“Dream on the Beach”
My review of breezy, beautiful Uzuri Hotel.
Covered in pink and purple bougainvillea, the white stucco renovated Italian-style home has only 6 rooms and never feels crowded or busy. The atmosphere is relaxed and charming, with comfortable seating throughout and lots of natural sea breeze.
The dining area opens up to a private sand-covered rest area, shaded with palm trees and featuring a swimming pool. Pass through the little fence and you’re right on the beach, on the Indian Ocean.
The west side of the Island, including Jambiani, has very low tide during the day, so an actual swim in the ocean should be early morning or early evening. Hence, there is actually a legitimate purpose for the hotel’s pool — and it was so refreshing during the heat of the day!
Family-friendly: 8/10
The hotel provided us with a lovely baby bed and baby feeding chair for our 10-month old babe. However, it was evident the focus of the hotel is for adults more than families with kids. There was a small seating area with photography/coffee-table type of books but nothing for kids.
The outdoor pool was great, but it was pretty deep. Certainly a pool for adults.
Cleanliness: 9/10
Our room was very clean. However, on the second night we woke up to an unwelcome visitor who had entered our room: a crab!
I was nervous with a live crab crawling over the floor with my child in a baby bed, positioned on the floor. Our room was on the second floor of the villa, so I can only conclude that the crab had scaled the wall and entered through the large gap under our balcony room door. Yikes!
Food: 6/10
We enjoyed several meals at Uzuri including two breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner. The gnocchi was so good (and so rare to find in Tanzania) that I ordered it twice! Mr. Mechanic did not enjoy his seafood pizza.
However, I found the menu options very limited. With an Italian emphasis of the villa, pasta and pizza were on the menu, but I would have liked to see more variety or a tropical, Zanzibari-twist on some Italian classics. I also found the dishes very expensive, and would have expected something of a higher caliber for the cost.
Location: 10/10
Uzuri is located right on the beach in Jambiani, on the East Coast of Zanzibar. The location is great, with an ocean view and a quiet area of the beach in front of the space. We took a walk around the area for lunch and enjoyed a feast of calamari just a few blocks away. There are also some little shops around.
Overall Experience: 8/10
We were warmly greeted in Italian when we arrived and taken to our room almost immediately. The room had not one, but two balconies.
The room and the villa were lovely and the staff provided attentive service. The biggest downside for me was a crab entering our room in the middle of the night.
We enjoyed Uzuri Villa and I would stay there again, but would aim for a lunch away from the hotel every afternoon, even just for the variety in fresh seafood.
But I would also put a towel or book under any gaps in my door to avoid crabs entering!!!
Read more of my reviews of Zanzibar Hotels:
Mizingani Seafront Hotel
