Villa Kiva Boutique Hotel

Villa Kiva is a beachfront hotel in Matemwe, on the northeast coast of Zanzibar. You stay in one of twenty-eight rooms, either in circular bungalows facing the Indian Ocean or in garden-view rooms set back among the greenery. The sea-view bungalows have verandas where you can sit with the water in front of you; the garden rooms open onto the hotel’s planted grounds.

The property has a private beach area, so you can walk directly onto the sand from the grounds. There are two swimming pools — one by the beach, another near the restaurant — and a spa for massages. The restaurant serves meals with the ocean in view, and the bar is open for drinks through the day.

Rooms have air conditioning, ceiling fans, and mini-fridges. The junior suite, at sixty square meters, is the largest, with a king-size bed and a balcony overlooking the water. Family rooms have two separate spaces with connecting doors, so parents and children can sleep nearby but not in the same room.

The hotel is three-star, which in Zanzibar means reliable comfort without unnecessary luxury. Matemwe is a fishing village, so the beach is shared with local boats, and the water is shallow for a long way out.