About this hotel
General information
Baraza is a small all-inclusive resort on Bwejuu Beach, on the south-east coast of Zanzibar, with just 30 villas, each with its own pool. In Swahili, baraza means a meeting place: the stone benches built along the fronts of houses, and the unhurried conversation with neighbours that happens on them.
The resort is a careful reading of Swahili architecture: tall arches and galleries, baraza benches, carved lime-plaster ornament made by island craftsmen and furniture hand-carved by Zanzibar's woodworkers. In the evenings a taarab ensemble plays and Swahili dancers and singers perform, and the library holds books on the island, its flora and fauna, birdlife and marine life. The rate covers breakfast, lunch and dinner along with house wines, beer, spirits and cocktails, and Wi-Fi is free throughout.
Location
The resort sits directly on Bwejuu Beach, on a quiet, little-developed stretch of Unguja's south-east coast lined with fishing villages. Paje is about 5 km away (around 10 minutes by car), Stone Town about 60 km (1–1.5 hours) and Jozani Forest 20 km. Zanzibar's international airport is roughly an hour by road, and the hotel arranges private transfers on request.
Spa
Frangipani Spa is dressed in Swahili style, with brass, candlelight and the scent of spice. It has an adults-only lap pool, indoor and outdoor relaxation rooms, a gym and a tennis court. Therapists from Thailand, Bali and India work with natural skincare and local spiced essential oils. The signature rituals draw on the coast: warm-sand therapy, a clove and sea-salt scrub, a floral ritual with frangipani and jasmine oils, the coconut-and-flower Singo beauty ritual, and the Sultan's Bath for two, which pairs an aromatic soak in a mosaic-tiled pool with a scrub and side-by-side massage. Thai, Balinese and deep-tissue massage and facials complete the menu, and yoga and meditation classes run through the week.
Sports & leisure
Besides the main resort pool there is a gym and a tennis court. The Water Club, a few metres from the beach, teaches windsurfing, kitesurfing and Hobie Cat sailing: the lagoon inside the reef gives calm, shallow water for beginners, and the most reliable wind blows roughly from June to October and from December to February. Sea kayaks go out at high tide, guided snorkelling trips reach the coral gardens by boat, and at low tide a guide leads reef walks among the rock pools. The Rising Sun dive centre is a PADI 5-Star Gold Palm centre with RAID certification, including rebreather diving.
- dhow (a traditional sailing boat) trips: an afternoon sail along the coast with drinks on board, or a day among the mangroves with hand-line fishing;
- Swahili cooking classes with the chef, Swahili lessons in the shade of the palms, palm-leaf hat weaving and games of bao with a local master;
- excursions to Stone Town and its carved doors and lanes, to the spice farms and to Jozani Forest, home of the red colobus monkey.
Restaurants & bars
Menus change daily and blend Swahili, Indian, Persian, Asian and Continental cooking with local produce and Zanzibar's spices; the kitchen caters for dietary needs when told in advance.
- Open-air terrace restaurant — breakfast daily and dinner on certain nights;
- Ocean Lounge — lunch by the pool or under a beach parasol: daily specials, light dishes, pizza and salads;
- The Sultans Dining Room — dinner on selected nights from a spice-led signature menu;
- Chai Lounge — afternoon tea;
- Dhahabu Bar & Lounge — an evening bar for cocktails before and after dinner.
Swimming
The resort opens straight onto Bwejuu Beach and its fine white sand; like every beach on Zanzibar it is not private, but this coast is far quieter than the island's north. The shore is tidal: at high tide deep water comes right up to the beach, while low tide uncovers sand flats and the reef. Parasols line the beach, there is a main pool in the grounds and every villa has its own pool.
Rooms
The resort has 30 villas: 14 with one bedroom, 15 with two and the single Royal Beach Two Bedroom Villa. All of them, from 148 to 254 m², are built in the Swahili tradition, with carved furniture, a terrace and a private pool.
Every villa has a living room, a master bathroom with a freestanding bath and a walk-in dressing room, a wide lounge daybed, TV, minibar, tea and coffee facilities, Wi-Fi, a terrace with two sun loungers and a private plunge pool.
Royal Beach Two Bedroom Villa
The largest villa, facing the beach: two master bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom with freestanding bath, a walk-in dressing room and a terrace. The central living room looks out to sea, and the large plunge pool is set off by a sun-lounger terrace and an outdoor daybed area.
Ocean Front One Bedroom Villa
A shoreline villa for two: bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and freestanding bath, walk-in dressing room, living room and a large terrace with two sun loungers and a private plunge pool.
One Bedroom Villa
A garden-view villa for two: bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and freestanding bath, walk-in dressing room, living room and a large terrace with two sun loungers and a private plunge pool.
Sultans Two Bedroom Villa
Master bedroom with a freestanding bath and walk-in dressing room, a second twin bedroom with a shower room, a living room and a large terrace with two sun loungers and a private plunge pool.
Garden Two Bedroom Villa
A garden-view villa for a family or group of up to four: master bedroom with bath and dressing room, a second bedroom with two twin beds and a shower room, a shared living room and a terrace with a private plunge pool.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.