Baraza Resort Zanzibar

Baraza Resort and Spa is a beach resort on Bwejuu beach, on the southeast coast of Unguja Island in the Zanzibar Archipelago, about an hour from the airport. It is a collection of thirty villas rather than a safari lodge, and its Swahili architecture does much of the talking: dramatic arches, built-in baraza benches and intricate hand-carved decoration. The resort is all-inclusive.

Every villa has its own plunge pool, with sun loungers and a large terrace. Inside there is an indoor bar area, and the en-suite bathrooms have a walk-in shower and a freestanding bath. The collection includes fourteen one-bedroom villas and fifteen two-bedroom villas, plus one top-category two-bedroom villa, which the resort calls the Royal Sultan or Royal Beach villa. Categories include Ocean Front one-bedroom, Sultan's two-bedroom and Garden two-bedroom, and sizes run from 148 to 254 square metres.

The setting is the point. Start the morning on the sand before the heat builds, swim from your own pool in the afternoon, and let the tide decide whether the beach is wide enough for a long walk.

Zanzibar rewards slow days. Without a schedule, the hours settle into a pattern of swimming, reading in the shade and eating late. It suits couples and honeymooners who want a private pool and a quiet stretch of beach, and it works well as the end of a safari, after early starts and long drives on the mainland.