Zuri Zanzibar

THE MEANING

“ZURI” MEANS “BEAUTIFUL” IN SWAHILI, WHICH IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE ISLAND OF ZANZIBAR. AND THAT IS PRECISELY THE FEELING THEY WANT YOU TO EXPERIENCE IN OUR 32 ACRE MICRO-UNIVERSE. WHEN THINKING HOW BEST TO EVOKE THE BEAUTY OF ZURI TO YOU SENSUALLY, WE FOCUSED METICULOUSLY ON THREE MAIN AREAS:

THE BEACH

It was the reason why Vaclav Dejcmar, the owner bought the land many years ago. Unlike most Zanzibar beaches where one must walk 500m to swim at low tide, our beach, settled in the large lagoon, is always perfect. He has travelled the world and stayed in the most luxurious sea-front properties, but he still considers Zuri’s beach as one of the best on Earth. It is not just the white sand and the incredible color of the turquoise Indian Ocean, but also the local way of life, which is so cheerful and optimistic. When you see the dhows (the traditional wooden sailing boats) at a distance during the spectacular sunsets, you do not need to practice mindfulness or meditation training to enjoy the present moment and understand the power of now.

THE HOTEL

It is not made up of rooms; just villas, and bungalows. Each separated from one another to attain absolute privacy, and all of them outfitted with outdoor showers and large terraces. The size of their plot could easily accommodate twice as many houses, but they decided to build only 56 of them. Nestled on a west-facing slope, most of the units enjoy direct sea-views. And their ceilings reach for the sky: African-style roofing delivers a breathtaking cathedral-like feeling over your bed and cannot be compared to anything you would find in busy Western cities. On the other hand, being so far away from civilization, they did not want to compromise the quality of your connection with the rest of the world, which is why they have built our own dedicated fast internet line to the mainland – the only hotel in Zanzibar to date!

THE GARDEN

It is the icing on the cake. He does not mean the private spice garden covering a quarter of their land – the only one of its kind in the area. He means that Zuri itself IS the garden. All the villas and bungalows are just part of an enormous tropical park which you can enjoy by walking through and investigating. Hundreds of gardeners and landscape designers needed more than two years to select all the trees and flowers, in which you can bask. The result is an enormous tribute to the pinnacle of Zanzibar and its rich historical legacy.

Today, when more and more things tend to feel and taste the same, it is not an overstatement to say that Zanzibar is different. Located just on the Equator, the colours are more intense, more saturated, more vibrant. And, for some reason, the time runs differently as well! In this environment, it is so easy to forget our daily routines, to rouse our dormant imagination, and to perceive life from a new angle. Stop “doing” and start “being”. Because, ultimately, – we are human beings, not human doings! And it all began in Africa 🙂