Magnolia Villa Zanzibar

20/08/2024

07/08/2024

Outdoor Places to relax in the main villa .

29/07/2024

We would love you to follow us on our new instagram page .

28/07/2024

Seriously if you're coming to Zanzibar rethink your stays at the big destinations for quieter locations like Matemwe.
Places like Paje and
Nungwi are very busy commercial area with lots of Hotels, Bars and Restaurants with a busy night life, Matemwe on the other hand is your typical Island getaway with nice Bars and eating places on the Beach and magnificent views of Mnemba atoll which has some of the best diving and Snorkelling in the world. How can you not want this view.

26/07/2024

Delicious food at our nearest local restaurant.. just 50m away . Freshly cooked to order .

22/07/2024

My favourite photo from my holiday . The lady in the sea is almost visible.

15/07/2024

Show the love ❤️ when on holiday in places like Zanzibar. Zanzibar is a developing country with old and fragile infrastructure, and there are scheduled and unplanned interruptions to utility services. So guests are required to conserve energy and resources during periods when backup resources are in use. Please understand this is part of Zanzibar.

01/07/2024

Please follow us on our new instagram page .

29/06/2024

Day 6- Have you ever stopped to consider the stories of the people around you?

We glance at countless faces every day yet don't even see a fraction of who people are.

I'm always been blessed to meet so many new and interesting people with fascinating, empowering and traumatic tales .
This week I happened to sit next to a lovely lady ZARINA who talked to me about writing one of the first Zanzibar cook books I had bought 20 years ago .

During the conversation she mentioned she had just been on the BBC show the Repair shop where she had taken a healing bowl which had got broken. The bowl was originally given to Zarina by the daughter of the Sultan, . Listen to the story below .

➤ Subscribe ➤ http://bit.ly/RepairShopYTCeramics restorer Kirsten Ramsay gets to work on a delicate piece of crockery that once belonged to Princess Amal fro...

26/06/2024

Day 5 - The sea is calling . The beach offers a wonderful canvas for the artist. Photography is more than just the technical aspects of composition, exposure, and focus. It’s about freezing moments in time, encapsulating emotions, and telling stories.

22/06/2024

Day 4 - Sound mapping is a great way to slow down. Listen to sounds that are nearby and far away . Wind , waves , people , birds Is there a pattern to the waves? Now let the mix of sounds wash over you like a musical concert.

21/06/2024

Day 3- Virginia Woolf wrote ‘each wave of the sea has a different light, just as the beauty of who we love ‘. The colour blue is associated with calm and creativity. Watching the sea alters the frequency of our brain waves. Looking at the sea has an impact on our well-being.

20/06/2024

Day 2 - Sustainable seafood on Matemwe beach . This will upset my octopus friends but my take is that people eat meat for a variety of reasons of all kinds, and I don't think octopuses are uniquely different from other kinds of meat that we eat. There are people in the world who forage along the ocean shores as their primary way of obtaining food or as their primary way of exercising aspects of their culture. And for those people, I don't think we need to condemn their diet. What is important is eating sustainable seafood. Eating locally harvested seafood caught using low impact catch methods and that support healthy marine ecosystems and local fishing communities. Tonight we will feast on octopus curry .

19/06/2024

Flew on Turkish air to get from Edinburgh to Zanzibar and stopped off in Istanbul. As I looked over the Istanbul strait' (which is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul) It divides Turkey by separating Asia minor from Thrace. A thought occurs to me that The English Channel , the Mediterranean , The Red Sea and the Indian Ocean , despite their individual personalities are one . All water is connected and only land and people are discontinuous .

18/06/2024

Things to do by the sea .
Day 1 Watch the waves . Waves are not moving water but waves of energy that move through water. The depth of the seabed shapes the waves. The shape of waves depend on the tide , wind direction and sand movement or whether it’s a high or low tide.

09/03/2024

Ramadan Mubarak . Our staff will be fasting for the next 30 days as part of Ramadan so we request any guests checking in to note that we have to accommodate the fast opening times for staff to go home . If you have a chance try these lovely donut breads that are a Swahili favourite in our house during Ramadan. They are widely available in Zanzibar as street food .

05/03/2024

10 facts About Tanzania🇹🇿🇹🇿

1)- Tanzania is a country located in East Africa, bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south.

2)-The country's official name is the United Republic of Tanzania, and its capital city is Dodoma, although Dar es Salaam is the largest city and the commercial capital. The United Republic of Tanzania is a Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar ( Tan+zan+I+A)

3)-Tanzania is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, which stands at 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) tall. The mountain is a popular destination for climbers and hikers from around the world.

4)-The country is known for its wildlife, and it is home to some of Africa's most famous national parks, including the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Selous Game Reserve.

5)-Tanzania has a population of around 60 million people, with over 120 ethnic groups, and Swahili is the official language, although English is widely spoken.

6)-The country's economy is largely based on agriculture, with coffee, cotton, to***co, and cashew nuts being some of the major cash crops. Tanzania is also rich in natural resources, including gold, diamonds, and natural gas.

7)-Tanzania was formerly a German colony until 1919, when it was handed over to the British under a League of Nations mandate. The country gained independence in 1961, and the first president was Julius Nyerere.

8)-Tanzania has a diverse cultural heritage, with a mix of indigenous African, Arab, and European influences. Traditional music and dance are an important part of Tanzanian culture, and the country is also famous for its Tinga Tinga paintings.

9)-The currency in Tanzania is the Tanzanian shilling, and the country operates on East Africa Time (EAT), which is three hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+3).

10)-Tanzania is home to some of the world's oldest human settlements, with evidence of human habitation dating back over two million years. The country's rich history and culture make it a fascinating destination for travelers and tourists from around the world.

29/01/2024

Quite a long video but Richard Quest has at last discovered Zanzibar . Did I think he captured it well ? Not really but I suppose we don’t want everyone to know how amazing Zanzibar is and I promise you if you visit there are so many experiences you will have . It’s blend of African, Asian, Middle-Eastern and European influences over many centuries because the island was historically a significant centre for the Indian Ocean maritime , its part in slavery , its spices trade . The beautiful architecture of stone town , the beautiful white sand beaches blue waters … oh have a watch and then decide whether this is your next paradise destination .

There’s a phrase in Zanzibar that sums up island life. “Hakuna Matata,” meaning no worries. Join CNN’s Richard Quest as he explores the laid-back allure of Zanzibar’s coastal beauty.

06/01/2024

Bring an Airbnb host can have its challenges, managing our customer experience and expectations whilst trying to deliver a good service is only possible when we have good staff. Our local staff are very dedicated and we are really proud of the work and effort they put in . We source local support and are very involved in the local village and community. On an island where you can’t be guaranteed you’ll find the support anywhere at anytime, we know how much work the staff put in to help our guests or sort out issues. Mostly, for every problem, there is an inventive solution. A power outage is a chance to light those scented candles, and we get good at providing flashlights. The bugs , the lack of large supermarkets , the slower pace of life .. yes it may take one hour to get your fresh seafood grill at a restaurant.. All the things that we’ve grown to live with become things we need to stay vigilant over because when you have paying guests, you just want it all to go smoothly. Thankfully, all of our guests so far have taken it all in stride and have viewed the inconveniences as part of the charms of island life.
By far though the best part though about being an island Airbnb host is seeing the island through the eyes of people coming here for the first time. I love being able to share with them the things that I find special about this place, and getting to hear about their unique experiences. It really has made me fall in love with my beautiful island home.

28/09/2023

This is one of the most recommended activities and is only a short boat ride from Matemwe , relaxing at the sandbanks or snorkelling at the Mnemba reef. 🐠 🐬

03/09/2023

The ocean does so much for us , regulating our climate and providing us with both food, water and the air we breathe . The oceans impact on our health is the reason we chose to buy in this wonderful location. Blue space and time spent by sea is linked to improving health , feeling happier and more energetic. The best feedback I get from our guests is how they feel so happy in the surroundings round Matemwe . In the next series of posts I will talk about coastal activities linked to making your holiday a place to improve your mental and physical health that will foster greater wellbeing and ocean awAreness

04/08/2023

The view changes every night at Magnolia Villa Zanzibar

29/07/2023

Catching the sunrise , this morning

25/07/2023

Something delicious to eat why don’t you try Villa Kiva Boutique Hotel Zanzibar located about 300 yards from the villa . Great pizza , pasta and Local seafood are my favourite .

21/07/2023

We have a dive centre located near us where you can experience the stunning underwater world around Mnemba Island .

Dive with a View! 🌅🤿

Explore Zanzibar's dive sites with breathtaking panoramic vistas. Immerse yourself in natural beauty above and below the waterline.

10/07/2023

The best time to visit Tanzania is from July to October when the country is dry and warm.
The great Serengeti migration, when millions of wildebeest cross the Serengeti plains, often reaches its visual highlight with the crossing of the Mara River by July – it's one of the highlights of any safari or wildlife-spotting trip, making July an even better time to go.

For an alternative, sustainable safari adventure, try Tanzania's Uluguru Nature Forest Reserve or the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Most visitors to Tanzania come for the safari and head straight onto the Serengeti but give Central Tanzania a chance. It's near Dar es Salaam where you'll land and includes some of the world's most diverse biospheres. Settle in and get to know the local wildlife and people rather than dashing around trying to catch glimpses of elephants and lions.

Heading to the Udzungwa Mountains will give you the opportunity to see wildlife that appears nowhere else on earth in the 'African Galapagos'. Waterfalls, monkeys and 400 species of birds are the highlights here. The Uluguru Nature Forest reserve is also a great option, where relative isolation and sustainable farming make for an equally unique experience.

01/06/2023

Being a tropical island, there seems to be a never-ending range of fruits in Zanzibar. Apart from spending time browsing through markets in Stone Town to trying to recognize the fruits on trees on the side of the road, we discovered some new fruits and enjoyed some of our old favorites. Grilled plantain and pineapple made at home on the BBQ .

27/05/2023

Some beautiful shots at the villa today posted by a guest .