Matemwe Beach Village

Well-run budget guesthouse on idyllic beach, with acclaimed dive centre, simple bungalow rooms and fabulous honeymoon suite

Matemwe Beach Village – or MBV as it would no doubt be known if it were a car or a bank – attracts a variety of people. Young travellers on a budget come because it’s the best accommodation and food you can find on Zanzibar for these prices. Keen divers come because the dive school, One Ocean, was the island’s first 5-star PADI centre and maintains its excellent reputation. Romancers come for the brand new honeymoon suite, with its stylish circular design, its jacuzzi and its almost private stretch of beach. And sun-lovers of all backgrounds come to soak up the rays on its near-deserted, palm-fringed beach.

With such diverse guests, it’s no surprise that the atmosphere is lively and sociable. In the evening, travel stories and card games are exchanged over a beer at the open-sided sitting area. By day, you can cruise across the lagoon on the hotel’s dhow, reading, chatting or snorkelling. There’s something for everyone to do (or not to do). And, if you happen to be a young, honeymooning, sun-loving diver on a budget, then it couldn’t be better!

Highs

• Great value for money
• Stylish, secluded honeymoon suite
• Sociable atmosphere
• Endless beach on your doorstep
• Acclaimed dive school on site
• Lovely swimming pool

Lows

• It’s often booked up
• The standard rooms are rather charmless
• You can’t really swim at low tide (anywhere along this coastline) but the pool compensates