Zuri Zanzibar

Zuri Zanzibar, set on a private 750-metre stretch of Kendwa — the only north-west beach on the island where the Indian Ocean is swimmable at all tides — is the most architecturally considered resort in Zanzibar. Fifty-five villas and suites, designed by Spanish-Czech studio JRA in collaboration with local Zanzibari craftsmen, are scattered through a tropical garden of frangipani, baobab, and mango trees. The design language draws on Swahili, Maasai, and Czech modernist traditions in equal measure: hand-carved doors, lime-washed walls, thatched roofs, brass detailing. Two pools (one adult-only), a sea-facing spa, and Zanzibar's most ambitious restaurant programme make Zuri the most considered of the island's big-resort offerings. It is also the only property on Zanzibar that is a member of Relais & Châteaux.