Sharazad Boutique Hotel

OVERVIEW:

Sharazad Boutique Hotel is an intimate, oceanfront retreat in Jambiani on Zanzibar’s tranquil south-east coast. It has a simple, laidback style and feet-in-the-sand informality – guests love its prime beachfront location and emphasis on wellness, nature, and holistic elements. Whether you favour a yoga class in the shala, a fresh juice followed by a dip in the pool, or a day trip to one of the islands, Sharazad is an ideal base from which to explore Zanzibar’s charms. Rates include à la carte breakfast.

ACCESS & LOCATION: 

Sharazad Boutique Hotel is located in Jambiani on Zanzibar’s south-east coast. Guests arrive at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, followed by a 1.5-hour car transfer.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT SHARAZAD BOUTIQUE HOTEL: 

Sharazad Boutique Hotel has a total of 18 guest accommodations, including double, triple, and quadruple units and two three-bedroom villas, ideal for families or small groups of six. The style is rustic and simple yet perfectly comfortable, with white walls, thatched roofs, and natural materials. Interiors feature king-sized beds with crisp white linens, mosquito nets, ceiling fans, cool stone floors, and simple hanging storage spaces. Outside, you’ll find a balcony or veranda with a shaded seating arrangement and garden or ocean views. Additional amenities include a safe box, complimentary drinking water, a tea-and-coffee station, and thoughtful touches such as kikoi sarongs, umbrellas, yoga mats, beach towels, and Panama hats. Each triple room has a daybed that can be converted into an extra bed for an additional adult or child. There’s also a garden view quadruple with two en-suite bedrooms, as well as a beach bungalow quadruple with an outdoor rain shower and twin beds on a mezzanine level. The family villas are a few steps from the beach and comprise three air-conditioned bedrooms, two bathrooms (one en-suite and a second family bathroom), a living room, and a veranda.

Located on 200 metres of beachfront, Sharazad Boutique Hotel has a laidback, indoor–outdoor feel, and the communal areas make the most of the panoramic ocean views. There’s a casual seafront restaurant offering a fusion menu of Italian, Asian, and African cuisines. Fun bonfire nights with live music on weekends take place during high season. Candlelit dinners can be arranged on the beach for romantic evenings and special occasions, and vegetarian and gluten-free options are available on request. There’s also a palm-shaded swimming pool, a yoga shala, a beach tent lounge, and a co-working space. The pool bar is an idyllic spot to pull up a chair and enjoy fresh juice or cocktails throughout the day while gazing at the waves and white sand!

ACTIVITIES AT SHARAZAD BOUTIQUE HOTEL:

Jambiani’s consistent winds make Sharazad Boutique Hotel ideally placed to access kitesurfing, windsurfing, and stand-up paddle boarding. Guests can also enjoy laidback boat trips, island visits, cultural tours, and forest walks.

• Dhow tours

  – Sail the tropical Zanzibari coastline on a traditional Swahili sailing dhow, stopping to swim in the crystal-clear ocean or snorkel amongst colourful corals. This is usually a 2–3 hour excursion, with sunrise and sunset sailing excursions available on request. 

• Spice tours

  – The exotic island of Zanzibar is renowned for its fragrant spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and black pepper. This unique tour introduces you to Zanzibar’s spice farms, where you’ll learn the origin of these aromatic culinary flavours.

• Forest walks

  – Embark on a 2-hour walking tour of Jozani Forest, Zanzibar’s largest indigenous forest and a wildlife haven teeming with exotic birds, butterflies, bushbabies, and colobus monkeys.

• Dolphin spotting

  – Departing at 6am from the peaceful fishing village of Kizimkazi, take to the Indian Ocean for an early morning dolphin spotting boat excursion when the waters are cool enough for them to surface. Lucky visitors might even witness a playful bottlenose dolphin leap from the ocean!

• Island excursions

  – Explore one of Zanzibar’s privately owned islands on a full-day visit to Chumbe Island with its colourful coral reef, or Mnemba Island, known for being one of Zanzibar’s best diving and snorkelling sites. Each of these islands is approximately an hour by boat from Jambiani.

• Eco-cultural tours

  – Set off to one of the local villages before visiting Paje’s Seaweed Centre, where you’ll learn about seaweed gardens and the use of seaweed in medicine and cosmetics. During low tide, you can even join the local women on the plantations.

• Yoga

  – Sharazad’s yoga shala is a holistic space for yoga classes, retreats, and workshops. Guests are welcome to join a scheduled class or arrange a private lesson.

• Watersports

  – Explore Zanzibar’s mangroves on a kayak or dive into the water for a spot of snorkelling amongst vibrant corals and myriad fish. You can also try yoga stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), and even SUP fishing. Sharazad also partners with the best schools on the island for kitesurfing and windsurfing.

• Scuba diving

  – Marvel at Zanzibar’s varied marine life, its brightly coloured fishes, green turtles, dolphins, and even humpback whales. Experienced divers can join a daily diving trip, while beginners can learn with professional PADI-certified instructors.