The best accommodations Zanzibar Archipelago

Deja Blue is a nice little address in the heart of Paje village, ideal for young people with micro-budgets who want to stay in the island's most festive village, while enjoying the comforts of home in a private room with bathroom (shared or individual). The Zanzibar beds are pleasant, with their mosquito netting canopies, the rooms are well ventilated, and the cleanliness is impeccable. The house is pretty, with its garden furnished with tables, armchairs and hammocks where cats sleep. Breakfast is varied. For the price, nothing to say.

This is one of the best budget addresses, right in the center near Forodhani and the waterfront, offering appreciable comfort. Housed in an ^18th-century house belonging to the Sultan's palace, it has the charm of Arab-Swahili architecture. Previously in foreign hands, the hotel is now owned by two local women, Salma from Zanzibar and Béatrice from mainland Tanzania, and the team is 100% local. The 12 rooms are charming, with ventilation or air-conditioning, and tastefully furnished. Breakfast on the hotel rooftop.

Pierre and Annick bought their little house over 25 years ago on this unspoilt piece of paradise. People come here in search of what they no longer find in Zanzibar, a spirit of wild robinsonnade and preserved intimacy. At Papaye Verte, there's no swimming pool, no restaurant, just two charming, airy bungalows and a family villa with fully-equipped kitchen, set in a lush garden with deckchairs, visited by colobus monkeys during the day. You'll enjoy the peace and quiet, the ocean on the horizon, and an exceptional welcome.

Opened in 2021, this budget address is an excellent option behind Forodhani. Thehostel has 16 beds in mixed dormitories and three private rooms, one shared bathroom per floor and a communal kitchen. The "house" section offers 14 more comfortable rooms with private bathrooms. All are air-conditioned (even the dormitories). The wooden furniture is beautifully crafted, and cleanliness and comfort are beyond reproach.

A modern-day Ottoman sultan's palace has just opened in Zanzibar. This large resort, with its curved lines and Arabian details, is the latest luxury hotel located near the airport and in front of a newly landscaped and cleaned beach, in this area hitherto little frequented by tourists. Huge swimming pool in the central patio, multiple restaurants and services, ultra-luxurious rooms, gym, spa, conference rooms...: nothing is missing. Convenient for a night of luxury before or after a long-haul flight.

Run by Rashid (French-speaking) and his son Samir, this small, intimate hotel with a dozen rooms on the beach has just been completely renovated and a swimming pool dug at the end of 2023. It's still attractively priced for its location and the quality of the services on offer. Rooms face the small garden, except for those on the front line, which face the ocean. Some are ventilated, others air-conditioned, and prices are reasonable. The restaurant serves fine Swahili specialties. The hotel is linked to Coco Beach Agency & Tours.

This is the new trend in Zanzibar: offering private residences with all the services of a hotel. Breeze Résidence is a collection of 15 air-conditioned apartments with fully-equipped kitchen, sheltered terrace with outdoor table, living room and one or more bedrooms. It is located not far from the beautiful Kiwengwa beach, in the new Cairo Village. In addition to a superb central swimming pool bordered by a tropical garden, the complex offers a private area on the beach with deckchairs, a fitness club and even a padel club!

Eric and Sophie realized their dream and Baobab Africa Lodge was born, splendid and fascinating, inserted in a forest of gigantic baobabs next to Mtende beach. There's a choice of family bungalows, whose terraces plunge into the vast pool via a ladder. There are also pool-view double rooms and triple bungalows with private whirlpool baths. The restaurant, perched in the canopy of a baobab tree, serves mouth-watering dishes at all hours, including delicious plump lobsters.