Zawadi Hotel Zanzibar

Nestled along the coastline, Zawadi Hotel offers a retreat where waves' sounds harmonize with exceptional hospitality. From the lobby, you're embraced by a warm ambiance cultivated by remarkable staff. Zawadi sets itself apart with impeccable attention to detail and genuine care for the guests and events, whether it's a honeymoon, summer holiday, or calming retreat. The reception team welcomes you with smiles, offering insider tips. The rooms are immaculate, spacious and bathed in natural light, equipped with ample amenities for a comfortable stay. The restaurant staff elevates dining with personable service and culinary expertise. Whether indulging in breakfast overlooking the ocean or savoring a candlelit dinner, each meal is memorable. Zawadi isn't just a place to stay; it's an immersive experience shaped by staff's warmth and professionalism. From arrival to farewell, their personal traits transform a seaside getaway into an unforgettable journey.

I cannot recommend Zawadi highly enough! My husband and I decided we wanted to spend our honeymoon in Zanzibar and our travel agent recommended this resort and we are forever grateful. The rooms are so spacious, clean, comfortable, and beautifully decorated. There is a good mix of privacy and optional socializing if you prefer mingling with other guests. The food is incredible! We looked forward to every meal and were never disappointed. They give you options as well, so you can pick and choose your preferences for each course.

Last but certainly not least is the service. It was really really special. The staff is so friendly and don’t miss a thing. At dinner my husband and I casually mentioned we got a little sunburned and that evening fresh aloe vera appeared in our room. I mentioned once that I wasn’t a fan of Chardonnay and every meal after they offered me other types of white wine. A very special thank you to Bernard, Ally, and Issak who really went above and beyond but truly everyone was wonderful.

If you’re planning your honeymoon or just a romantic and peaceful getaway - Zawadi is perfect choice.

This place is paradise on Earth. I can't describe with words the beauty of this hotel resort.
The rooms are beautifully designed, with attention to detail. The colours, the combinations, and the decorations, they create such a warm and cosy atmosphere in a premium way. The bed is very comfortable, and the morning view to the ocean is unforgettable.
The service is excellent. They go above and beyond for their guests, and they always do it with a smile.
The food is delicious, and the menu is very well planned.
I really appreciate the eco-friendly approach they promote.
I would definitely come back myself and recommend it to anyone!!
Thank you, Zawadi team, for making our stay so special.

Zawadi is truly a gift! My husband and I spent the first part of our Zanzibar vacation here and it was six days of pure joy! The property and rooms are well appointed and exactly as pictured online. The staff, our far away family, welcomed us from the very moment we arrived and treated us beyond amazing. We got in quite late and were very hungry. No worries, as they had an entire delicious feast laid out in our room! I never wanted for anything during my entire stay. The food was fresh and delicious, wayyyy more than generous portions with different options to choose from daily. Our favorite was the Swahili night dinner! Everybody works hard and seems to truly love being a part of the Zawadi family, which makes it all the more enjoyable for guests. Transportation and excursions arrangements were easily made on our behalf making the trip truly stress free. We really enjoyed every single moment, especially my beautiful birthday surprise-a memory that I will cherish forever! I was not well pleased with my second accommodation of the trip and immediately wanted to return to Zawadi, filled with regret that we left! A huge thank you to the entire team:
Evelyn, Isaack, Noa, Iddy, Razza, Bernard, Ali, George, Msengi, Innocent, and many others whose names escape me as I type. We absolutely cannot wait to return!!

My wife and I stayed at Zawadi in early August after our safari and it was exactly what we needed to end our Africa honeymoon: scenic, relaxing, and intimate.

When we arrived, we were greeted with smiling faces which is all you’ll find at Zawadi - everyone is genuinely friendly! We didn’t check in until after 10pm but the staff was nice enough to prepare a dinner for my wife and I knowing that we had been traveling all day and were hungry, which was such a thoughtful touch.

The villas here are beautiful and the views cannot be beat (see pics) - you’ll want to wake up early every morning just to catch the sunrise. There are plenty of fun activities that are included in your stay such as sunset cruises, snorkeling and scuba diving. And don’t forget to check out Zawadi’s farm and all its animals (especially Sylvester the donkey). The food was also great and I absolutely left a few pounds heavier.

To the entire team at Zawadi - thank you for helping to make our honeymoon feel special and for being such great people! We hope to come back and see you all again. Alex & Julia.

Zawadi will be a very relaxing stay, with such friendly staff and amazing food. The hotel is very quiet and peaceful.

We booked Zawadi Zanzibar for some relaxation after 6 days of Safari in Kenya. When we arrived, Isaack and Evelyn were so welcoming when we arrived! Ahead of time, Evelyn had even helped procure some distilled water and a backup battery for my CPAP machine (they also have a generator that kicks on within a minute), which was so nice and such a huge relief for vacation.

Zawadi was so peaceful, and we really enjoyed how small the hotel was. The food was absolutely amazing, every meal was delicious and beautifully presented. We loved interacting with the staff. Bernard and Iddy planned a private meal for my husband and I, and we got to spend some time with Iddy learning about his background.

Hamad, Ally and Raza greeted us daily with smiles and attentiveness every day at lunch and even when we showed up late for breakfast. They were always willing and eager to please. Every meal is very filling! My husband and I would often skip breakfast but go to the pool bar for an ice coffee/tea and they would graciously get us a few pastries without a full meal! One morning, we skipped breakfast (opting to sleep in, and then sit on our sun loungers and read) and Iddy called to check on us, which was so sweet!

On our last day, our flight was at 10pm so the Isaack booked an all day tour for us (spice farm, prison island and stone town) and Noa even packed us a lunch, it was so sweet to send us off with.

The staff made the stay incredibly relaxing and special!

Beautifully set, intimate hotel. Rooms were very spacious and clean. Hotel staff was exceptional.

Highly recommend this property for a quiet, beachfront getaway in Zanzibar.

An absolute gem in the Indian Ocean.
One word: WOW ! This is a hidden and very confidential paradise.The location is absolutely stunning with an almost private beach(basically you never see anyone…)The staff is amazing, warm and is there to please all your desires. The food is exceptional with daily fresh products from their own farm right behind the hotel.
Now for the rooms or shall I say the bungalows, very elegant, spacious and with great amenities. You can tell that the architect used high end materials. A big thank you to Evelyne the GM, Noa, Bernard and the team members for making this stay memorable.
Will be back !

"My visit to this place was an exceptional experience. Every detail exudes beauty and cleanliness, and the service provided by the team is simply remarkable. The level of kindness I encountered exceeded all my expectations. A big thank you to the entire team who made this experience so memorable. I want to highlight the exceptional kindness and professionalism of Éveline and Noa, who truly enriched my stay."

Where do I start with this beautiful hotel…
The rooms are beautifully spacious, the terrace overlooks the ocean, and it’s huge with a private pool.

The staff and management are extremely welcoming and accommodating to your needs.
Food was heavenly. They will make you anything to accommodate your dietary needs.

Unfortunately we didn’t do the water sports activities, but they are complimentary. The spa was breathtaking, the design is full of Zanzibari art and design.

Thank you for making our stay something we will always remember.

I stayed at the Zawadi Hotel in Zanzibar for my 40th birthday in July and it was the most incredible experience! The hotel property is intimate and luxurious - every corner you turn there is something more beautiful to view. Each room is a villa with a dip pool and hammock on a patio overlooking the Indian ocean. It’s really paradise.

I also love that they have a working farm complete with a garden and farm animals. (Talk about farm to table!) We asked for a tour and I had so much fun feeding the goats too; Gilbert was my favorite.

Evelyn, the hotel manager, made our stay so special and personal. She gave me a 40th birthday I will never forget!

An absolutely phenomenal week spent at Zawadi for the second leg of our honeymoon!
We spent a long time researching the very best hotels in Zanzibar and could not be more thrilled that we came across Zawadi.. it offered us everything we were looking for on our honeymoon and more.
The hotel itself is breathtakingly beautiful, spectacularly designed around nature / the ocean and landscaped to perfection. The attention to detail at Zawadi is outstanding and every inch of the resort is exquisite - understated elegance really is the best way to describe it! Once the gates to Zawadi open, you truly feel as though you are stepping into another world, one of total tranquillity, paradise and relaxation. The view on arrival quite literally rendered us speechless... fortunately the delightful drink and warm welcomes helped!

We were so surprised by how large each villa is, designed with stunning neutral colours and a captivating view of the Indian Ocean blues. Your personal deck is also equipped with a hammock, refreshing plunge pool and extremely comfortable sun loungers. If we could live in the Zawadi villas, we would! They are cleaned twice a day and the lovely cleaners lay out fresh flowers in pretty designs after every clean as a surprise for you to return "home" to. They even pull the netting across the bed whilst you are at dinner to make your bedroom super cosy for your return. We especially enjoyed the surprise bottle of champagne on arrival, fresh fruits, sweet treats and sun-downer drinks / snacks brought to our room every evening.
The "privacy coconut" really made me chuckle but was such a nice touch to request some privacy in your villa when needed! Waking up each day to the view from our villa honestly felt like a dream - sparkling blue ocean, swaying palm trees and the most beautiful pink flowers I have ever seen (it's currently my phone screen-saver and will be for a long time!)

The food at Zawadi is honestly exceptional - also varied and plentiful! Each meal was delicious and so skilfully presented, as were the cocktails available at any time of day! You are offered a menu to choose from for lunch and dinner.
The hotel is very private, with only 12 villas it never felt too busy and we welcomed the peace and quiet to unwind and relax. The complementary daily snorkelling trips were a really nice touch and we also enjoyed exploring the charming farm behind the hotel! The animals were all so sweet and friendly.

Finally, I could not write such a glowing review without mentioning the exceptional Zawadi team. They truly are some of the most wonderful people that we have ever met.
A special thank you to Evelyne, the fabulous General Manager, who is BEYOND lovely and bent over backwards every day to ensure that we were having the most incredible stay. She was always around to answer our many questions and her enthusiasm, friendly personality and pure love for her job are testament to what an incredible team she has created. She organised everything for us perfectly and we very much enjoyed our daily conversations, as well as her admirable stories about her time in Zanzibar!

A huge, huge thank you to the rest of the Zawadi team for your hard work, heartwarming smiles and genuine passion that you throw into your roles each and every day. Thank you to Noel for making us feel so well looked after, as well as to Ali, Iddy, Raza, Innocent, Hamad and Chef William for making our stay SO incredibly memorable. We loved getting to know you all and it's honestly thanks to you that Zawadi really sparkles!

Overall, we couldn't fault Zawadi in the slightest. If you are looking for an intimate, luxury, boutique hotel that is absolute paradise on earth, then please just book it! The reviews and the photos speak for themselves, it is just PERFECT in every possible way.
Thank you to our Zawadi family for one of the best weeks of our lives. You have given us memories that we will cherish for life.

Lucy & Chris - London, UK

My wife and I spent five amazing days at Zawadi after a week on Safari, and it was the perfect ending to our trip in Tanzania. The hotel grounds were immaculate, with beautiful foliage and views of the sea from everywhere. The villas had amazing patio space that perfect for relaxing all day. The pool and beach areas were stunning and had ample space. Food and drinks were excellent throughout our stay.

However, the best part of our stay was the incredible staff and their hospitality. Every interaction with the staff was so welcoming. We enjoyed our talks with the staff during our meals and lounging by the pool bar. Iddy, Charles, Raza and Ali were always offering us delicious food and drinks any time of day, not to mention the great conversation and laughs. The friendly staff helped to make our stay so memorable. I can't recommend Zawadi and the team there highly enough and hope we can make it back soon.

Zawadi is my favorite destination in Zanzibar. Fantastic accommodations, food and service. Evelyn, the manager greeted us with a warm and friendly welcome and everyone on her team followed her lead. The beach was the perfect spot for all the activities they offer as well as a place to explore the low tide pools filled with starfish and other creatures. The food was both creative and exceptional in presentation. The accommodations were private and the plunge pool the perfect please to chill and watch the tide come and go. If you don't renew your vows at The Palms, do it here.

No better place to spend a honeymoon, stunning villas, meticulously designed all with the most beautiful views of the ocean. The whole team are a credit to the top echelons of hospitality and the food is equally varied and wonderful. Highly Recommend if you are looking for an escape!

Luxury hotel in south east coast of Zanzibar. The best experience in the island. Warm atmosphere, excellent team member, tasty food, private beach and plenty of water activities. For sure, strongly recommended. Evelyn, the manager, of great help in making the experience even more awesome.

Could not recommend Zawadi more highly! An absolutely stunning resort with the friendliest staff. We wanted for absolutely nothing and felt like royalty the whole time. Beautiful facilities, lovely relaxed atmosphere and incredible food - perfection!!

I stayed there for 10 days for my honeymoon and I can only say that everything was perfect.
Perfect to the point that when visiting other place for foods and drinks none could hold a candle to the zawadi, it's location, the friendliness of the staff or the overall quality.

Can't recommend more, we'll be back

Amazing views, gorgeous rooms with your own private patio and plunge pool! The beaches here are amazing and the snorkeling is very good. They have great coral reef with a wide variety of fish species. Most interesting thing I saw was a 3 foot clam. The staff is friendly and the food is good, only negative is that every meal is a 4 course meal and dinner lasts about 2.5 hours and there is too much food to eat.

Everything about Zawadi is outstanding. The setting of the hotel in the natural beauty of Zanzibar is breathtaking.
Manager Evelyn and every staff person is friendly, gracious, and beyond accommodating.
The hotel is beautiful, clean, comfortable, and well maintained. The food is delicious and local entertainers were all fabulous.