own private villa right on the beach, which was scrupulously clean, featured thoughtful eco-friendly amenities, and offered uninterrupted views of the ocean. What made our stay so memorable was the genuine warmth and professionalism of the staff. Everyone was incredibly friendly, helpful, and attentive - nothing ever felt like too much trouble. They went out of their way to make my husband's birthday special by setting up a beautiful dinner directly on the beach, complete with a cake. The food at the restaurant was delicious throughout our trip. It was a wonderful experience from start to finish, and we cannot recommend this property highly enough."

Boutique Hotel Matlai ★★★★

"We recently spent two magnificent weeks at the Boutique Hotel Matlai. In a nutshell this an oasis that provides for your all your holiday needs on immaculate grounds with exceptional staff. If you’re looking for that personal touch, then Matlai is it. What makes this hotel unique is its size. There are a total of 6 rooms spread over two ‘homes’ (4 rooms in the palapa-styled home, and 2 rooms in the white-house) on the grounds and a whole team dedicated to ensuring your stay (without being obtrusive) is the best possible. The rooms are all well appointed with plenty of space for your belongings, each room having a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean. What really sets this hotel apart is the staff and level of attentiveness to your every need. The staff were superlative - Ramadan, Martin, Derrick, Gideon, Tatu, Mariam, Anna, Asi, Emmanuel, and the front-desk staff all provided personal touches – such as fixing a broken mask of mine, preparing the meals a specific way, ensuring our health was okay (got sick from diving too deep), etc. It is this level of service you wouldn’t find at a regular hotel that really made this place stand-out. They honestly made us feel like we were family, they were all so warm and welcoming. The grounds of the hotel are immaculate, with lush gardens throughout. Two infinity-style pools provide stunning views out across the Indian Ocean. The hotel provides delicious meals – breakfasts can be ordered in your room or front balcony (ordered however you like and whatever you like). Dinners can be had anywhere on the grounds of the hotel – they were varied – with no same meal had in the two weeks we were there. The hotel can provide personalized tours through a 3rd party – Chiddy Tours. I highly recommend working with the hotel for any tour. Chiddy’s tours were personal down to just us as a couple so we could do anything we wanted and spend as much time on things as we desired. It wasn’t like being packed on a bus like a sardine with 100 other folks. Chiddy Tours worked with what you wanted to do/see and tailored the tours accordingly. In addition, the hotel has on-ground massage/spa services which were very good, especially after or prior to the long journey home Mariam and her team do an outstanding job of ensuring you’re comfortable and relaxed. If anyone is an avid swimmer/snorkeler – about a mile out (1.6km) are outstanding reefs/fish. Go at high-tide (you definitely need fins as it is a long slog) straight out from the hotel, past the sand-bank you see at low-tide another 400-600 metres straight out (before the waves), you’ll find a plethora of reef with outstanding tropical fish. The water (even at high tide) is never particularly deep (no more than 5 metres at the deepest). We found the reef here to be even better than at Mnemba Atoll, mind you, at Mnemba the boats take you instead of the long swim "