Surrounded by the Indian Ocean, there are worst places to find yourself stranded than on the coral-ringed Chumbe Island, located off the coast of Zanzibar. Chumbe combines sustainable ecological living with luxury; an affordable, private haven with a conscience. As a guest on this island paradise (and there are never more than 14 people at any one time), you have your very own beach, steps away from the front door of your beautiful palm thatched eco-bungalow. The beaches surround a marine protected coral park with world-class snorkelling, as well as being home to a historic lighthouse and the protected (and nocturnal) coconut crabs. The beaches are perfect for relaxation, nature spotting and romance, far removed from those of a typical holiday resort. On our first night, we were the only guests on the island. On our final night, the staff (always attentive without being intrusive) arranged a private, secluded candlelit dinner for two on the beach as a surprise. Bliss.

www.chumbeisland.com/
+255 (0) 242 231 040
Google map: bit.ly/yGhRM5

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At Jambiani you will find miles of unspoiled beach and complete peace broken only by the sounds of the sea and the wind in the trees. You can stay right on the beach in guest houses built in the local thatched style. We stayed off-season in Jambiani guesthouse and had the whole house to ourselves. Lounging in the shady garden we watched the beach landscape change throughout the day. We swam early when the tide was up and then watched the sea recede until it was almost out of sight, observing the colours change from the grey of early morning to the shimmering turquoise of midday. The beach was largely inhabited by locals fishing from dhows and later as the beach grew in size women farming seaweed which patterned the sand. At lunchtime we ate freshly caught fish and drank local beers in small friendly beach cafes.

Jambiani village, South-east, Zanzibar
www.zanzibar-guesthouse.com
Google map: bit.ly/t13f93

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A superb small beach lodge on the northern tip of the island.
Great service, superb food and diving and the best beach we saw on the island. We arranged our trip with Africa Odyssey who had videos of all the locations which really helped

www.rasnungwi.com/
PO Box 1784, Zanzibar, Tanzania
+ 255 24 2233767
Google map: bit.ly/kXbwnY

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An old beautifully restored house in Stone Town, Zanzibar, recommended for its delicious coffee and cakes but also for the friendly local staff. Upstairs there are a small selection of rooms and suites all named after a type of coffee,eg, cappuccino. By night the hotel is a quiet romantic retreat, after the coffee house closes in the early evening it is only open to guests. Rooms have traditional canopied Zanzibar beds draped with extravagant mosquito nets. The hotel is decorated throughout with antique furniture, and scented with local spices and of course coffee. The locality is bustling with life being close to the large local market and bus station but inside all is tranquil. In the evening you return to find the vast beds covered with flower petals, in the morning you can take a leisurely breakfast on the exotic roof terrace, that looks like it has come from "The Arabian Nights" and admire the amazing views of the town.
From US $75-125 per room/suite per night

Stone Town, Zanzibar,close to bus station,follow the signs or ask a taxi driver to direct you they will be happy to do so though access is via narrow alley ways,on foot only.
details on www.riftvalley-zanzibar.com

The Utengule Country Hotel Ltd
PO Box 139, Mbeya, Tanzania

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A nice small hotel situated on the east coast of Zanzibar, right at the beginning of Jambiani village. 10 palm-thatched roof beach bungalows, set in the peaceful tropical gardens.
The hotel has a quiet, peaceful, friendly and very relaxing atmosphere for an affordable sunny holiday.

Right at the beginning of Jambiani Village, Jambiani (on the east coast of Zanzibar).
Tel:00 255 777843622
Email:mbuyunibeachvillage@yahoo.co.uk
www.mbuyuni.com

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LangiLangi Beach Bungalows is located in Nungwi and is one of the best hotels in the area. The restaurant serves the best food in Nungwi and the staff are just excellent. The pool and beach are the best part of the hotel.

Nungwi, Zanzibar
www.langilangizanzibar.com

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Small ecological island reserve 40 minutes off Zanzibar. Only 14 tourists at any time, staying in romantic beach bandas stylishly constructed from natural materials.

One of the finest beaches on Zanzibar, the best food I sampled and superlative nature trails in the mangrove forest and over best coral in east Africa. Relatively expensive but a must for any holiday, particularly a honeymoon.

www.chumbeisland.com/

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Shehe bungalows offers very comfortable beach bungalows. They are very close to the white sandy beach.

Me and my wife stayed in one of their sea-facing bungalows for four weeks. We liked it a lot. The bungalows are simple but very clean. It also has very friendly and helpful staff.

They also have a lovely beach-front bar and restaurant.

It is located at the southern side of Jambiani village, on the east coast of Zanzibar.
Tel: +255 777 843 622 or +255 713 675 118
www.shehebungalows.co.uk

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I stayed here for a week with my girlfriend and I have to say it was the most beautiful beach I have even seen and was the nearest thing to paradise - 16 rooms tucked into a small cove, with an infinity swimming pool to use when the tide is out.

The food was excellent and staff very welcoming. Highly recommended!

www.pongwe.com +255784336181

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A relaxed beach resort on the stunning Matemwe Beach, which is affordable if you don't want to go all out for the top of the range Matemwe Beach Bungalows. Rooms are on the small side but at $200 a night including dinner, the four beautiful suites are good value. There is fabulous diving and snorkelling to be had on the nearby Mnemba Atoll and the on-site dive centre organises daily trips.

Staff are lovely and friendly, and the food is excellent. The local village is extremely poor, however, and the lodge could do a little more in terms of development work.

For accommodation:
www.matemwebeach.com/

For diving:
www.zanzibaroneocean.com/diving/divesite/mnemba/mnemba.htm

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Accommodation tips from our travels throughout Tanzania in 2006.

www.ourafricansafari.com.au

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We arrived on New Year's Eve and found all the accommodation full! Contemplating sleeping on the beach we came across Chris who worked at the diving school. A quick phone call to Poland and five minutes later we had a room with a four-poster bed in an amazing house right on the beach. Amazing sunsets watched from Cholo's, fresh fish from the makeshift market and a sublime atmosphere. Enjoy!

Take a private taxi from Stone Town.

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Casa Del mar Hotel...is intimate and comfortable, rich with palm and other different exotic trees. It lies directly on the white sand beach in Jambiani on the east coast of Zanzibar, about 50 Km from Stone-Town. Casa Del Mar Hotel contains 12 rooms and a resturent which are very artisticly designed and furnished

Salim & Madiha Khatib Owner and Manager Casa Del Mar Hotel Jambiani P.O. Box 4146 Zanzibar Tel: 00255 24 2240401 00255 24 2240400 Cell: 00255 747 455446 Infocasa_delmar@hotmail.com Photos: community.webshots.com/user/casajambiani www.casa-delmar-zanzibar.com

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A very laidback, friendly, well-run, clean and welcoming place - unbeatable sea views from the restaurant/bar and lovely rooms each in their own separate building. Off the beaten track and a genuine haven. Good food and excellent music.

South of Paje village on the east coast of Zanzibar. Follow the road down the coast from Paje village for about 2km;
tel: 00255 024 2240001 or 00255 0777 423331; www.pakachi.com

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