The Palms Zanzibar
The Palms Zanzibar at a glance
- Location
- Dongwe
- Guests
- All ages welcome
- The plan
- All-inclusive
- Setting
- Near the coast
- Guest rating
- 5.0 / 5 on Google61 reviews
- Best months
- Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
- Pools
- 2 pools
- Airport transfer
- ZNZ
- Dining
- 1 restaurant
Scored once the reviews arrive: we count 61 so far, below the 100 we want before publishing a Palmprint. Everything below is researched and verified; only the score is waiting.
Compare rooms & seasonal prices
Help me book this resort*
We price the resort, rooms and dates with you.
Or book it yourself on Expedia (opens in a new tab)
We may earn a commission. No extra cost to you.
Find your time to go
USD / room / night · 2 adults · 7 nights
Checked Sep 12, 2026 to Oct 12, 2026 · Sample details
Dates shown are check-in dates. 1 of 2 rooms across 4 of 4 planned stay dates. Missing prices are not estimates.
Each price is a sampled rate, not a live quote. Select a room name above for its details.
- Jan 10, 2027, room 1: checked Sep 12, 2026
- Apr 11, 2027, room 1: checked Sep 12, 2026
- Jul 11, 2027, room 1: checked Sep 12, 2026
- Oct 10, 2027, room 1: checked Oct 12, 2026
Watch this resort
We check this rate on a rotating schedule. Leave an email and we'll flag a real drop, not a countdown timer.
The Palms Zanzibar
Things to know
before you go
The Palms Zanzibar is a very small all-inclusive retreat with only seven villas.
This is best for couples, honeymoons and quiet luxury, not nightlife or high-energy resort programming.
The beach is beautiful, but east-coast Zanzibar tides affect when swimming is easiest.
Spa, diving and some water sports should be treated as extra unless confirmed by a specific package.
Hidden tips
Choose The Palms for privacy and service rather than variety; travelers wanting many restaurants may prefer a larger Zanzibar Collection property.
Check tide timing before planning long beach-swim days.
Use sister-property access as a bonus, but do not assume every facility or restaurant is automatically included without confirming.
Things guests wish they had known
The resort is intentionally tiny and quiet.
Beach swimming depends on tides more than many Caribbean travelers expect.
The best value comes from wanting privacy, not from wanting a large all-inclusive resort footprint.
Strengths from our research
Extremely intimate seven-villa setting.
Strong luxury, service and romance sentiment.
Private plunge pools and large villas.
All-inclusive positioning is strongly verified.
Quiet beach retreat with access to wider Zanzibar Collection facilities.
Other considerations from our research
Very limited nightlife.
Restaurant variety is naturally limited at the core property.
East-coast tides can affect swimming.
Review volume is smaller than large resort benchmarks.
What guests say
Most loved
- Privacy and quiet
- Large villas with plunge pools
- Service
- Food quality
- Romantic atmosphere
Most complained about
- High price
- Limited nightlife
- Limited restaurant variety
- East-coast tides
From Reddit
Reddit discussion recommends The Palms as an exclusive, private, villa-style Zanzibar option, particularly for honeymoon or romantic stays.
Reddit discussion also notes that east-coast Zanzibar tides can be strong and that travelers prioritizing all-day swimming may prefer the north coast.
What’s included
Included
- Premium & à la carte diningIncluded
Official and booking sources position The Palms as all-inclusive; Expedia confirms breakfast, lunch and dinner are served.
- Wi-FiIncluded
Expedia lists free Wi-Fi.
Not included
- Spa treatmentsCosts extra
Booking.com states snorkeling, windsurfing and diving are available at a charge and Sanctuary Spa treatments are available; fact sheet indicates massage and treatments are payable locally.
- Airport transfersCosts extra
Airport transfers are not part of the all-inclusive rate; the resort or your agent arranges them at a published fee of about USD 75 per vehicle each way.
Included with limits
- Top-shelf liquorPartly included
All-inclusive meals and drinks are supported, but premium bottle rules were not verified.
Per the resort, not yet verified - Room servicePartly included
Booking.com lists room service, but no source confirmed unlimited included room service.
- Non-motorized water sportsPartly included
Water-sport facilities are available nearby or through sister facilities; exact all-inclusive coverage was not verified.
Per the resort, not yet verified
Inclusions can vary by room category and season. Confirm your plan before booking. How we verify this
More resort facts
- Rooms and suites
- 7
Research & sources
Room intelligence
- Best Value Room
- Luxury VillaWith only seven villas, value is less about category choice and more about rate, season and included extras.
- Quietest Building
- Any villaThe seven-villa layout and quiet retreat positioning make the whole property quiet; exact villa-by-villa differences were not verified.
- Best Room Category
- Luxury VillaThere is effectively one core product: an oversized private villa with plunge pool, terrace, living space and ocean-facing setting.
Restaurants & bars
- Places to eat
- 1
Zanzibari · Local spices · International · Seafood
The Palms has one intimate restaurant; guests may also access sister-property facilities subject to resort rules.
Venues, opening hours and plan inclusions can change by season. Confirm your choices when booking.
Do you need dinner reservations at The Palms Zanzibar?
The Palms has one intimate restaurant; guests may also access sister-property facilities subject to resort rules.
Rooms & suites
The room in our seasonal price comparison.
| Suite | Occupancy | Size | Bedrooms | Aspect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palms Ocean View VillaBack to sampled prices | Capacity unverified | Not published | Not published | Not published |
More room options (2)
| Suite | Occupancy | Size | Bedrooms | Aspect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Luxury VillaRoom details for Luxury VillaOfficial site states each villa includes bedroom, living room, full en-suite bathroom, dressing room, extra room with its own en-suite bathroom and large furnished terrace. | Capacity unverified | 1,507 ft²140 m² | 1 bedroom | Indian Oceanprivate pool · 2 baths |
One Bedroom Villa With Private Plunge PoolRoom details for One Bedroom Villa With Private Plunge PoolExpedia lists this as one of the bookable room types. | Capacity unverified | Not published | 1 bedroom | Ocean or gardenprivate pool |
Occupancy limits and connecting-room requests should be confirmed for your party before booking.
Pools and the beach
Pools & waterplay
Expedia lists indoor and outdoor pools; each villa has its own private plunge pool.
The beach itself
White-sand Bwejuu/Dongwe east-coast setting. The beach is beautiful, but Zanzibar east-coast tides can limit all-day swimming.
- Caveat: Water conditions vary through the year
- Caveat: Entry depth varies along the shore
Counts come from the resort's own published information; the scores are ours, from the Palmprint file below.
Families & group stays
Bringing the kids to The Palms Zanzibar
What decides whether a resort works with children in tow, answered from what the resort publishes rather than from the brochure.
- Beach for young swimmers
- Entry varies along the beach
- Is the beach at The Palms Zanzibar good for young children?
- Swimmability varies by season, and the entry varies along the shore.
Tell us the trip, we'll tell you the resort
Tell us your dates, budget, and who's traveling, and we'll point you to the best-fit resorts. Free, no obligation.
Kids' club hours, teen programs and group availability all move with the season. Confirm the specifics with the resort for your dates.
When to go
Best months: Jun to Oct
Temperature barely moves here across the year, so rain is the whole decision: the wet months run Mar to May.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average daily high | 90°F32°C | 91°F33°C | 91°F33°C | 88°F31°C | 86°F30°C | 84°F29°C | 84°F29°C | 84°F29°C | 86°F30°C | 88°F31°C | 90°F32°C | 90°F32°C |
| Rain days | 5 days | 4 days | 9 days | 15 days | 10 days | 4 days | 3 days | 3 days | 3 days | 5 days | 8 days | 7 days |
| Verdict | Fine | Fine | Wet | Wet | Wet | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Wet | Wet |
Average daily highs and monthly rain days. Seasonal averages, not a forecast.
Getting to The Palms Zanzibar
- Nearest airport
- ZNZ · Abeid Amani Karume International Airport
- Transportation
- The resort lists transfers at extra cost. Your package may differ.
Your own driver. Possibly a lower price.
A personalized airport pickup could cost less than a taxi or shared shuttle. Compare private transfer prices before you decide.
Check my transfer price (opens in a new tab)We may earn a commission if you book through this link.
Destination essentials & trip planning
Bwejuu Beach South East Coast Paje Michamvi Road Dongwe, Zanzibar, Tanzania · +254 733 777172
Tanzania
- Language
- Swahili & English (English widely used in tourism)
- Currency
- Tanzanian shilling (TZS); USD widely accepted
- Power
- 230V, Type G (UK-style) plugs – bring an adapter
- Driving
- On the left
- Main airport
- Zanzibar / Abeid Amani Karume (ZNZ)
- Flight time
- ~16–19h+ from the US, with a connection
What we'd book around it
Affiliate · commission at no cost to youInsurance
Storms move flights in season, and the cheapest rates are usually non-refundable.
Compare cover (opens in a new tab)Data
An eSIM for the flight and the beach; Wi-Fi is included on the resort but stops at the gate.
Get an eSIM (opens in a new tab)Our full take on The Palms Zanzibar
The Palms is a seven-villa all-inclusive on Zanzibar's east coast, for couples who want privacy rather than choice. There is one restaurant, there are two pools, and every villa has a plunge pool of its own across 140 square metres with two bathrooms. The white sand at Bwejuu is the setting, the east coast's tides decide when it is swimmable, and the transfer from the airport is arranged and paid separately.
Guests praise the privacy and the quiet, the villas and their plunge pools, the service, the food and the romance of the place. The complaints are the price, almost no nightlife, the limited variety that one restaurant means over a week, and the tides. The thing people wish they had known is that the resort is deliberately tiny, so the value comes from wanting privacy and not from wanting a resort's worth of facilities.
The plan covers breakfast, lunch and dinner at the one restaurant along with drinks and Wi-Fi, and guests may use sister-property facilities under the resort's own rules; the Sanctuary Spa, the diving, the snorkelling and windsurfing, and the transfer at about 75 US dollars per vehicle each way are extra, and room service and premium bottles are not spelled out. Confirm what the sister properties actually open to you before counting on them for variety. The Luxury Villa is effectively the only category, and it is the whole product. Families with young children, and anyone who wants a choice of restaurants, should look at the larger resorts in the same collection.
Similar all-inclusives to The Palms Zanzibar
Dream of Zanzibar Resort & Spa
Scores higher overall on the same six categories.
Compare The Palms Zanzibar with Dream of Zanzibar Resort & Spa
The Mora Zanzibar
Scores higher overall on the same six categories.
TUI BLUE Bahari Zanzibar
Scores higher overall on the same six categories.
Where The Palms Zanzibar ranks
We may earn a commission on Expedia. No extra cost to you.