Breezes Beach Club

particularly good for families with younger children

Breezes Beach Club and Spa is located in the Bwejuu area of Zanzibar Island.

Despite at first sight appearing to be a strictly commercial property, Breezes Beach Club and Spa is actually a family owned and operated venture. Mother and daughter team Nathalie and Paulina Raguz, who own the three adjacent properties in this location. Paulina herself is personally responsible for much of the design and decor. Over the years these guys have really learned how to run a slick operation in what can be a very challenging environment.

Approached along a long driveway, the public areas of the lodge are rather stylish, with elegant Zanzibar style furniture, open-sided under thatch.

Lounge and dining areas are centred around a large swimming pool, leading to lovely beach-front areas.

From the entrance, turning to the right we first encounter the Safari Bar, leading through to the main Salama Restaurant.

Alongside the swimming pool is the sandy-floored Pool Bar, whilst further towards the beach are the Breakers Restaurant and two more exclusive dining areas which are not usually included in the room rate, the Sultan’s Table and the Tides Restaurant.

Above the main beach there are extensive lounger areas under the palm trees, as well as an excellent watersports centre.

Behind the main building lies the Frangipani Spa, a really substantial affair offering a very wide range of special treatments and experiences, most notable amongst which is the Sultan’s Bath House. There is also a tennis court by the main entrance.

Back in the main building there is a fully equipped business centre. There is also a kiddie club which offers a wide range of entertainment for children of all ages.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Breezes Beach Club and Spa is in a total of 74 rooms in four categories, all of which have air-conditioning, minibars, safes and a sofa which can be converted into a bed for a third person …

Standard Rooms : x10 : The ten Standard Rooms are arranged in a single row towards the back of the plot, still in a nice garden location and a really decent value option.

Deluxe Rooms : x40 : The forty Deluxe Rooms are on the ground floor of ten pantile roofed buildings, each with modest outside patios.

Suite Rooms : x20 : The twenty Suite Rooms are on the upper floor of the same ten buildings, with much larger private balconies.

Villa : x1 : A single two-storey Villa is usually rented out in its entirety to a single group of guests and contains four deluxe rooms for up to six people.

Activities

Breezes Beach Club and Spa provides access to the following activities, not all of which are necessarily included in the usual room rate …

• Spa treatments
• Snorkelling
• Diving
• Kite-surfing
• Sailing
• Kayaking
• Reef-walking
• Village walks
• Cultural interaction
• Island tours

Of all the diverse beach locations that can be added to a safari in East Africa, Zanzibar is by far the most popular and therefore tends to feature in a high proportion of trips.

The usual stay duration is 3-7 nights.

Seasonality

The climate on Zanzibar Island is tropical, with predominantly hot, humid and sunny conditions.

There is rain on most days of the year, usually taking the form of light showers. During the Nov-Dec and Mar-May rainy seasons these can turn into heavy and persistent downpours.

There can also be very strong winds during the May-Jun early dry season period.

The best times down on the coast are therefore considered to be Jul-Oct and Jan-Mar, when there is usually slightly less rain and wind.

Unfortunately these best periods happen to coincide with the two peak seasons for visitor traffic.

Getting around

The majority of visitors to Zanzibar Island arrive via the international airport just southeast of Stone Town.
People including Zanzibar at the front end of their trip may arrive into Dar es Salaam over on the mainland, from where it is a short hop by light aircraft to the island.

Once on the island it is usual to travel around by guided overland transfers. Self-drive is most definitely not recommended.

by far the most popular beach location in East Africa