Matemwe & Matemwe Retreat

Matemwe

Matemwe lies perched on a coral rock, surrounded by the best beaches and right opposite the Mnemba Atoll, which offers spectacular diving and snorkeling. The friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere, lush tropical gardens, fine white sand, intimate swimming pools, massages, and magnificent food specializing in fresh seafood make Matemwe the ultimate tropical paradise on the intriguing island of Zanzibar.

The lodge consists of 12 beautiful bungalows, built from local materials and surrounded by beautiful garden. Each suite has a private veranda with hammocks and couches overlooking the Indian Ocean. Inside the room, you'll find a grand, king-size bed, an extra single bed, plenty of space and personal touches. The bathrooms are large and have deep bathtubs and walk-in showers. Although mosquitoes are rare in Matemwe, all rooms are equipped with a large mosquito net.

The open-air restaurant overlooks the ocean and has a tranquil area to lounge in as well. Seafood is the specialty of the house, with all produce bought daily from the local markets. Lunch is a buffet offering a delicious mix of African and European flavors. Dinner offers a choice of main courses with fish, meat and vegetarian options.
Matemwe has a multi-level swimming pool surrounded with lounge chairs overlooking the ocean. Freshly mixed cocktails are served at the poolside bar.

Ngalawas, fleets of traditional wooden sailing boats, pass by Matemwe - delivering a dream for any photographer - and the lodge is a daily stop for the fishermen who sell fresh crab, lobster and fish to Matemwe for lunches and dinners. Enjoy this sight at early morning, when fresh coffee and delicious cookies are served at your veranda. In the evening, the full moon rising out of the sea is a wonderfully romantic experience.

For those who need to make contact with the outside world, we offer internet and telephone/fax facilities; television still hasn't made it to paradise.

Matemwe Retreat

The Matemwe Retreat is located on an amazing stretch of private land, just north of Matemwe's main lodge and right opposite the Mnemba Atoll. The Retreat consists of 3 fabulous, separate villas, full of atmosphere, inspiration and personal touches. Each ground floor of each villa (150 m2 including verandahs) features a private cocktail bar, an air-conditioned bedroom, a bathroom with double basins, shower, and large romantic bathtub overlooking the Indian Ocean. The best part of each villa is the plunge pool on the private roof terrace (60 m2), complete with sun and shade decks. And if this is not enough to make you want to stay there right now - the villas share their own beach.

The service in the Retreat is our pride: breakfast served on the private veranda of your room, so as not to disturb you. Each day the manager or chef will stop by to discuss lunch and dinner preferences: the catch of the day served in the privacy of your garden or roof terrace or a dinner at Matemwe's main lodge, where you can enjoy the company of other guests. Drinks are served in the room or on the beach and you can have massages and beauty treatments in the comfort of your roof terrace, overlooking the Indian Ocean.

The Retreat is built by local craftsmen, and where possible from local materials. Walls are of local stone and roofs are made of makuti (woven palm leaves). Most of the furniture is made from locally produced coconut wood. Soft furnishings are produced by Zanzibari women and the matting by the blind association in Stone Town. The sun, through our solar system, supplies hot water to the lodge. Materials from outside Zanzibar have only been used if we cannot get it locally or the quality is not good enough. Over 60% of the staff in the lodge are from the villages close to Matemwe.