Matemwe Beach is located on a long and idyllic palm-lined beach and is one of the best beach guesthouses on Zanzibar.

Matemwe Beach sits on north-east coast of the island on a beach which has some of the finest sand you will ever experience.

This is also a perfect base to relax and have a look at genuine Zanzibari life as the local village is close by. As you relax on the beach you will see local women farm seaweed, fisherman sail past in their dhow boats, fish drying in sun and chickens and ducks wandering freely across the white sand road.

The 23 rooms and suites offer comfortable and good quality accommodation, and there has clearly been some genuine thought put into what guests require to have a very relaxed and enjoyable holiday without any unnecessary focus on luxury.

The standard rooms which have recently been upgraded were impressive when we last visited in November 2012.  All rooms are clean and have comfortable beds, mosquito nets, table, chairs, wardrobes and an en suite bathrooms. Attractive fabrics and simple but effective local arts and crafts make the rooms very homely.

The suite rooms are a completely different design built on two floors with a double bedroom, central shower, separate toilet and upstairs "baraza" lounge.

The whole guesthouse has a very relaxed and friendly ambience particularly within the main makuti thatched building that houses the dining room and lounge area. The food is very good (amongst the best on the island) with some beautifully arranged "special dinners" either in the boma or on the beach.

The recently built swimming pool offers a place to swim and chill out, particularly at low tide.  Sun lounge beds are also set up on the beach where you can enjoy the cool breeze and take in the local ambience.

This is an excellent base for diving; diving takes place at the nearby Mnemba Atol and can be arranged through the in-house dive operator - Zanzibar One Ocean. Be aware however that you do have to take a short drive to board the dive boat at the very lowest tides.

Matemwe Beach is a lovely beach guesthouse located on our favourite area of Zanzibar - the north east coast.  The sea and sand are beautiful and the Zanzibar environment is totally genuine.