Bluebay Beach Resort & Spa — Kiwengwa, Zanzibar
About this property
Best for: Families (kids' club, playground, paddling pool, babysitting), couples and honeymooners, all-inclusive value seekers, divers and watersports enthusiasts, groups, conferences and incentive travel
Overview
Bluebay Beach Resort & Spa is one of Zanzibar’s longest-established and most prestigious east-coast resorts: 116 rooms and suites set within 30 acres of tropical gardens planted with more than a thousand palm trees, opening onto what the resort fairly claims is among the finest white beaches on the island’s east coast. It combines genuine scale — three restaurants, several bars, tennis courts, a dive centre, a kids’ club and the well-known Oasis Spa — with Swahili-styled architecture and an award-winning service culture. Guests rate it highly (4.6/5 on Google from over 1,500 reviews, 8.6/10 on booking channels), with the all-inclusive food offering singled out for praise more often than at comparable resorts.
About the Property
The resort’s defining feature is space: 30 acres means rooms are spread through gardens rather than stacked in blocks, with some accommodation right at the ocean’s edge and the most private categories housed in thatched bungalows set roughly 30 metres from the sand. Interiors are bright and decorated in Zanzibari style, with four-poster beds, exposed wooden ceiling beams, walk-in dressing rooms and seating areas — and some units add outdoor showers. Facilities are correspondingly comprehensive, covering everything from an indoor pool and sauna to billiards, a business centre and full conference capability, making Bluebay unusually versatile among Zanzibar’s beach resorts.
Quick Facts
- 116 rooms and suites across several categories, including private thatched bungalows
- Set in 30 acres of tropical gardens with over 1,000 palm trees
- Directly on Kiwengwa Beach, one of the east coast’s finest white-sand stretches
- Three restaurants (Makuti, Beach Bar & Restaurant, Bahari Grill) plus pool and beach bars
- The renowned Oasis Spa, plus an indoor pool, sauna and gym
- Kids’ club, playground and paddling pool; babysitting available
- Tennis, table tennis, billiards, diving, windsurfing and pedal boats
- 24-hour reception and business centre; full conference and incentive facilities
Location
Kiwengwa sits on Zanzibar’s east coast, north of Pongwe and south of Matemwe — a long, broad beach backed by palms and coral rag, less developed than Nungwi but with more amenities than the far south-east. Stone Town is roughly 40 km (about 25 miles) away and Zanzibar International Airport around 47 km, typically a 45–60 minute drive. As across the east coast, tides are pronounced: high tide brings swimmable water to the resort’s beachfront, while low tide opens wide sands for walking and reef-flat exploring. The offshore reef provides excellent diving and snorkelling.
Accommodation
The 116 rooms and suites are spacious and bright, decorated in Zanzibari style with four-poster beds, exposed wooden beams, walk-in dressing rooms and seating areas with sofas. All have air-conditioning, minibar, private bathroom with shower, hairdryer, safe and a terrace or balcony — many with sea views. Higher categories occupy thatched bungalows in a private area of the resort about 30 metres from the beach, some with outdoor showers, and a number of units sit right at the ocean’s edge. Family configurations and connecting options are available.
Dining
Three restaurants cover different moods: Makuti Restaurant, overlooking the pool and ocean, serves international buffets and à la carte; the Beach Bar and Restaurant handles light meals and drinks with your feet in the sand; and the more exclusive Bahari Grill specialises in seafood and steak dinners. A pool bar keeps drinks flowing through the day. Cuisine showcases Zanzibar’s celebrated local ingredients with an emphasis on fresh seafood, and — unusually for a large all-inclusive — guests frequently comment that the food is genuinely good, with plenty of variety including local flavours.
Facilities
Large outdoor swimming pool plus an indoor pool, private beach with loungers and umbrellas, Oasis Spa with a full treatment menu, sauna, fitness centre, three restaurants and multiple bars, kids’ club, children’s playground and paddling pool, babysitting, tennis courts, table tennis, billiards, dive centre, watersports (diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, pedal boats), 24-hour business centre and conference facilities, tour desk, car and bike rental, gift shop, 24-hour reception, airport transfers, room service, free Wi-Fi, laundry and free parking.
Why Choose Bluebay Beach Resort & Spa
- Thirty acres of palm-filled gardens on one of the east coast’s finest beaches — space that newer resorts simply don’t have
- All-inclusive that guests actually rate: food variety and quality consistently praised in reviews
- Comprehensive family provision — kids’ club, playground, paddling pool and babysitting
- The well-known Oasis Spa, plus indoor and outdoor pools, sauna and gym
- Excellent value: typically priced at or below the Kiwengwa 5-star average
- Serious sports and watersports offering, from tennis and billiards to diving and windsurfing
- Genuine conference and incentive capability, rare among Zanzibar beach resorts
- Prestigious, long-established name with an award-winning service reputation
Amenities
Air-conditioning, four-poster beds, walk-in dressing rooms, seating areas, private terraces/balconies, outdoor showers (select units), minibar, safe, hairdryer, free Wi-Fi, room service, daily housekeeping, outdoor and indoor pools, private beach, Oasis Spa, sauna, gym, three restaurants and several bars, kids’ club, playground and paddling pool, babysitting, tennis and table tennis, billiards, dive centre and watersports, business centre and conference rooms, tour desk, car/bike rental, gift shop, 24-hour reception, airport transfers, laundry and free parking.
Activities
- Swimming and sunbathing on Kiwengwa Beach at high tide; reef-flat walks at low tide
- Scuba diving and snorkelling on the east-coast reef with the on-site dive centre
- Windsurfing, pedal boats and other watersports
- Tennis, table tennis, billiards and gym sessions
- Oasis Spa treatments, sauna and wellness
- Kids’ club activities, playground and paddling pool for families
- Sunset dhow cruises and deep-sea fishing (arrangeable)
- Excursions: Stone Town, spice farms, Jozani Forest red colobus monkeys, Prison Island, Mnemba atoll snorkelling and dolphin tours
- Weddings, conferences, group incentives and events
Rooms & suites
Standard / Double Rooms
Superior Rooms
Enhanced positioning within the gardens with the same Zanzibari styling, seating area and terrace.
Deluxe Rooms
Larger rooms with sea views from the terrace, walk-in dressing room and seating area with sofas
Suites / Private Bungalows
Set in thatched bungalows in a private area about 30 metres from the beach, with very large four-poster beds, wooden ceiling beams, walk-in dressing rooms, seating areas and — in some — outdoor showers. The most romantic and secluded category.
Amenities
Good to know
Location
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