The newcomer on the island, White Sand Villas is much what we have dreamed of for Zanzibar, putting it in the first place as our favorite choice for top-end accommodation on the island.
Private, quiet, and lovely, it is an ideal Tanzania honeymoon hideaway, but also, oddly, it is superbly appointed for families, extending so far as to accommodate a huge party group of up to twelve in the five-bed presidential villa.
White Sand has just 12 villas with a range of room options, but it sprawls through gardens and pathways along a vast 2km beach on the east coast.
The gardens are gorgeous, each villa, whether a one-room, two-room or the monumental five-room presidential villa, has its own sandy ‘garden’, with a plunge pool and comfortable chilling areas with beds and hammocks.
They are all vast. Each double or twin room is huge, with grand billowing nets and blackout blinds over the floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors.
The air conditioning is contained within the bed and net, alongside a heavy, nearly silent modern fan. These are the details that count for so much!
Smart, slick bathrooms have generous ‘rainwater’ showers inside, and glorious outdoor baths and showers amid private palms and frangipani flowers.
Rooms are smart, simple, authentic, and extremely well designed, possibly a little excessive even, with their additional huge sitting room with TV. The wifi, showers, coffee machines, air-conditioning, fans are all tip-top,
It is expensive, but if you can afford it, choose it. In comparison with similarly priced East Coast hotels, it has the charm and privacy and much better sea swimming, although being small and quiet there are fewer activities – almost none, bar a game of table tennis or a trip to the spa.
The coral sands are unspoiled at this point, a little messed with seaweed which the hotel tries to clear, and at least twice a day, at high tide, the swimming is excellent, a great Tanzania beach resort.
The accessibility of Zanzibar makes it a great destination after a safari in either the North or the South of Tanzania.
If you have time constraints then a Southern Tanzania Itinerary is better suited due to the easier and shorter internal flights.
Getting from Dar es Salaam to the lush and vibrant Selous or the dry Ruaha is very straightforward as is flying from them to Zanzibar.
Nothing quite compares to sipping a cool drink on the beach after an enthralling and exciting safari full of late nights and early mornings.
The two parks make for an excellent combination when topped with a beach break.
The Selous is full of waterways that allow up close and personal sightings of wallowing hippos and basking crocodiles whilst Ruaha prides itself on the huge elephant and buffalo populations.
Whilst on Zanzibar, make sure you take the time to visit the cultural city of Stone Town.
Staying in the city itself is certainly an option and makes for a great stop-over after your safari with the Park Hyatt being the pick of the bunch.
From the bustling markets to the rooftop bars, exploring Stone Town is quite an experience!
Whether you are traveling as a family, on honeymoon, or looking for an extended break, there are a plethora of options for hotels and deals in Zanzibar so make sure you contact one of our Tanzania experts who would be more than happy to talk to you through what hotel and deal would best suit you
Prices start from $ 648 per person