Baraza Resort and Spa Zanzibar

You come here for a proper resort stay rather than a simple room near the beach. Baraza Resort & Spa Zanzibar brings together Swahili design, Zanzibari furnishings, private villas and an all-inclusive arrangement, with enough space to make the hours between dives feel like part of the holiday rather than dead time.

The mood is polished but rooted in the island. Traditional décor, large terraces and private plunge pools give the villas their own rhythm, while the beachfront setting keeps the sea close at hand. You can eat, have a drink, book a treatment, take a walk along the white sand or retreat to your own terrace without turning the evening into an expedition.

Couples will find the one-bedroom villas particularly easy to understand: generous indoor space, a dressing room, a private pool and somewhere to sit properly. Families and small groups have two-bedroom villas with separate sleeping space and two bathrooms. The English-language website also makes the resort straightforward to explore before you travel.

Your address is Bwejuu, on Zanzibar, with the resort directly on the beachfront and a private beach area on site. The surrounding coastline gives you a choice of nearby stretches of sand: Bwejuu Beach is about 350 metres away, while Michamvi Kae Beach is roughly 1.5 miles away. Paje Beach is about 3.8 miles from the resort.

This is a coastal base rather than a town-centre hotel. You have a garden, the beach and the resort’s own restaurants around you, with Blue Dongwe Jetty about half a mile away and The Sands Beach Resort about 0.7 miles away. Door Restaurant is roughly 1.3 miles away, while Shells Restaurant sits about 1.6 miles away if you want to look beyond the all-inclusive setting.

Abeid Amani Karume International Airport is about 34 miles away, with a driving time of around 56 minutes. An airport shuttle is available through the resort, so the sensible plan is to arrange your arrival before you set off rather than improvise it on landing.

These are villas rather than standard hotel rooms, and that changes the practical feel of the stay. Each one has a private plunge pool, a large terrace with two sun loungers, a living room with a Sultan’s lounge bed and a walk-in dressing room. After saltwater, sun and a day spent hauling yourself in and out of gear, having somewhere to sit, shower and spread out is not a decorative detail. It is the point.

For two, the one-bedroom villa is the natural choice. The Ocean Front version puts the emphasis on the view, while the standard one-bedroom option gives you the same broad villa format with a double bed. For a family or a group, the two-bedroom villas bring separate sleeping space and two bathrooms, with the Sultan’s Villa offering the more distinctive name and the garden-view option keeping the outlook focused on the grounds.

Air conditioning helps take the edge off Zanzibar’s heat, while the minibar and tea and coffee-making facilities cover the first need for something cold or hot without a trek across the property. WiFi is available in the villas and throughout the resort. Daily housekeeping, room service and a bath round out the less glamorous but very useful parts of getting back to normal after a long day.

The all-inclusive formula keeps the main business of the evening pleasantly simple: find a table, order what you want and concentrate on eating. Four restaurants and two bars form the resort’s food-and-drink set-up, with menus drawing on Continental, Swahili, Indian and Persian influences, alongside Arabic and Asian flavours.

Breakfast is served in the open-air Livingstone Terrace, with a broad choice covering Continental, Italian, Full English and Irish, vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free, kosher, Asian and American preferences. It is served as a buffet, with breakfast to go also available. Dinner takes place at Livingstone Terrace on certain evenings, while The Sultan’s Dining Room builds its menu around spices and the meeting point between Arabic, Indian and Asian cooking.

Lunch is served at the poolside Ocean Lounge, at a beach-front parasol or in one of the restaurants open for the midday service. The menu includes daily chef’s specials, light dishes, the pizza of the day and salads. Later, Chai Lounge handles afternoon tea, and Dhahabu Bar & Lounge opens in the evening for cocktails before or after dinner. In other words: coffee, lunch, tea, dinner and a drink all have their own slot, which is useful when your appetite has its own dive timetable.

The white sand beach is the obvious place to start when you want to move without committing to an organised activity. The resort also has an outdoor swimming pool, while each villa brings its own private plunge pool for a quieter dip. You can choose between the social version by the main pool and the small, private version outside your villa; both have their uses, especially when the legs have had enough for the day.

Frangipani Spa Zanzibar is the more deliberate route back to human form. It includes its own lap pool, indoor and outdoor relaxation rooms, massage and Thai massage, as well as the Sultans bath, a signature treatment for two. The setting follows the resort’s Swahili style, with candlelight and spice-scented aromas. There is also a fitness centre, yoga and a tennis court if your idea of recovery involves making the muscles complain in a different way.

Families have a kids’ club and babysitting services are available. Water-sport facilities, snorkelling and windsurfing are also offered on site, with the relevant activities charged separately. For a quieter afternoon, the garden, terrace and shared lounge give you places to sit without being required to perform enthusiasm.

Plan your arrival around the check-in window, which runs from 15:00 to 21:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the resort asks you to share your expected arrival time in advance. Check-out runs from 06:00 to 12:30, which gives early departures a workable window and leaves some room for a slower final morning.

An airport shuttle is available, and a separate shuttle service is also offered. Arrange the airport transfer with the resort before travelling. The front desk operates around the clock, with concierge service, luggage storage, a tour desk and currency exchange available when you need help with the practicalities.

Children of all ages are welcome. Cots can be requested for children aged up to three, subject to the accommodation option, while extra beds are not available. Pets are not allowed. Cash is accepted, and payment before arrival by bank transfer may apply, with the resort sending the instructions after booking. Free WiFi covers the villas and the wider property; laundry is available when your kit of dry clothes starts looking less ambitious than your dive plan.