Creative Commons licensePhoto by flickr user leszekwasilewski

Few place names conjure up such evocative visions as Zanzibar; from pure white sand beaches, Swahili culture and ruined Arab palaces, to unspoilt coral reefs and exotic food, the reality does not disappoint. Most people spend a night or two in Stone Town and then head to one of the picture-postcard beaches for some serious down-time. Although luxury hotels with all the amenities are beginning to move in to the island, generally you're paying for a remote unspoilt location or romantic setting. Some of the most interesting places to stay are simple, barefoot-luxury lodges with tons of character and natural beauty but relatively basic facilities. Zanzibar has not yet lost its soul to the vagaries of commercial mass tourism so go now and enjoy it at its real, very real, unspoilt best. The order by which the hotels are listed bears no reflection on our preference.

PLEASE NOTE: IT'S DIFFICULT, AND UNUSUAL, TO BOOK THESE HOTELS DIRECT. OUR PREFERRED EXPERT TOUR OPERATOR IS THE EXCELLENT TANZANIA ODYSSEY (www.tanzaniaodyssey.com 020 7471 8780) WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR ENTIRE AFRICAN ADVENTURE. MENTION THE HOTEL GURU WHEN YOU CONTACT THEM, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE A 5% DISCOUNT.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THESE HOTELS PLEASE SEND AN ENQUIRY AND WE WILL PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH TANZANIA ODYSSEY, WHO CAN HELP YOU MAKE A BOOKING AND OFFER THEIR EXPERT KNOWLEDGE.

Written by Simone Topolski