Zuri Zanzibar

Zuri Zanzibar opened in July 2018 at the northern end of Kendwa beach, on the west-facing shore of Unguja where the tide never pulls the sea out of reach. The London and Prague studio Jestico + Whiles planned it as a village rather than a block: some fifty thatched bungalows and a handful of villas raised on stilts across five hectares of garden, built from coral stone, carved timber and makuti thatch and laid out to catch the sea breeze.

The sustainability credentials are unusually concrete. The resort became the first hotel anywhere to receive EarthCheck's Sustainable Design Gold certification, and it covers its own water needs with wells, a desalination plant and rainwater harvesting. A spice garden threads through the grounds, and the waste and education projects in Kendwa village are run with the community rather than for it.

Days are simple. The main pool looks west over the sea, the beach runs for 300 metres and evenings start with the sunset from the sand. Three restaurants move from live cooking at Upendo to a quieter table at Maisha by the pool, where booking ahead is wise. Maua Wellness has three massage rooms and a jacuzzi deck, and there is yoga every day. The Ocean Front Three Bedroom Villa, with its own 12 metre pool and a private stretch of beach, suits families or friends travelling together.