Boutique hotels in Tanzania: Zanzibar sand and Dar's quiet rooms
Tanzania's boutique scene is coastal at heart. Zanzibar and the Mnemba side of the archipelago hold small, low-slung houses where the interiors are quiet and the sea does the talking; Dar es Salaam supplies the design-led city rooms either side of the flight.
Zanzibar and the islands
Look for properties under twenty rooms, built with local timber and lime plaster, with a kitchen that buys off the boats. Stone Town for history, the east and north coasts for swimming.
Dar es Salaam
Msasani and the peninsula have the best small hotels, useful for a night before a flight, and good enough to stay longer.
Seasons
June to October is dry and breezy. The long rains land in April and May, when many coastal houses close or drop rates sharply.
Cities in this guide: Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam. More writing on the cities we work in is in the journal.