Clove Island Zanzibar Villas & Spa

Loved it!
We chose the place best on its excellent reviews, it didn't disappoint. The villas are tastefully furnished, with quality wooden furniture, everything is clean and they paid attention to each detail. The restaurant service was exceptional, the breakfast was very good serving local fruits, the other meals and drinks were really really tasty. The beach was stunning, when the tide is low the rock pools appear and what a sight that is. Absolutely loved it and if back to Zanzibar, we will be back. Its a boutique property with 4 villas that provides the privacy needed for such a destination

This place is really super nice and we can absolutely recommend it. The villas are very well equipped and carefully maintained. European sockets are standard, therefore no adapters are needed. The views to pool, beach and sea are super nice and facing the sunset. So you can enjoy watching from your bed, if you like.
The team is extremely guest centric and no wish remains open. They are really going the extra mile for their guests.
Also impressive was the chef and what dishes he provided. We can recommend any dish from the menu (we spent quite some time there) but specifically guests should try the mashed potatoes.
We had a wonderful stay there, do wish the team all the best and can absolutely recommend this place to single travellers, couples and families!

Beautiful villas, with great views of sunrise. The service given by Marek and his team was impeccable 👏🏽👏🏽. All tours and requests were handled professionally and all questions were answered.

Paradise found! We just spent 8 relaxing days at Clove Island & can highly recommend it to everybody, who is seeking true Zanzibari vibes & great hospitality in a beautiful environment.

Our unforgettable experience with Clove Island started far ahead to our arrival. All communication and the entire booking process were nothing but easy & helpful.
Arranged by the hotel, a driver picked us up from the airport and drove us to Makunduchi for 50 US-Dollars within 1,5hrs. Even a requested ATM stop along the way was no problem.
Having arrived at the hotel we were warmly welcomed with a sparkely refreshment & afterwards guided to our villa. WOW!!! Wow to the spaciousness, the beautiful furniture, the most comfy beds, the local bath amenities, the complimentary daily drinking water, the filtered tap water (so no bottled water wasting to brush teeth as everywhere else in East Africa), the huge balconies, the fully equipped kitchenette, the hair dryer (after 2 weeks of Safari with messy hair, it deserves to be mentioned.) However, on the evening of our arrival, the best was yet to come: The View!!!! The view onto the glittery, turquoise Indian Ocean from everywhere! From the bed, from the shower, from the balcony, from the restaurant, the pool area!

The rooms are cleaned daily and in the evening we were surprised to find our beds nicely prepared, with curtains closed and the mosquito net over our huge bed opened. Furthermore they spray the rooms to keep mosquitos out. We had barely any mosquitos during the entire stay thanks to strong winds. Don’t forget to bring mosquito spray for calmer days and nights.

The pool area is well maintained and cleaned every single day. The sun chairs and hammock are cozy. The garden with blooming flowers and huge palm trees are picture perfect.
The food and drinks are delicious. For breakfast the options are varied. Never skip the daily juice!!!
The prices for a la carte lunch and dinner are mid to high-range and always worth it. The menu has something to offer for everybody and if you go to bed hungry, it is for sure not the hotel‘s fault. Burgers, seafood and fish, pasta, salad and soups, local rice and curry dishes, sweet desserts.
Their wine selection is small but nicely assembled. ZA‘s Footprint!

Makunduchi is far off all touristy sights and that’s exactely why we chose Clove Island. Anyhow, the complimentary bicycles lured us off our sunbeds and we drove to Paje with a stop at Jambiani beach. It is a (self driven) day trip, bring water and some cash for a lovely lunch by the beach.
On another day we decided for a Safari Blue. We should have known better: don’t waste your time and just skip it. Rather spend an extra day in Stone Town, what a vibrant & cultural intense city!
The beach right by the hotel is long and white, the water is crystal clear and warm. Don’t forget to bring water shoes. During low tide it is such an experience to walk out and look at the beautiful corals and sea life. Try to find Haji. He is from Makunduchi and while strolling along the beach, we met him by incident. He nicely offered us to show us moraines, seastars, octopus… all just for an „English lesson“. Meet people openly and be interested. You can have the nicest encounters.
What we liked so much, that the beach was quiet and empty. Only kind locals, some fishermen, playing kids who asked for a high five and ladies dressed in colorful dresses.
Barely any beach boys and with a respectful but firm „no, thank you“, they will back off quickly. Everything is HAKUNA MATATA!

For us the most important: the entire team of Clove Island is truely the best. Everybody, from the restaurant team, to the housekeeping ladies, the maintenance guys, the security and the management, everybody deserves a shout-out! They are very attentive, friendly and always open for a good story and laughter.
Asante Sana!!!

Found this place online and after reading excellent reviews decided to try it and it did absolutely not dissapoint. We love the fact that it's small and quiet. Clean and well built and maintained.

Staff are excellent. They ran after our every little need with a smile.

We love clove island. We'll be back.

Clove Island is a highly recommended place to stay. The villas offer a beautiful view to the sea and are equipped with everything needed to enjoy some pleasant days. The hotel manager as well as the staff is very friendly and helpful. Furthermore the breakfast and dinner at the restaurant was absolutely delicious. Many thanks for some great days! :)

We spent 14 days here and we feel obliged to give a positive review of this place and words of appreciation for the entire staff. Unfortunately, people often evaluate places through the prism of their own, often Western, point of view, regardless of the conditions, limitations, and culture in which, for example, a given hotel operates. Clove Island is a true Oasis of peace, cleanliness, hospitality and delicious food. For 2 weeks of our stay, we weren't able to fault anything. The facility is new, the rooms are well equipped, have beautiful local furniture and are decorated in a local style. The room has modern, quiet and very efficient air conditioning. The view with an eye on the ocean is captivating and will stay in our memories for a long time. The atmosphere in Clove Island deserves special attention. It is very quiet here, the guests staying here do not disturb each other, everyone by the pool is quiet, no one screams, does not play music, the only thing you can hear is the sound of the ocean. Some say that the beach is not the most beautiful. Yes, there are nicer beaches in Zanzibar, but it is impossible to enjoy them because they are full of tourists, and even worse, Maasai and beach boys offering something for sale. In Clove Island, this is not a problem, we went for a long walk on the beach every day before sunset and we were almost always alone. In our opinion, this beach is beautiful because of its naturalness and intimacy. When the tide is high, the beach is really beautiful and we bathed in the ocean every day. The service deserves words of aprecciation, as it is genuinely friendly and reads your mind. We did not think that we would meet such nice people here. In addition to a few days of excursion, we ate everyday in the hotel's restaurant. The menu is extensive and there is something for everyone. We tried almost everything and I must admit we never left anything on the plate. Of course, we liked some dishes less, others more, so we chose the same items more than once. The drinks offer is also interesting and extensive. For those who stay longer, breakfasts may seem monotonous, but if you talk to the staff they can always do something else. Everyone here really tries very hard. The swimming pool is intimate, but functional, spotlessly clean, the garden and surroundings are beautiful. The manager is very good and polite, not only to the guests but also to the entire staff, which creates a family atmosphere here. He is practically on call all the time and will help with everything. The only thing that may not be satisfactory is poor wifi range in hotel rooms. It is enough to read news or send a message, but if someone needs a 100% link for work or communication, it is better to get a SIM card at the airport. The wifi works fine in the restaurant. For people going to Zanzibar, I would like to advise you not to come here just to enjoy, swim and sunbathe, but it is also worth helping the local community. There is no doubt that the Western world owes a lot to Africa, so let's not forget to leave the staff a tip and visit the local school or kindergarten in Makunduchi, where you can leave crayons, pens, markers, notebooks, and coloring books brought from home. You can also meet kids on the beach, so it's worth having something for them. To sum up, Clove Island and Makunduchi is a great place for a quiet holiday away from the hustle and bustle of tourists, with a natural, real and empty beach. We wish them all the best during this difficult time.

We just left Clove Island (in mid-August 2020) after a four-night stay, and our only regret was not staying longer.

First, this property excels because of the general manager Meryem (Maria). She is so dedicated to her work and ensuring that all guests have the best time. She has great recommendations for places to visit around the southeast part of the island if you come without researching ahead. The rest of the staff are all also so friendly and helpful.

The villas are all still very new, very stylish and in beautiful condition. The pleasant lighting, tinted and thick windows and soft bedding are all top notch, designed for your ultimate comfort. The food in the restaurant is good and the menu options are enough to keep you satisfied for at least a week of dinners. Food and drink prices are very reasonable.

We explored several parts of Zanzibar, but the southeast corner was by far our favorite. The beach outside the hotel is peaceful and filled primarily with locals. Clove Island is just six kilometers south of Jambiani, so you can easily get to other more touristy beaches and restaurants should you want to explore. Again, just ask Maria for recommendations!

If you're heading to Zanzibar and only have time to explore one part, definitely visit the southeast. If you only have time to stay in one place, choose Clove Island!

I was celebrating my birthday in clove Island. It is Absolutely incredible place! Quite, romantic good for couples. Very clean and comfortable villa with bathtub. Delicious fresh food, lovely breakfast. Caring staff- they will do anything for U, even help to fix the car ;-) Asante sana Maria, Jiry, Jackline and everybody else. 6 stars guys ****** I will be back

Great place, very relaxing and secluded. Staff were really friendly and helpful, the rooms are amazing and a cool design. Very enjoyable stay and will definitely visit again!

We had a lovely staying at Clove Island!
Between the 4 places we visited on the island, this one is from far the best!
The Staff is incredibly nice, professionnal but relax (except when the owner is there, which is obviously a stressful moment for them).
Food is great at a reasonable cost, cocktails are made with love, attention to details is everywhere.
Comfort is on european standards with air con, fresh towels, windows (not a standard in Zanzibar), natural soap and every accessories you’d ever need to spend a perfect holyday there.
Location was also perfect for us, far from beach boys disturbing every 3 minutes on the beach to sell their more or less handcrafted stuffs.
We couldn’t recommend enough this place!
Thanks again to all the staff (including the cook whom we didn’t met) for this incredible parenthèse in our lifes.
Wish tou the best.

Geoffray & Naëma

One of the best beach resorts in Makunduchi Zanzibar. Me and my clients we enjoyed very much a stay in there, Villas are superb and nice, food was very delicious. I highly recommend this beach hotel in Zanzibar.

Staff was Fabolous and charming.
The place is quite and calming, atmosphere is tranqilo.
Food was excellent.
The beach was nice and quiet, not packed with tourists.
Thank you

We came for a relaxing holiday and that is what we got. Nice, friendly and helpful staff, good food, quiet surroundings, clean rooms and a nice pool area. Probably the best place to stay in Makanduchi.

Amazing place to stay in.Zanzibar. Great room and amenities. Food is great and staff more than helpful. Downside can be the lack of variety for the breakfast for all the stay.

A mazing place , very relaxing area truthly , the food also perfect more than , the staff are very polite , the manger Maria was very caring about your comfort , I will find special time to come to visit again , I got chance for show rooms , was perfect than the pictures shows , already one from my favorite places in Zanzibar

Beautiful hotel and a very Good restaurant inside! The staff was helpful and very nice. The builidings are new and we really enjoyed the south of Zanzibar.

We stayed three nights and also went to the restaurant for lunch and in the evenings. Absolutely nothing to complain, just great days with great hospitality and good food.

Amazing place right on the beach in the serene Makanduchi! Excellent food, good music, chic ambiance, great service. I'll be back! Keep up the good work

Nice beach , nice pools for swimming you can enjoy the place and have fun with friends and family there its really good