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The Palms Zanzibar
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Africa & Indian Ocean

The Palms Zanzibar

Bwejuu Beach South East Coast Paje Michamvi Road Dongwe, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Details last verified July 2026 · How we research

Five-StarNear CoastMid-Size
5
★★★★★
61 reviews on Google
9.4Out of 10
Palmprint

Our own independent rating: beach, food, service, value and more. No pay-to-play, ever.

See how we scored it

Highlights

·2 pools
·1 restaurants & bars
·Full-service spa

Activities & Experiences

Spa & WellnessWater SportsKids Activities

Best Time to Visit

Jan
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Location

Bwejuu Beach South East Coast Paje Michamvi Road Dongwe, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Nearest airport: ZNZ
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport
+254 733 777172

Guest Reviews

★★★★★
Pee Kay · a month ago

We spent a perfect 6 days here after a Serengeti Safari. This is truly a beautiful boutique resort with only a handful of cottages. Your every need or wish is magically, thoughtfully and graciously provided. Things you didn’t even know you would want or enjoy appear seamlessly to delight you. The e...

★★★★★
Alex I · 3 months ago

Absolutely incredible experience. The rooms are stunning — beautifully designed, spacious, and feel truly luxurious. The entire hotel is breathtaking, with such a serene and elegant atmosphere. The food is absolutely delicious — every meal was a highlight. And the service is simply perfect: attenti...

★★★★★
Tina Brock · 5 months ago

The Palms was our "recovery" stay following a summit of Mt Kilimanjaro (we made it!) and it could not have been a better choice. The small, boutique style really suited us. Beautiful villas, amazing beach cabanas, refreshing pool, delicious food (thanks, chef!), interesting cultural/music experience...

★★★★★
Wendy Jackson · a year ago

I spent three nights/four days at The Palms in June 2025 to celebrate the birthday of a dear friend. The experience was glorious: every detail has been considered from the time of arrival (cool lemongrass-scented towel) to the time of departure (lovely note and gift). With only seven villas on the p...

★★★★★
Victoria Bamforth · 10 months ago

Last month we spent an utterly perfect 5 days at the end of our honeymoon at The Palms. From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel like royalty. The staff are welcoming, attentive and always have a smile on their faces. Siriak, the operations manager, was always on hand to chat, check we were ...

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·Resort website·Booking.com·Expedia·Tripadvisor reviews
About the Location
Tanzania

Passport, safety, tipping & more, read before you fly.

Read the country guide
The Vibe
RomanticQuiet & Relaxed
What's actually included

What the all-inclusive plan covers at The Palms Zanzibar

The line between “all-inclusive” and “all-inclusive except the good stuff” is where trips get expensive. Here's what's genuinely covered, and what still costs extra.

Premium & à la carte dining
Official and booking sources position The Palms as all-inclusive; Expedia confirms breakfast, lunch and dinner are served.
Included
Top-shelf liquor
All-inclusive meals and drinks are supported, but premium bottle rules were not verified.
Partly included
Room service
Booking.com lists room service, but no source confirmed unlimited included room service.
Partly included
Wi-Fi
Expedia lists free Wi-Fi.
Included
Non-motorized water sports
Water-sport facilities are available nearby or through sister facilities; exact all-inclusive coverage was not verified.
Partly included
Spa treatments
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.
Costs extra

Inclusions change and vary by room category and season, so always confirm with the resort before booking. How we verify this.

Rooms & Suites

Who fits where at The Palms Zanzibar

The right room is personal: a swim-out for the pool people, a top floor for the view people, two real bedrooms and two baths for families who like a little distance. Here's the lineup from the resort's own accommodations pages.

Luxury Villa
1 bedroom · 2 baths · 140 m² / 1507 ft² · Indian Ocean · private plunge pool
Official 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.
One Bedroom Villa With Private Plunge Pool
1 bedroom · Ocean or garden · private plunge pool
Expedia lists this as one of the bookable room types.

From the resort's own accommodations pages. Categories and occupancy change with renovations, and connecting rooms are usually request-only, so confirm when you book.

The Daily Reality

Food, pools & the beach itself

Where you'll actually spend the week: how many places there are to eat and drink, what the pool scene offers, and what the water in front of the resort is really like.

Dining & bars

1 restaurant· Zanzibari · Local spices · International · Seafood

The Palms has one intimate restaurant; guests may also access sister-property facilities subject to resort rules.

Pools & waterplay

2 pools

Expedia lists indoor and outdoor pools; each villa has its own private plunge pool.

The beach itself

Swimmability varies by seasonEntry varies along the shoreSnorkeling from shoreNo sargassum (outside the Atlantic belt)

White-sand Bwejuu/Dongwe east-coast setting. The beach is beautiful, but Zanzibar east-coast tides can limit all-day swimming.

Venue counts come from the resort's own pages; beach conditions draw on monitoring data and consistent traveler reports. The sea doesn't read press releases, so treat seasonal notes as odds, not promises.

For Families

Taking the kids to The Palms Zanzibar?

A family week turns on the details brochures skip: whether the kids' club is genuinely supervised, who watches the baby on date night, and whether four of you fit in one room. Here's what we've verified.

Beach for young swimmers
Entry varies along the beach

Children may be accepted and some sources mention small families with older children, but the resort is primarily a quiet couples-oriented retreat with no kids club verified.

Questions parents ask

Is the beach at The Palms Zanzibar good for young children?

Swimmability varies by season, and the entry varies along the shore.

Kids' club ages, hours, and babysitting availability change seasonally, so confirm with the resort before booking.

Not sure this one fits your crew? Match resorts to your kids' exact ages for verified facts, not brochure claims.

The Palmprint file

How we scored The Palms Zanzibar

Our independent research: the score, the evidence behind every mark, and what guests actually say.

Palmprint
9.4/10
The Zanzibar Collection
Zanzibar Central/South
90% complete · Good review coverage
✓ Official site verified
How we score →

Scores

Beach8.5
Medium
Food9.1
High
Service9.6
High
Rooms9.5
High
Pools8.8
Medium
Luxury9.5
High
Value8.2
Medium
Family6.8
Low
Romance9.7
High
Nightlife3.5
Medium
Quiet9.7
High
Wellness8.7
Medium

Pros

  • 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.

Cons

  • 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.

Things to know

  • 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.

What guests say

Most loved
  • Privacy and quiet
  • Large villas with plunge pools
  • Service
  • Food quality
  • Romantic atmosphere
Most common complaints
  • High price
  • Limited nightlife
  • Limited restaurant variety
  • East-coast tides
Things people wish they knew
  • 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.
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.

Rooms

Best Value Room:Luxury VillaMedium

With only seven villas, value is less about category choice and more about rate, season and included extras.

Quietest Building:Any villaMedium

The seven-villa layout and quiet retreat positioning make the whole property quiet; exact villa-by-villa differences were not verified.

Best Room Category:Luxury VillaHigh

There is effectively one core product: an oversized private villa with plunge pool, terrace, living space and ocean-facing setting.

The facts

7
Room Count
2
Number Of Pools
1
Number Of Restaurants
SpaTennisBeachfrontPrivate PoolFamily FriendlySwimmable Beach

How we scored it

Food
Variety Limit: 7Guest Sentiment: 9.2Restaurant Count: 1
All Inclusive Dining And Guest Sentiment Synthesis · sources: official, Expedia, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, fact_sheet · verified 2026-07-18
Beach
Tide Caution: 6.5Snorkeling Support: 1Beach Beauty Signal: 9Private Beach Support: 1
Private Beach And Tide Synthesis · sources: official, Expedia, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Reddit · verified 2026-07-18
Pools
Guest Sentiment: 8.8Expedia Pool Count Signal: 2Private Plunge Pool Support: 1
Pool Inventory And Private Plunge Pool Synthesis · sources: official, Expedia, Booking.com, Tripadvisor · verified 2026-07-18
Quiet
Villa Count: 7Guest Sentiment: 9.7Private Beach Support: 1
Low Density Retreat Synthesis · sources: official, Expedia, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Reddit · verified 2026-07-18
Rooms
Villa Count: 7Villa Size Sqm: 140Guest Sentiment: 9.5Private Pool Support: 1
Villa Size Private Pool And Review Synthesis · sources: official, Expedia, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, fact_sheet · verified 2026-07-18
Value
Price Caution: 6.8All Inclusive Support: 1Villa Privacy Support: 1
Luxury Price And Inclusion Synthesis · sources: Expedia, Tripadvisor, Reddit, official · verified 2026-07-18
Family
Kids Club Support: 0Quiet Couples Bias: 1Older Children Signal: 1
Children Suitability And Amenity Synthesis · sources: official, Booking.com, Reddit · verified 2026-07-18
Luxury
Guest Sentiment: 9.5Expedia Star Rating: 5Private Pool Support: 1Private Villa Support: 1
Villa Privacy All Inclusive And Review Synthesis · sources: official, Expedia, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, fact_sheet · verified 2026-07-18
Overall
Expedia Review Count: 21Expedia Score 10 Scale: 9.8Booking All Inclusive Support: 1Tripadvisor Review Count Visible: 370
Weighted Review And Source Synthesis · sources: Tripadvisor, Expedia, Booking.com, official, Reddit, fact_sheet · verified 2026-07-18
Romance
Quiet Score: 9.7Guest Sentiment: 9.7Low Villa Count: 1Private Pool Support: 1
Private Villa Quiet And Honeymoon Synthesis · sources: official, Tripadvisor, Expedia, Booking.com, Reddit · verified 2026-07-18
Service
Guest Sentiment: 9.6Low Villa Count: 1Expedia Score 10 Scale: 9.8
Small Resort Service And Review Synthesis · sources: Tripadvisor, Expedia, Booking.com, official, Reddit · verified 2026-07-18
Wellness
Quiet Score: 9.7Spa Support: 1Tennis Support: 1Dive Center Support: 1
Spa Beach Quiet And Sister Facility Synthesis · sources: official, Expedia, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, fact_sheet · verified 2026-07-18
Nightlife
Live Music Signal: 4Offsite Walkability: 3Quiet Retreat Signal: 1
Quiet Retreat And Low Programming Synthesis · sources: official, Tripadvisor, Expedia, Reddit · verified 2026-07-18

Sources

RedditBookingExpediaMapcartaOfficialTripadvisorReddit HoneymoonOfficial Fact Sheet

Scored with Palmprint methodology v1.0.

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