This was the most amazing place we stayed at in Zanzibar (and we stayed at three different locations). In fact, it may have been the most amazing beach location I've ever stayed at in my life! Marafiki is a true gem. We were there for five days/four nights. Their service is exceptional - turn down service, cleaning service, responsiveness to anything you may ever need or want (e.g., booking excursions, questions about the area and property, etc.). The location is incredible - right on the beach, walking directly from your room onto the sand. The food was so memorable - we looked forward to their delicious breakfasts every morning and they have a wonderful variety of dishes and drinks. They mentioned their chef was trained overseas in Europe which makes sense. The place is also so clean and new - the bar area has a view overlooking the beach with a comfortable breeze and it was opened only a couple weeks before we arrived. Everything about Marafiki is beautiful and well thought out - from their decor to their landscaping to the comfy hammocks. An incredible getaway and a place I would love to return to.

Great location and the staff is very lovely. We stayed at the bungalow right at the beach. There is not much to do in Matemwe but the hotel organises walks, a cooking class, yoga classes, all free of charge. Also the massage was really nice so definitely recommend that. All in all an amazing place to stay!

A lot of dampness in the bungalow and some mold in the bathrooms.

The staff were amazing. The design of the facilities was beautiful. We loved the Marafiki Bar, such a lovely place for drinks and chilling. The food was also tasty with vegetarian options. The bed was also comfy. Try their massage too! Reef walk was great - they have free activities every day. You can also arrange diving & snorkelling excursions easily. Special thanks to all the staff members but mainly Jems, Magda, Amine and Happiness.

We can’t really say anything that we dislike but the roads that lead to the hotel are in pretty bad condition through a local village. Marafiki could invest in upgrading the local village and give back to the community :)

I recently had the pleasure of staying at this stunning beach hotel and spa, and it truly exceeded all my expectations. The beach villa was perfectly located, offering breathtaking views of the sea that made every moment there feel like a dream. The food was absolutely sensational—each dish crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients that highlighted the vibrant flavors of the region. What truly set this experience apart, however, was the exceptional service from the staff. They consistently went above and beyond to ensure every need was met with genuine warmth and attention to detail. Their dedication to outstanding customer care made the stay unforgettable. I can’t recommend this hotel highly enough for anyone seeking a luxurious, relaxing getaway with impeccable service. A special mention goes to Baton, truly a TikTok star in his own right, as well as Hemedi and Samira, whose smiles never faded throughout our entire stay.

Absolutely nothing. It was a wonderful stay

Marafiki is a hidden gem on the north east coast of Zanzibar where we were lucky enough to spend 9 glorious nights. It’s an authentic, rustic boutique type hotel situated directly on a peaceful stretch of beach with miles upon miles of pure white sand. From the moment we arrived we were treated like friends (‘Marafiki’ means friend in Swahili) and nothing was too much trouble for the attentive, friendly and kind staff. The accommodation was spotlessly clean, as was the pool, bar and restaurant area. The food was absolutely delicious; we tried many different dishes on the menu including the Swahili dinner, and were always really impressed by the high quality, especially the avocado toast with poached egg for breakfast which was absolutely amazing. The hotel provides free drinking water in your room in refillable glass bottles which you can then take to the bar and refill yourself from the water cooler or wait for it to be replenished daily by the housekeeper, and we really appreciated this, especially as it eliminates the need for single use plastic. The beds were incredibly comfortable and the complementary toiletries (lime and coconut) were beautiful. It was the end of the rainy season when we visited so the hotel would spray our rooms in the evening whilst we were at dinner to prevent mosquitoes. The hotel supplies both bathroom and beach / pool towels and can also provide a hairdryer and plug adapters too if needed. They also have a good selection of beach shoes available for guests to borrow. The hotel provides a selection of free activities for guests such as a guided reef walk, cooking lessons, yoga, and a walk into the local village. My husband visited the SPA for a massage several times during our stay and was very impressed. We had a truly relaxing time at Marafiki and will take home wonderful memories of a magical place with the most amazing people.

We had a room with beach front view which was lovely, the staff were all so nice and helpful, the food and drinks were amazing. They also had a really nice beach bar. We were sad to leave this place!

Honestly don’t have any negative feedback.

The location of the place is truly great. Our room was dreamy! Also the staff is incredibly nice and kind. We can really recommend the place for all those reasons!

As so many hotels in Zanzibar, this is a hotel owned and led by foreigners. In this environment of mostly white owners and guests, the evening programme has to be very sensitive to the colonial history of the country. For that reason, I would recommend the managers to revisit certain parts of the programme. Another comment would be that the food is very westernised and pretty expensive - we ended up going to the amazing places nearby where you can eat very great local cuisine, but maybe the hotel could benefit from collaborations with such cooks and restaurants.

Incredible staff, Bar raising restaurant, Great accommodations, Very clean, Charming and Cosy

Nothing, I really enjoyed everything in this hotel

Τhe location was great, next to a splendid beach. The atmosphere in the hotel was very friendly and the support by its staff continuous and efficient (we didn't have any concern that all would nicely settled, such as the excursion for snorkeling, or the arrangement from/to the airport. The room was as shown in the images in the web site, and the view from the balcony exceptional. The breakfast as well as the dinner (we didn't have lunch) were very good, although some of the dishes were far more tasty than others. The hotel is quiet and allows a relaxing stay either at the beach or the swimming pool. We loved to watch the tides and their impact to the size and look of the beach. Massage service was great, while the nearby (hotel) bar was very pleasant. Before arriving we were concerned by some statements by previous visitors regarding the beach and swimming. Fortunately their statements did not correspond to realtiy. We went swimming all days of our stay and we did enjoy it.

Minimal issues. Some of the facilities - especially in the room - need to be upgraded. The hotel offers sea shoes, yet they need to be cleaned on a daily basis, which was not the case. Theoretically the hotel offered yoga classes; in practice there were no yoga classes. Finally, the interior design of the king suite should also include a sink in the toilet, instead of going round the whole room to reach the sink.

The owners, managers and staff have created a space that is welcoming, relaxed, charming and simply a joy to be in. Staff are all fantastic and super helpful. The room upgrade and small special touches were very much appreciated. The proximity to the beach is perfect the kayak and selection of sea shoes very thoughtful. Nothing is too much trouble. Toiletries lovely. Coffee pods in the room nicest we've ever had.

There were tiny things we would have preferred in the room but this is really is about personal preference rather than a flaw. The only disappointment with the location was the sea being quite shallow with lots of seaweed and urchins which made swimming a little challenging.