Baraza Resort and Spa
Zanzibar Coast, Tanzania
based on 7 nights inc. flights
per person based on two sharing in One bedroom Villa for 7 nights on a fully inclusive basis, and includes transfers.
At a Glance
Fantastic diving and snorkelling
Accommodation in individual one or two bedroom villas
Private plunge pools for each villa
Personal butler service
Incredible spa with wide range of treatments
All modern conveniences in each room
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Best time to Visit
Good time to visit
Average time to visit
Situated only 6° south of the equator, Zanzibar enjoys ideal holiday weather. Temperatures average between 24°C and 27°C throughout the year with 7-9 hours of sunshine per day.
There are 2 rainy seasons: Acute, brief showers, lasting about an hour in the morning occur for a couple of weeks during November. The rains last slightly longer in April and May, but even then it does not rain every day. These rains replenish the island and are often referred to as the “Green Season”.
Insider's View
I would definitely recommend doing a scuba dive, there are some wonderful dive sights with gorgeous corals and fish.
A boat trip to see dolphins is also great fun and particularly enjoyable for families!
Make some time for a massage in the beautiful Frangipani Spa before heading back to your villa for a sunset cocktail.
Baraza's beach is beautiful - just lovely to sit with a cold drink and watch the world go by
Baraza is a Swahili word that means a public meeting place or a council of people of wisdom
Call us on to start planning your holiday to Baraza Resort and Spa or take a look at our itineraries to Tanzania
Description
Located on the east coast of Zanzibar, Baraza is a luxurious, family-friendly hotel with a variety of one and two bedroom villas set on a beautiful stretch of beach. With only 30 villas in total, each with private pools, the feel is small and exclusive.
Baraza Resort & Spa is located on a beautiful stretch of white sand beach, Bwejuu, on the east coast of the island. Considered to be one of the best beaches on Zanzibar, you can walk for miles along the shore.
The 30 villas are all spread around a beautifully manicured garden filled with bright bougainvillea flowers. Each has a lounge area, terrace, sun loungers and private plunge pool. With only 30 villas, no one villa is very far from the beach or the main areas. There is also a Presidential Villa which comprises two bedrooms with a private garden and larger plunge pool.
Facilities at Baraza are superb, with a well-equipped children's club, large outdoor swimming pool, large spa with lap pool and yoga room, a gym and two tennis courts.
All the Zanzibari furniture in Baraza is hand made by local artisans who have perfected the art of wood carving, for which Zanzibar is so famous. Architecturally, Baraza itself is a journey through the grand, beautiful designs of the style of Sultans Palaces of Zanzibar, with nods to the Arabic, Indian and Swahili heritage of the island.
The resort is run by the Raguz family, who have many years of experience in running hotels on the Zanzibari coast. Fantastic service and food are of great importance to the hotel, with a strong emphasis on fresh seafood served daily.
The Water Club is a fantastic water sports centre located approximately 300 meters from Baraza on the beach front. Featuring a great selection of new equipment and offering instruction in wind surfing, kite surfing and sailing. At the PADI 5 star dive centre, guests from complete beginners up to professional level can enjoy dives in the beautiful Indian Ocean.
Traditional Swahili dancers and singers are a feature and the resident Taarab band plays music that would have been heard in the Court of Sultan bin Said in 1880. This is an effort to support and celebrate the cultural identity of Zanzibar and preserve this iconic art form.
Accommodation
There are 14 one-bedroom villas and 15 two-bedroom villas, as well as one Presidential two-bedroom villa. All the accommodation villas are designed to characterize classic Swahili architecture featuring dramatic arches, cement Baraza benches and intricate hand carved cement decorations. The spacious villas feature luxury interiors, beautiful fabrics, hand carved furniture and brass lanterns, large bathrooms with luxury fittings as well as a spacious terrace and private plunge pool.
The Bahari one bedroom Ocean Front villas are right on the beachfront, the Bahari one bedroom villas are in the row behind, followed by the Sultan's two bedroom Sultan's Villa, with finally the Sultan's two bedroom Garden View villa at the back of the property. The Presidential villa has a prime beachfront position, with a large outdoor terrace for lounging in the sun or dining, a larger pool, and two ensuite bedrooms. There is also a small kitchenette and separate room for a nanny or other staff, if needed.
| Garden View two bedroom villa | 193 sq meters – 5 Villas Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and freestanding bath, walk in dressing room, second bedroom with en suite bathroom (with shower) , living room, TV, CD Player, Sultan\'s Lounge Bed, mini bar area with tea/coffee making facilities |
| Sultans two bedroom villa | 193 sq meters – 10 Villas Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and freestanding bath, walk in dressing room, second bedroom with en suite bathroom (with shower), living room, TV, CD Player, Sultan's Lounge Bed, mini bar area with tea/coffee making facilities |
| One bedroom villa | 148 sq meters – 7 Villas Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and freestanding bath, walk in dressing room, living room, TV, CD Player, Sultan\'s Lounge Bed, mini bar area with tea/coffee making facilities, large terrace, two sun loungers and plunge pool. |
| Ocean Front one bedroom villa | 148 sq meters – 7 Villas Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and freestanding bath, walk in dressing room, living room, TV, CD Player, Sultan\'s Lounge Bed, mini bar area with tea/coffee making facilities, large terrace, two sun loungers, and plunge pool. |
| Presidential two Bedroom Villa - Ocean Font | 254 sq meters Two master bedrooms, each with its own en suite bathroom and freestanding bath, walk in dressing room and terrace. A central living room with spectacular sea front view, large plunge pool, outdoor daybed lounging area and terrace with sun loungers. |
Childcare
Children are very welcome and younger guests can enjoy the Baraza Kids Club (for children aged 4 - 12 yrs). Offering a great venue, a variety of activities, and supervised care during specific hours of the day, parents can rest assured that young ones will have plenty to keep them occupied during their stay at the hotel. Food and meal times are tailored to suit the younger guests and babysitting is also available on request.
Services
The Tours and Excursions Desk is open daily and offers a selection of books, maps and general information about the island. Please ask the Guest relations manager for assistance in planning a tour of the Island which features historical, natural and cultural attractions which are known the world over.
Facilities
Baraza has many facilities to keep everyone happy including a beautiful spa with lap pool, tennis court, fitness centre, main swimming pool, kids club as well as several bars and restaurants. The watersports centre offers a range of activities to enjoy the warm Indian Ocean here. There is a well stocked library featuring a selection of books, reading materials, games and card table. An in-house guest shop is well stocked with a selection of African arts and crafts and the Business Center offers photocopying, internet, telephone and fax services.
Baraza is booked on a fully inclusive basis - so all your meals and most drinks are included in the cost, as well as the kid's club. NB. specialist coffees eg. espresso, cappucino are payable for locally and not included in your rate.
Activities
Activities are endless at Baraza. The Water Club offers instruction in wind surfing, kite surfing and sailing as well as snorkelling and diving and dive courses are available from the PADI 5 star dive centre. The Frangipani Spa offers a range of relaxing massages and treatments. Baraza has a fitness center with fully equipped gym with instructors on hand to guide you. The tennis court is available for use all day and evening - all equipment provided.
Floorplans
Resort layout - Baraza Resort and Spa
One bedroom villas - Baraza Resort and Spa
Two bedroom villas - Baraza Resort and Spa
Presidential villa - Baraza Resort and Spa
Reviews
Anna Hearn (Staff)
Reached by a winding drive through lush gardens, Baraza is one of our favourite properties on Zanzibars east coast.
From the moment we walked through into the cool atrium we were treated to some of the best hospitality we had experienced. Baraza is truly special, and has been designed thoughtfully and carefully nothing has been overlooked. Walking through the mosaic-tiled corridors, pieces of Zanzibari and Indian art can be found at every turn, and the main courtyard garden, leading down to the pool, is dotted with frangipani bushes and towering palm trees.
The pool itself is wonderful and large, with day beds at one end and the pool bar (where lunch is also served) at the other. A little further on is the beach, with plenty of sunloungers and umbrellas for shade. Baraza also has a spa utterly opulent and offering a huge variety of treatments including the famous Sultans Bath, perfect for honeymooning couples.
There is also a childrens club here with a huge variety of toys and games, and even a small, shallow, childrens pool. The rooms are arranged in rows in lush gardens, and each is styled beautifully, with a daybed, spectacular en-suite bathroom with a canopied bath! and a refreshing plunge pool outside. Its an opulent, luxurious resort perfect for couples and families alike.
(Press)
With its Middle Eastern arches, carved white-plaster walls, ornate golden mirrors and sparkling brass lamps, Baraza resembles a modern-day Omani palace. The new 30-suite hotel, on Zanzibar's south-west coast, is set in 70 hectares planted with multicoloured bougainvillaea, frangipani and jasmine, overlooking a dazzlingly white, powder-fine beach. There's no shortage of space: each suite (at least 148 square metres) has a private plunge pool and veranda, living room with double daybed curtained with gold silk, four-poster swathed in mosquito net, and a spacious bathroom with a shower and pond-sized bath.
Although it's private and romantic enough for honeymoons, it's family-friendly, too, with a big swimming pool, a kids' club packed with games and toys, a watersports centre and bicycles for exploring Bwejuu beach. Meals are served indoors and (preferably) out; the food at this all-inclusive resort is plentiful and varied, if not particularly inspiring, and often accompanied by performances from local Swahili musicians. The highlights are the sea - sparkling in almost unreal shades of brilliant blue - and the spa, which could have been built for a princess. The regal interior, with a secluded pool at its centre, glitters with mirrors, lamps, mosaics and silk-strewn daybeds and it is staffed by skilled therapists from Bali, Thailand and India. The owners are interior designers, and the boutique shop stocks their own tasteful homeware range as well as alluring treats, from Indian silk kaftans to clove-scented Zanzibari soap.
Miss Joanna Bright (Guest)
Staff were very helpful without being over the top. Accommodation was lovely. Resort was luxurious but not stuffy or pretentious, nicely laid back
Camilla Whitworth (Staff)
Staff were very helpful without being over the top. Accommodation was lovely. Resort was luxurious but not stuffy or pretentious, nicely laid back
Louisa Verney (Staff)
Zanzibar was in desperate need of a real five star hotel when Baraza opened its doors in December 2008 and this first-class resort has not looked back. I was really impressed by the level of service and food here as well as the excellent facilities including a well-equipped watersports centre, tennis courts and extensive spa. I hadnt been to Zanzibar for a little while and had forgotten what a beautiful beach Bwejuu is so this came as a lovely surprise.
The rooms are all villas with lots of space including a bedroom opening into a sitting area plus a huge bathroom. Each has a private terrace and plunge pool but do bear in mind that other guests can walk in front of your room so these areas are not private. It is nice to be able to sunbathe by your room and not on the beach itself though.
It really is a great all-round hotel and works well for families and couples alike.
Camilla Smith (Staff)
Baraza is the closest hotel Zanzibar, or indeed Africa, has to a Mauritian style property but with only 30 or so rooms it feels more intimate and exclusive. With a large spa, gym, tennis courts, kids club, watersports centre, large main pool, a great restaurant and bar area it has superb facilities and suits families, couples or honeymooners. The whole hotel is beautifully designed with an Arabian and African feel to it set in a pretty garden with this gorgeous white sand beach in front; it is clean and fresh with all modern conveniences. Each room has its own lounge area with air-conditioning and mini bar, large bathrooms, private decks and private plunge pools. You could spend your days just in the comfort of your room!
Baraza really is one of the best options on Zanzibar island if you are looking for modern comforts, superb service and stylish surroundings.
The joy of Baraza is all your drinks, food and non-motorised watersports activities are inclusive so you do not have to worry about large food and drinks bills at the end of your stay!
Experiences
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A dhow trip on the coast of Zanzibar
Sailing in a dhow, the traditional sailing boat used in Zanzibar, is the best way to view the island's coastline. Sailing in the late evening to watch the sun set is the best time of day and is wonderfully romantic.
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A historic walk through Stone Town
Visit Zanzibar Towns old quarter, Stone Town on the west coast of Zanzibar. Here you will find beautiful architecture and historic buildings dating back to the 19th century, revealing the complex history of Zanzibar and its links with the slave trade.
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Diving in Zanzibar
Located off the eastern coast of Africa, in the warm and clear Indian Ocean, Zanzibar is home to some great diving locations. Head to the tiny atolls off the north coast of Zanzibar, or take a trip to its neighbouring island of Pemba.
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Explore Jozani Forest
Escape the beach for an afternoon by visiting Jozani Forest in the centre of Zanzibar, home to the endemic and rare Kirk's colobus monkeys.
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Kitesurfing in Zanzibar
Zanzibar offers an abundance of Kitesurfing opportunities across its clear and warm waters. Visit the east coast of Zanzibar for a range of Kitesurfing centres and seek-out a new adrenaline rush.
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Shopping in Stone Town
Stone Town, Zanzibar Town's old quarter, has an abundance of local shops selling a wide variety of antiques, textiles, and jewellery. Spend a whole day wondering through the narrow streets and pick up some truly unique finds.
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Spice Tour
With the Spice Islands named as they are you cannot visit this particular part of the world and not delve into its history by taking a Spice Tour on the island.
Location & directions
Zanzibar Coast, Tanzania
Baraza Resort & Spa is located on Bwejuu Beach, on the South East of Zanzibar Island next to its sister hotels, Palms and Breezes. The island is located about 25 miles from the Tanzanian coast.
How to get there
8.5 hour international flight to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and then a short flight to Zanzibar. Baraza is a 1 hour drive from Zanzibar Airport.
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