TOA Hotel & Spa Zanzibar

We recommend the TOA to couples seeking absolute calm, honeymoon or anniversary, who prefer the intimacy of a boutique hotel to the animations of large resorts. It is an address for travellers who know how to appreciate the rhythm of the tides and accept spending three days in the same place without moving. Families with young children will find their account thanks to family rooms and the gently sloping beach.

The TOA consists of low pavilions in local coral stone and teak wood, contemporary Swahili architecture without folklore. Thatched roofs, carved wooden shutters, polished terrazzo floors. The 24 rooms stretch across a two-hectare tropical garden, with freshwater pools and century-old palm trees. Human scale, no building over one storey, circulation on foot between spaces.

A main restaurant open to the pool and the ocean, Afro-Mediterranean fusion cuisine signed by a Tanzanian chef trained in Italy. Fish and seafood of the day bought from the fishermen of Pongwe, spices from Stone Town, vegetables from the hotel garden. Continental breakfast served until 11am, candlelit dinners on the beach by reservation. Cocktail bar with Indian Ocean rums and fresh fruit juices, room service available until 10pm.

The TOA stands in Pongwe, on the east coast of Zanzibar, 45 minutes drive from the international airport and Stone Town. The village of Pongwe has three hotels and a few fishermen's houses, no shops or restaurants in the immediate vicinity. The beach stretches for several kilometres with no visible construction, accessible at low tide for walks to Michamvi. The area is quiet after sunset, ideal for stargazing without light pollution.