Baraza Resort and Spa

Baraza offers a choice of 30 luxury Villas, designed to capture the essence of classic Swahili architecture with Arabic accents to finish. 14 of the Villas have 1 bedroom and the other 16 have 2, and guests have the pick of whether they’d like views over the colourful gardens or the azure ocean. The interiors are lavishly designed and decorated, featuring beautiful fabrics, mosaic floors and hand-crafted furniture. All Villas include amenities such as air conditioning, free WIFI, a flatscreen TV with a DVD player, a minibar and coffee maker, seating area, sun terrace and a private plunge pool.

Baraza prides themselves on their creative menus that fuse together the rich culinary cultures of Africa, Asia, India and Persia. There is a unique dining spot for every occasion. Start the day off with breakfast in the Livingstone Terrace, Baraza’s chic open-air restaurant. Lunches are served in the Ocean Lounge, where you’ll find an incredible buffet selection including daily chef’s specials, pizzas, salads and other light dishes. Dhahabu Bar & Lounge opens its doors in the evenings and is the perfect place for a cocktail before or after dinner. For dinner itself, you’re invited to dine in the stunning Sultan’s Dining Room. Serving styles alternate between buffets and a la carte.

At Baraza, you can make the absolute most of Zanzibar’s beautiful beaches, reefs and ocean waters with a fantastic range of water-based activities. Being the only PADI five-star Gold Palm and RAID certified dive centre in Zanzibar, you’re promised a one-of-a-kind diving experience among the vibrant, colourful reefs. If you prefer a bit of lighter exploration around those coral gardens, snorkelling tours are also available. When the tide is out, set out to discover what’s left behind in the rock pools and enjoy the remarkable views of the low-tide coastline. There’s plenty to do above the waves as well as under them – push off from shore and glide through the azure waves in a kayak or a boat for some sailing and windsurfing.

Zanzibar is home to wonderful culture and a rich heritage waiting to be explored. There’ll be something for everyone, whether it’s a cooking masterclass so you can recreate some Swahili dishes in your own kitchen, a tour through the magical Spice Isle or historic Stone Town to discover some of Zanzibar’s past, a visit with the sea turtles or a walk along one of the forest trails.

Baraza’s Frangipani spa is an oasis of tranquillity, blending the most beautiful highlights of Swahili and Arabic styles. Amidst soothing candlelight and spicy aromas, you can indulge in an array of therapies and treatments that’ll strip away all the stresses of day-to-day life.

Zanzibar Collection has a clear sense of social responsibility to the communities within which they operate. They employ locally at every opportunity to do so and heavily invest in building the skill-sets of their employees, setting them up for long and thriving careers in the tourism industry. The Collection also supports its local community in areas such as education, healthcare, sanitation and local business.

The Collection has invested in a green sewage-treatment plant that recycles water waste into an efficient irrigation system. They only plant indigenous plant species, ‘which are chosen for their ability to absorb humidity during the day and release it into the roots at night’. By doing this, they have reduced their intake of water by 50%. They also maintain a far-reaching policy of laundry/bathroom water-use minimisation.

The Collection relies on its own marine biologist to ensure the barrier reef and its ecosystem along the shoreline is protected and thriving. Educational workshops on marine conservation are also available for staff members, while reef walks, diving and snorkelling activities are encouraged for guests.

The Collection has also taken care to make sure that their leisure activities reflect the principles of their social responsibility and environmental commitments. They financially support a number of local environmental programmes and supporting local villages helps in their development and financial stability. Also activities such as classes in cooking, Swahili and palm-weaving allow guests to engage with the rich cultural heritage of Zanzibar.

The Zanzibar Collection is already steadfastly committed to the full erasure of plastic use. Recyclable materials, like cardboard and paper, and reusable materials, like glass, have almost entirely replaced plastics. Any single-use plastic containers are immediately recycled into plant pots or construction materials.