Villa Dida Resort

The quiet atmosphere is one of the best things about Villa Dida. It’s a small, family-run boutique hotel with only a few guests, so it’s peaceful and relaxing. It’s right on a beautiful beach toward the end of Pwani Mchangani, where it feels serene and not crowded with tourists. I’ve stayed here several times and can only recommend it. The hotel has an authentic Zanzibari style, with clean, nicely decorated, well-kept rooms and genuinely friendly staff who go out of their way to make your stay special. They’ve recently added rooms with private jacuzzis, a lovely touch of luxury. If you’re after a tranquil Zanzibar escape, Villa Dida is a must-visit.

A few things can be difficult here, but it’s Africa. It’s a lovely, safe and very private resort where you can relax and enjoy the ocean view. The staff are very helpful. The menu may be limited and not to everyone’s taste, but if you ask for something different, they’ll provide it without a problem. The village location isn’t ideal, though no one interrupts your morning coffee. Sometimes the electricity or Wi-Fi goes out. Water is free and available all the time, so you can just relax and enjoy your holiday.

The rooms are clean, the staff are wonderful, and I’d come again. They’re a real asset to the business, and everyone seemed happy to work there. I’ll even let the broken step go 😉. The place is okay, and I hope it does well in the future. I work in hospitality and catering too, so I’m trying to make a few suggestions constructively. There are too many laminated signs, which look tacky to me. Local people could make wooden ones cheaply and give the place a bit of African charm. The old broken blank wooden sign on the beach should go, as it won’t attract beach visitors and makes the place look worse. I saw some work underway to improve things, including new rooms that looked very good and should make a big difference once finished. The food needs the most attention. The menu felt like a bible. A shorter list could help the chefs make each dish better, with a few international and local options mixed together. The approach to the hotel could be cleaner. There was a lot of litter right outside the main gate, which gives a very bad first impression. It shouldn’t take much to tidy up and keep it that way. The locals could help, perhaps with a commission-free shop at the hotel that brings them some income. You have to give to receive.

We stayed for three weeks and didn’t want to go home. It’s a perfect place to unwind, with direct access to a private beach that’s among the most beautiful on Zanzibar. The atmosphere is great, and the hotel is small, quiet and set far from the next road. There was a nice mix of ages and nationalities, excellent food with lots of different styles, and very friendly staff and management. Its location also makes day trips to anywhere on the island possible.