Loved the layout and style of this house. The pictures do not do it, justice! It was beautiful and right by the beach next to a small cafe. The staff and chef were friendly, plus there was a nightguard, which made us feel safe. My only complaint was the staff seemed to stay in the house for a long time in the morning for breakfast and at night for dinner. It felt more like we were guests staying at someone else's house versus feeling like it was ours. That might not bother some people, but it was a noticeable presence for me.

This is an amazing property. Villa is very spacious, clean and very authentic. Architecture is pretty unique and gives you a feel of ancient Spain combined with luxury. We hired chef Mohamed, who was amazing. He worked with a crew of 3 other team members, and cooked some amazing seafood dinners for us. Food was fresh and made from scratch. The place is right on the beach and allows easy access to beach from bars and restaurants. The beach was also not too crowded and we were able to relax and enjoy the scenery. Also, Jiambiani is away from the craziness and crowds of tourists near stone town, and offered a truly relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommend the villa to anybody looking to stay in Zanzibar

Had a most awesome stay at this wonderful house just a few steps from the ocean. The house is large and with a great layout for our large family (4 adults, 4 kids). The staff is beyond great! So friendly and helpful and never intrusive. Mohammed is a 5-star chef and ALL of our meals were outstanding. Hatibu the manager/driver is so great. Very professional and a lot of fun to interact with. There is a reason Raphael and his team get so many 5-star reviews. Thanks for an awesome week.

Rafael and his wonderful team were the best hosts. We enjoyed gourmet chef prepared meals every evening and morning in a beautiful and relaxed setting. Chef Mohamed and his team were lovely. He even prepared our fresh fish catch from our fishing excursion. The home is wonderfully decorated in local style and location right on the beach can’t be beat. We will be back!

Very beautiful house ,with a very charming and professionnel team , very good location, the beach near the house is amazing !

What a wonderful, grounding beach vacation! This 4 bed/3bath house was exactly what we needed. With 2 teens and a grown up son home from Uni we were looking for something very lo-key and good value. While the house had wifi on the first floor, overall it was a lo tech vacation. The house is made of block with plaster over it, a style I quite like. The furnishings are local and simple wood and cushions/mattresses. There are fans and mosquito netting. No AC (didn't need it at all), no TV (really didn't need it!) but also no screens so your protection against bugs are old fashioned cleaning, netting, wind, and geckos. I am NOT a bug person, having barely survived Cicada-geddon 1987. So when I walked in I worried I would not be able to handle staying. I was surprised how effective the house and staff were at keeping the place bug free/ light. Speaking of the staff, they were a highlight! We took Mohammed up on his meals for dinner and they were spectacular. One night, over suggestions by our driver/wrangler/POC, we went to the Rock for our anniversary. Obviously we left the kids to eat at the Villa. They def had the better meal! The cleaners were sweet and did laundry for us. Hatibi (driver/wrangler) was prompt and helpful, arranging boat tours for us and being at our disposal for rides even after we left the Villa for the city. The ocean is very shallow at lower tides - you can walk more than a mile out at the lowest. The village has a few shops for bare necessity dry items and fruit. My suggestion would be to bring bug spray, sand toys, beach mats/blankets, and dried snacks (we could find Pringles and cookies at the larger markets). There is a market where we got loads of Ramen/Koka noodles to use as lunch. The restaurants on the beach are convenient but pricey and def not as good as Mohammed. I would use with them for cold beer but not much else. If you are looking for glorified Glamping (with a chef and cleaners) then this is the place! We loved our 11 days there!