SafiraBlu Luxury Resort & Villas

Arriving by the villa's own driveway, guests reach one of twelve names rather than numbers: Breakwater, Land's End, Fisherman's Cove. Each was built for a distinct outlook along the Nungwi coast, on Zanzibar's northeastern tip, away from the island's busier strip. Four sit above the shore as Ocean View Villas, six run straight onto the sand as Beach Villas, and two larger units, The Verandah and Secluded Canopy, hold two bedrooms apiece for families or groups. Every villa carries a private pool, an ocean-view bathtub and both indoor and outdoor living space, with air conditioning, a mini-bar and a coffee station as standard. You can hear the tide against the rocks from Breakwater's terrace, or watch dhows anchor off Fisherman's Cove through the day. A main restaurant, BluFire, runs breakfast and dinner, while the Drunken Monkey Beach Bar covers lunch by the pool. The property also runs a spa, fitness centre and activity desk, arranging kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkelling straight off the beach, with dive trips to Mnemba Island among the excursions further afield. Check-in runs from 3pm. With no light pollution along this stretch, the villas' outdoor decks make a plain case for staying up after dark.