Karafuu means ‘cloves’ in Swahili and echoes the hotel’s location on the famous ‘spice isle’ of Zanzibar. Fronting on to a wide pure white sandy beach with fabulous views over the sapphire waters of the Indian Ocean, the Karafuu Hotel offers the ultimate island retreat. All the rooms are free standing bungalows in an African style, built under makuti thatch roofs, furnished with traditional Zanzibar furniture, offering their guests an entrance through a private garden.

Location:

The Karafuu Hotel is located on the Eastern Coast of Zanzibar, the ‘spice island’, which is part of Tanzania, and is one of East Africa’s most famous Indian Ocean beach resort destinations. The hotel is located on the east coast of Zanzibar, which is home to some of its most pristine and unspoilt beaches, and its most luxurious and romantic beach resort choices. Offering a wide selection of water sports and activities, this beautiful beach resort is just a short drive from the many restaurants, hotels and cultural attractions of Stone Town.

Accommodation:

The hotel offers a broad selection of rooms all housed in traditional palm-thatched buildings featuring traditional Zanzibari furniture. There are 26 Junior Suites, located in a palm grove (each has its own private garden and entrance, a scenic veranda, mosquito nets, large bedroom, dressing room, marble bathroom (hot and cold running water, shower and WC), ceiling fan, air-conditioning, hair-dryer, telephone, mini-bar and tea and coffee-making facilities), and 35 cottages.

Dining and bars:

There are three restaurants and two bars. Themed evening are held on the beach, in the hotel’s ’floating restaurant’ and poolside. Nightly entertainment includes traditional dancing, cabaret and disco.
The Karafuu Hotel menu will typically include a wide selection of East Africa, Tanzania and Swahili dishes as well as numerous international choices.

Conference and event facilities:

The hotel has two conference rooms and offers full business support services. The hotel also

Weddings and honeymoons

This ideal combination of hotel and beach resort makes an ideal Tanzania wedding destination. The hotel welcomes wedding parties and offers a broad range of packages plus a honeymoon suite.

Child-friendly facilities:

The hotel is exceptionally child-friendly. Family rooms, babysitting, children’s menus, children’s amusements, pool and beach games. The hotel also offers its own ‘Kindergarten’

Activities and recreation

The Karafuu hotel offers its own PADI dive school, 2 tennis courts, a massage room, 2 gift shops, games room, satellite TV room and business centre (WiFi connection).

Activities:

Swimming, snorkelling, diving, water sports, spice tours and dhow trips.

Other places of interest in Stone Town and around are: the Portuguese Fort, the Sultan’s Palace, the old Dhow Port, the Old Slave Market, the House of Wonders, the Old Dispensary, the home of the slaver, Tippu-Tip, the Livingstone House, The Hamamni Bath, The National Museum, The Chukwani Palace, The Jozani Forest – the last red colobus monkey sanctuary, The Mtoni Palace ruins, The Maruhubi Palace ruins and the Persian Baths of Kidichi.

Other attractions:

- The hotel offers a numbers of tours plus a visit to a traditional Swahili village where guests can meet the fisherman, sail on a traditional ‘ngalawa’ fishing boat and try the local ‘madafu’ cocktail.
- Water sports: swimming, snorkelling, sea kayaking, diving, kite-surfing, wind-surfing, sailing and more
- Dhow trips
- Cultural visits to fishing villages, dhow workshops and Tanzania artisans markets.

Cultural activities:

The heart of Zanzibar, Stone Town is the only functioning historical city in East Africa and is much the same today as it was 200 years ago. A city within a city, Stone Town is the oldest section of Zanzibar Town, and is made up of winding lanes and unique stone houses, many of which feature magnificent carved doors and overhanging fretwork balconies. Places of cultural interest in Stone Town and around include: the Portuguese Fort, Sultan’s Palace, old Dhow Port, Old Slave Market, Zanzibar House of Wonders, Stone Town Old Dispensary, Livingstone’s House, slave caves/slave market, The Hamamni Bath, The National Museum of Zanzibar, The Chukwani Palace, Jozani Forest (the last sanctuary of the red colobus monkey in East Africa), Mtoni Palace and Maruhubi Palace ruins, and the Persian Baths of Kidichi.

The Spice Tour

Most hotels offer access to the Spice Tour, a tour of the spice-growing fields and orchards of East Africa’s most famous spice exporter, which lie just outside Stone Town. Typically lasting half a day, the tours usually end up with shopping for spices and oils, or a visit to the slave caves and beach resort options.
Wildlife viewing this Tanzania hotel

Jozani Forest Tour

The Jozani Forest Reserve is the last sanctuary in the world for the rare red colobus monkey, which is endemic to this East African island. 35 kms from Stone Town, the reserve is also home to other key East Africa species including Syke's monkey's, bush pigs and nocturnal Zanzibar leopards. Jozani has an excellent nature trail and the guides are well trained and informative.