Zanzibar Bay Resort
Our verdict
Zanzibar Bay is the resort we suggest when the budget matters and you still want a proper beach resort with a pool, a kids club and an all-inclusive. It's a four-star of 104 rooms at Marumbi, Uroa, on the east coast, 40 minutes from the airport. Guests also use everything at Paradise Beach Resort, its sister hotel 200 m away, so between them you have three pools and a children's pool, three restaurants, a kids club, a spa, a gym and a PADI dive centre. The answer to the east coast's tide is a jetty with a bar, sun loungers and a swimming platform over the sea, so you can swim when the water is out. Its packages are among the lowest-priced we sell for Zanzibar. The trade-offs: the tide on this coast can rise and fall by up to 4 m, the kids club's ages aren't published, and you share the facilities with a second hotel. For five-star and a club for 3 to 12, The Mora at Matemwe. For swimming straight off the beach at any tide, the north: Riu Jambo.
Best for
- value: among the lowest-priced Zanzibar packages we sell
- families on a budget: a kids club, a children's pool and rooms for three
- swimming at low tide from the jetty's platform
- one of the shortest transfers on the east coast: about 40 minutes
- combining the beach with a safari: the same group runs lodges on the mainland
At a glance
| Category | 4-star (the group's own grading) |
|---|---|
| Owner | Paradise & Wilderness Group, a Dutch family-owned Tanzanian hotel and safari company |
| Location | Marumbi, Uroa, east coast, 200 m from its sister hotel, Paradise Beach Resort |
| Airport transfer | 35 km, about 40 minutes |
| Stone Town | About 40 minutes |
| Rooms | 104: 22 Standard, 64 Luxury, 16 Premium and 2 Premium Plus, 44 to 95 m² with terraces, for up to 3 |
| Meal plans | Bed and breakfast, half board, full board or all-inclusive |
| Shared with Paradise Beach | 3 pools and a children's pool, a buffet and 2 à la carte restaurants, 4 bars, spa, gym, kids club |
| Jetty | A bar, sun loungers and a swimming platform over the sea |
| Also on site | PADI dive centre, daily entertainment, mini-market with coffee and smoothie bar, excursion and safari desk |
Which room to book
- Value: a Standard Room (44 m² with its terrace, 22 of them), around the top pool, all but one on the ground floor.
- Most couples: a Luxury Room (51 m², 64 of them), on the ground, first or second floor, looking over the pool, the gardens and the ocean.
- Closer to the pool: a Premium Room (60 m², 16 of them), around the pool in the lower part of the resort.
- Closest to the sea: a Premium Plus Room (95 m²). There are only two, a stone's throw from the beach, facing the sunrise.
- Families: every room takes up to 3 (an extra single bed). A family of four needs two rooms; ask us about connecting or neighbouring rooms.
Children
- Kids Club and play area, shared with Paradise Beach Resort. The group doesn't publish the ages or hours; we confirm them for your dates.
- A children's splash pool, plus the main pools.
- Daily entertainment.
- Rooms take up to 3, so a family of four books two rooms.
- Our view: good value for a family that's happy by the pool and on the jetty. For a fuller kids programme, The Mora (3 to 12) or Riu Jambo (RIU Land, 4 to 12).
Meal plans
Zanzibar Bay sells bed and breakfast, half board, full board or all-inclusive. The all-inclusive is what our packages here usually include, and it's the plan we'd suggest at this price.
A Premium All-Inclusive can be bought only at the resort, for an extra charge.
What else to budget for:
- Zanzibar's infrastructure tax: USD 5 per person per night, paid at the hotel (our Zanzibar Bay packages list it as excluded);
- the spa, diving and excursions.
The group publishes no detailed all-inclusive list in its fact sheet. We send the current list with your quote.
Restaurants
Between Zanzibar Bay and Paradise Beach, guests share:
- a buffet restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner;
- two à la carte restaurants;
- four bars, including the jetty bar out over the sea and a pool bar on an island in one of the pools;
- a mini-market with a coffee and smoothie bar.
Whether the à la carte restaurants are included on the all-inclusive is something we confirm before you book.
Honest downsides
- The tide. On this coast the sea can rise and fall by up to 4 m twice a day. At low tide the water retreats across a wide, shallow lagoon; high tide is best for swimming, says the hotel. The jetty helps, but you'll plan around the tide. Our best time to visit Zanzibar guide explains it.
- Two hotels, one resort. You share pools, restaurants and the kids club with Paradise Beach's guests.
- Rooms take only 3. Families of four need two rooms.
- Kids club ages and hours aren't published.
- April and May are the green season, the hotel's own name for the rainy months.
Zanzibar Bay Resort holiday packages
Packages from R14,490 per person, including flights from Johannesburg (prices checked 15 Nov 2026).
R500 off your holiday when you book with us by 31 December 2026.
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Zanzibar Bay Resort: 5 nights with flights from Johannesburg, from R14,490 pps
From R14,490 per person - 5 nights, in Zanzibar, flights included & transfers included.
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Zanzibar Bay Resort: 5 nights with flights from Johannesburg, from R17,904 pps
From R17,904 per person - 5 nights, in Zanzibar, flights included & transfers included.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Zanzibar Bay Resort?
At Marumbi, Uroa, on Zanzibar's east coast, 35 km and about 40 minutes from the airport. Paradise Beach Resort, its sister hotel, is 200 m away.
Can you swim at low tide at Zanzibar Bay Resort?
At low tide the sea goes out a long way on this coast, so the resort has a jetty with a swimming platform over the water, and three pools shared with Paradise Beach. High tide is best for swimming off the beach.
Is Zanzibar Bay Resort all-inclusive?
You can choose bed and breakfast, half board, full board or all-inclusive; our packages are usually all-inclusive. A Premium All-Inclusive is sold only at the resort.
Is Zanzibar Bay Resort good for families?
Yes, on a budget: there's a kids club and play area, a children's pool and daily entertainment, shared with Paradise Beach. Rooms take up to 3, so a family of four needs two.
What's the difference between Zanzibar Bay and Paradise Beach Resort?
They're sister hotels 200 m apart, and guests use the facilities of both. Zanzibar Bay has 104 rooms, two infinity pools and the jetty. Paradise Beach is the other half of the same resort, with its own rooms and restaurants.
Can I add a safari to Zanzibar Bay Resort?
Yes. The group that owns it also runs safari lodges on the Tanzanian mainland, and the resort's excursion desk sells trips to parks such as Nyerere (Selous) and Mikumi. We can plan the safari and the beach as one trip.
How much does a Zanzibar Bay Resort holiday cost from South Africa?
Packages from R14,490 per person, including flights from Johannesburg (prices checked 15 Nov 2026). We quote flights from Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban, transfers, your room and meal plan in one price.
Reviewed by Marthinus Strydom, CEO, Exotic Vacations, 14 Nov 2026.