ZURI ZANZIBAR
Resort hotel · Kaskazini A
Kendwa Zanzibar TZ, 73107, Tanzania
Highlights
Stylish resort with private beach, spa, 3 restaurants, garden
Stylish resort with private beach, spa, 3 restaurants, garden
"Included as the Zanzibar accommodation on the itinerary, cited as one of the high-end properties forming the journey’s island stop." - Rachel Chang Rachel Chang Rachel Chang is a travel and pop culture journalist who contributes to Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, and more. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"The Zuri Zanzibar Hotel and Resort was chosen for its beautiful beaches, thatched roofs, wooden decor, and comprehensive event planning packages. The hotel handled nearly every aspect of the wedding planning, including flowers, music, and makeup artists. It also offered additional perks such as a boat ride, a tour of Stone Town, a snorkeling trip to Mnemba Island, a couple’s massage, and several meals."
"Set the scene.Ocean zephyrs kick up scents from the nearby spice garden, hammocks swing in the breeze, pendants light the way up winding paths to teak, grass-roofed bungalows that appear out of nowhere, like elephants hiding in thick clumps of jungle and palm trees. But the beach is just steps away, a wondrous private curl of sand facing the Indian Ocean with thatched umbrellas. What’s the story?This opened in July 2018, a personal project by Czech-born Renaissance man Vaclav Dejcmar, whose CV includes a documentary on psychopaths in business and organizing Prague Fashion Week. He asked Prague-based design studio Jestico + Whiles to sort the interiors: It brought in lots of African textures and Sixties-style chairs and lamps to the party. Woven-basket pendants, lights made from bottles and carved wooden tables upcycled from old dhows. In the bathrooms, handmade curtains have been made by local social enterprise Chako Zanzibar, and bath products are from female seaweed farmers—Zuri has set out to support community projects from the start. What can we expect from our room?We stayed in a garden bungalow, which has a private terrace with hammock and an outdoor shower off the bathroom. There’s a sliver of a view of the ocean, but we didn't need more than that—the gardens are so well maintained, it's as if each room is hidden in its own private jungle. The room key is a silicon bracelet that you can wear in the pool (don’t lose this though, as replacements are expensive). Everything that could be considered unsightly can be tucked away behind local art. Wi-Fi is free, but our favorite detail is the eco-friendly air-con—the mosquito-netting canopy acted as a small cooling chamber, so the entire room didn't need to be ventilated. How about the food and drink?Each of the three restaurants and four bars has its own personality and menu but all are laid-back. Upendo is the main place to eat, with views out to sea and sand. Feel free to ask for a meal or sundowner set up on the beach for you. How does it fit into the island scene?Zanzibar hasn't had much of a shake up to its hotel game in some time—hotels nearby are fine at best—which is a real shame, as Zanzibar is the perfect bush-to-beach island to land on. Zuri has everything that places in the Seychelles or Maldives serve up (glorious beaches, palapas that you don't have to fight over, and several creative restaurants), but this is much closer by air. Anything we missed?Don't skip the spa and yoga pavilion, tucked behind curtained pergolas. A deep-tissue massage after a day of sun is pretty unmissable. The hotel map is impressive—the small, gravel-paved paths are set out and named after spices to help you navigate around. The plants are so spectacular you can't really tell how close you are to another room. And anything you’d change?The rooms may have felt hidden behind deep gardens, but they did very little to block sound—things can get a little noisy at night. Worth it—and why?There is nothing else like this on Zanzibar, and shaving off six or so hours of travel time after a hot few days on the African plains is nothing to sneeze at." - Paulie Dibner
"Safari in Uganda and Rwanda has taken off these past few years. East Africa needs a place where travelers can pull off the old bush-to-beach after gorilla-trekking that's on the level of the One and Only by Virunga, and closer than the hideaways of the Seychelles. With Zuri, guests can be atop those sugary sands within two hours of leaving the jungle. This breezy resort is delightfully tropical, even if its profusion of banana palms feels similar to the overgrowth guests would have been scrambling through earlier, to spy on silverbacks. Those who've been to this ancient island will know the second they step out from the open air lobby onto the tiered terraces, overlooking thatched roof yoga pavilions down to the cerulean blue, that this is a game changer. Unlike the fusty ’70s retreats that still serve bad prosecco in swim-up bars nearby, Zuri is incredibly considered. A web of pathways weave through the dense bush, cutting past spice gardens (the source of that lingering vanilla and cumin scent) to the 55 standalone bungalows with outdoor showers of stone and bamboo walls. The indoor/outdoor vibes of the place extends to the dining room, where a selection of featherlight, hand-woven basket and cocoon-like lamps hanging over the tables are designed to catch the breeze off the Indian Ocean, in a sway as gentle and constant as the roll of the waves visible from the table. Zuri instantly makes Zanzibar a bush-to-beach option to rival the level of Mozambique and the Seychelles. FLASH POINT Book a western facing Garden Bungalow to catch the African sunset from the comfort of day loungers on the terrace. +420 226-202-981, zurizanzibar.com; doubles from about $410." - CNT Editors
"Situated in the Kendwa Beach district of Kendwa, Zuri Zanzibar offers accommodation with a private beach area and free WiFi. The property boasts an outdoor swimming pool, garden, terrace and a bar. All the rooms have air conditioning and are fitted with a wardrobe, a desk and a flat screen TV. All the units also have a seating area while some have pool views and a garden view. Zuri Zanzibar serves a continental breakfast daily. Maischa Restaurant that is located within the property specializes in Middle Eastern cuisines. Snorkelling is among the activities that guests can enjoy near Zuri Zanzibar. Coral Reefs Snorkel is a 9-minute walk from the resort." - My Boutique Hotel (en)
