The Sands Beach Resort

The best and most impressive first impression of Zanzibar was at this lovely resort! I personally think this resort is the main reason to visit Zanzibar, if seeking a resort vibe, given all it offers and it's great level of professional, kind spirited, and friendly staff. The general manager, offered a seamless check-in and presented all information quickly and concisely, just in time to drop our luggage and partake in the delicious buffet style dinner being offered that evening. The villa was a pleasure to stay in and beautifully designed inside and out. It's worth mentioning, the villas provide only what is needed and is free of clutter and unnecessary objects. You are truly able to unplug and enjoy the jaw-dropping natural beauty offered by the best looking water and sand I have seen to date. As you walk along the beach, you truly can appreciate The Sands resort for its wonderful location along the pristine beach. I stayed with my wife here as we were in celebration mode after just eloping in Mombasa, Kenya and entering the New Year in style overlooking the fireworks, and listening to a great dj spin some great music. There are not enough words of praise to the wonderful staff, as we never mentioned our elopement, for how special we felt on each of the 5 days! If you can book anywhere in Zanzibar for a resort I highly recommend staying here-where making you feel special isn't just for a day it's for your entire stay.

Ali and his team make your life utterly easy. The rest is the finest sea, sun, sand. Fifty shades of blue served for free at The Sands Resort. Great location for outdoor activities. Comfy villas for families. Diving club available. Go and have fun. In swahili words, take it "Pole Pole".

October 2024 Exceptional "Boutique Resort", located in a tropical colorful garden front side of the Ocean; the rooms are independent large bungalows/villas, provided with any comfort you may need in such a wild paradise; the cuisine is fine and generous, served with rich buffet and the best grilled fish (catch of the day strictly) any night; all member of the staff (no one excluded) is professional, smiling, polite and effective on his own job. To come back asap! Elisa and Gaetano

We had a 4 night stay here in October 24 and cannot rate the hotel highly enough. The accommodation and entire site are all spotlessly clean and well maintained. The food at the restaurant was varied and high quality and the staff without exception are both professional and friendly. Excellent job guys.

At the first sight, I thought oh we made a mistake coming here but after we finally settled in, the place grew on us. Very peaceful place and the staff were very helpful especially the manager, the tall dark guy. The sunset here feels like you are on some sort of sci fiction movie and the birds chirping early in the morning makes it even more pleasant. The coconut trees even makes it more aesthetically appealing. In all we enjoyed our stay and currently missing our time at the sands

What a find! This place epitomises Hukuna Matata - no worries. Great accommodation (we booked two bed villa with pool right on the beach), stunning location (away from main tourist area but all within easy taxi ride), great food, fabulous cocktails, beer and freshly squeezed fruit juices (thanks Hassa!) and a family of staff, led by the charming and charismatic Ally, who could not make you feel more at home and where absolutely nothing is not too much bother - including installing a brand new AC unit as ours wasn’t working so well! Good snorkelling off the main beach (be sure to explore under the nearby jetty - some of the best we did, even compared to the main excursions) and great snorkelling just a 1.5km walk (or short speedboat ride) at the well known Blue Lagoon. Top recommendations include chilling out at Barista Zanzibar at kite surf central Paje (10mins in taxi), lunch at The Rock (pricey but good), the magical Maalum Caves (so good the kids wanted to go multiple times) and just relaxing and listening to the waves and wind in the palm fronds… Christmas in paradise - hard to beat!