Zanzibar Bandas

Top choice in Zanzibar Island


With a small collection of palm-thatched huts and bungalows in a garden on the beach, this place has a laid-back and welcoming atmosphere. Although simply built, accommodation is spotless and good quality. There's also a small swimming pool and bar-restaurant, and the management are keen musicians so performances or informal jamming sessions are common.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Zanzibar Island attractions

1. Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve

9.98 MILES

Set back from the main road between Kiwengwa and Pongwe, this reserve protects a swathe of indigenous forest and its wildlife, including groups of the…

2. Mangapwani Slave Chamber

13.52 MILES

This dark cell cut into the coral rock was used as a holding pen to hide slaves after the legal trade was abolished in the late 19th century. From here it…

3. Mangapwani Coral Cave

13.88 MILES

This large natural cavern with a freshwater pool was originally used as a source of drinking water for local people and is rumoured to have been used in…

4. Kidichi Persian Baths

16.23 MILES

Sultan Seyyid Said built this bathhouse at Kidichi (11km northeast of Zanzibar Town) in 1850 for his Persian wife, Scheherezade. The royal couple would…

5. Mtoni Palace

19.2 MILES

Overlooking the coast, away from the heat and hustle of Zanzibar Town, Mtoni Palace was built for Sultan Seyyid Said in 1828. It was home to the sultan’s…

6. Maruhubi Palace

20.67 MILES

Maruhubi Palace was built outside Zanzibar Town in 1882 for Sultan Barghash to house his impressively large harem. A few years later it was destroyed by…

7. Cine Afrique

21.66 MILES

It's no longer a working cinema, but the grand old Cine Afrique is an art deco gem and a significant landmark.

8. Old Dispensary

21.79 MILES

With its peppermint-green latticework balconies and sculpted clock tower, this 19th-century charitable dispensary is one of the most attractive landmarks…