The Residence Zanzibar

The Residence Zanzibar, part of the Singapore-owned Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts, occupies thirty-two hectares of coconut grove and indigenous forest along a mile of uninterrupted private beach on the island's quieter south-west coast. Sixty-six villas — all with private plunge pools, outdoor showers, and dedicated butlers — draw their design language from Swahili, Omani, and colonial British sources: whitewashed walls, dark tropical hardwoods, hand-woven textiles, Zanzibari four-poster beds. The resort runs two restaurants (the beach-level Pavilion and the more formal Dining Room), a Clarins spa, and one of the largest free-form pools in East Africa. The Kizimkazi location is notable for year-round dolphin pods just offshore and for being at least an hour from the tourist hotels of the north coast.