Matemwe Beach Village

Rooms

There are 16 Kijiji rooms, 5 newer 'Shamba' suites for 2-4, and 1 gorgeous honeymoon suite called Asali which we were lucky enough to stay in. All have white walls, palm thatch roofs and views towards the sea or the bush. In all the rooms you'll find kikoys, beach baskets, bottled water and torches. In the Shamba and Asali suites also have tea and coffee making facilities and a mini bar. The suites open-plan design allows cooling breezes through, so there's no air-con (only 2 standard rooms have air-con).

The Asali suite is a very stylish, circular, open-plan bungalow. In fact, we were lucky enough to be the first guests to sleep in it, which may be partly why it felt so special. But it really is an unusual and delightful piece of design. The large semi-outdoor living space is centred around a circular jacuzzi-pool, and has views past screw palms to the sea. Off it lie the open-plan kitchenette (with sink, fridge, cooker) and sitting area (with inbuilt daybeds and mountainous blue-green cushions). Through the slatted wooden door is the bedroom, whose double bed continues the blue-green theme, and adjoining this is the en suite bathroom, with shower and basin in grey tadellakt walls. A connecting door takes you to a small outside ‘pod’ containing the loo and secondary shower. The whole thing is covered with a huge, pyramidal, palm-thatch roof. Best of all, it lies on its own stretch of beach a 5-minute walk from the other rooms. Our sole two concerns were security (the only lockable room is the bedroom, though it is guarded day and night) and privacy (unless you have the blinds down, anyone can look in). But it remains one of our favourite beach rooms on Zanzibar, and worth its comparatively high price tag.

The 5 Shamba Suites for 2-4 are designed so that small families can enjoy some space and privacy. Each suite is on two levels. The ground level consists of a beautiful double bedroom, a sitting area with a single bed and a barazza that can be made into another bed for a small child, a separate toilet and a huge shower. The second level is a deck under the makuti roof offering beach and/or bush views. The suites are designed so you can have a romantic dinner on the deck; the staff are also happy to make up beds on the deck should you wish to fall asleep with a view of the stars and wake up with the sun.

The Kijiji rooms are located in thatched bungalows – two rooms per bungalow - near the reception and dining area. The front bungalows have immediate access to the beach, but may be noisier. The inland bungalows lie among sparse palms, a few minutes’ walk from the sea and reception; they seemed more popular when we visited. All rooms have twin or double beds with mosquito nets, a simple clothes cupboard, a ceiling fan and an en suite bathroom with shower and sit-down loo. Some have a small terrace, two have air-con (small surcharge). They are rather charmless, to be honest, but perfectly functional, with reliable hot water and locally generated electricity.