We were a group of 3 couples who travelled to Tanzania for 10 days and Zanzibar was our last stop.

Kikadini Villa is on the East Coast of Zanzibar in Jambiani and is about a 60-75min drive from the airport.

This has 3 villas, and we stayed in Villa Palm which had three bedrooms, one on the ground floor and two on the second floor. This also had a roof top terrace. The villa is entirely designed and furnished to a Moroccan theme and has a relatively private and peaceful beach. Sisil and his staff was very helpful and friendly and the food here was very good. We had the beach BBQ one night, which had lobster, king prawns, fish etc and was amazing. Unfortunately there breakfast menu was always the same with egg, toast, and fruit. Sisil's Virgin Passion Mojito is worth mentioning.

However, there were quite a few things that did not meet our expectations. The a/c in the two rooms upstairs were not working properly, and during Dec where outside temperature can go upto 35degrees this was a real problem. The toilets also seem to have a drainage issue as the water from the wash basin and shower area took a long time to drain through. None of the rooms had a telephone and if we needed something from the staff we had to go all the way to the main villa to speak to the staff. The room floors were quite sticky and had a very rusty smell.

Apart from these few issues, overall we had a pleasant stay and as said before the staff was very helpful and friendly.

We were three couples, so we had a lovely, separate, 3-bedroom villa to ourselves. Each room has large double bed, own bathroom, airconditioning, ceiling fan. The three bedroom villa also has its own roof terrace with plenty of shade for lazing, reading, taking advantage of the sea breeze, or looking at the stars (spectacular!). The stairs are challenging in the villa, so definitely not suitable for someone with mobility problems - only one room on the ground floor in our villa. The villa has its own dining room so we could probably have had some of our meals served there if we had requested this. Our first night we had a sea food barbecue served on the beach - very atmospheric.

The hotel is right on the beach, so you can spill out of bed straight into the gorgeous, 8 million shades of blue sea - there is a reef offshore so the sea is virtually without waves - like 800 olympic swimming pools in one, and hardly anyone around. Palm trees everywhere - we are talking gorgeous. Wear your watershoes as there are some small coral/rocks under water. My parents in law took a trip on a local boat which they really enjoyed.

Food - choice was varied enough for a week's stay - recipes were tasty, well prepared.

Staff - extremely professional, friendly, courteous and helpful. There is a team of 17 people, so we saw the same waiter and waitress every day, same housekeepers, security staff. Jeremie helped us with organising various activities and was always on hand. My parents in law also had massages on the roof terrace which they really enjoyed. The staff made us feel welcome, special even - maximum capacity is 14 people, I think, so it almost felt like we had the place to ourselves.

There is a lovely swimming pool with more space for lounging. The entire space is ordered, charming, quiet, very private and relaxing. There is wifi in the main part of the hotel.

Niggles - I dislike cats and there are two. I'm sure if I'd complained, they would have kept them away, but I suppose I don't hate them that much. There is a hotel next door with a pool and the kids there made a lot of noise some afternoons. Kikadini is child-free - hurrah! I could have escaped the kids by going to sit by the pool or going to the beach. Instead I put my headphones on. Also, it was not a problem for us at all, but the power cut out most evenings - the hotel has its own generator and that kicks in quickly.

I had been concerned about safety in Zanzibar, but there was no need to worry. There is a very laid back atmosphere, no-one approached me on the beach to sell things, and no-one came into the hotel grounds either. The hotel also has security at night which is reassuring.

I would definitely recommend Kikadini, and I'd love to go back.

We just got back from staying at this incredible resort and I can't recommend it highly enough!! The staff are amazing and will accomodate your every need . We stayed in a gorgeous, private and romantic villa overlooking the turquoise Indian ocean. Just go and enjoy being pampered in paradise!!

Hopefully the title gives you an indication of my thoughts about our recent stay at Kikadini Villas but to clarify exactly why I would recommend this unique 'hotel' to anyone thinking of staying in Jambiani I've included further details below:
1) Location:- Jambiani is in the south-east of Zanzibar (about an hour's drive from Stone Town & the airport) Kikadini Villas are literally right on the beach about half way through the village which runs down most of the south-east coast. The view from each of the 3 villas is picture postcard stuff. White sands & clear blue water which I can't accurately describe in words as they need to be seen to be believed.
2) Accommodation:- we stayed in Villa Maroc, the smallest of the 3 Villas in the hotel, however size is all relative! We were on honeymoon & had 2x bedrooms, 2x bathrooms, a living room & kitchen, although there's no facility for self catering (but it's really not required given the quality of the food that Jeremie, the Head Chef, serves up!) We also had a private balcony with a sheltered lounge area, sun loungers & even an outdoor bath tub which was amazing under the stars in the evening! The beds all have their own mosquito nets but make sure you take repellant as they can get pretty vicious in the evenings. As soon as the wind picks up, which it did most nights we were there, they buzz off but around dusk there can be quite a few of the little pests around. The maintenance staff were excellent & although we hardly even saw the cleaners (they were thoughtful enough to carry out their morning clean while we were at breakfast & their evening turn down while we were at dinner) the place was always spotless after they had visited. There's a public pool shared between the villas, which was cleaned every morning, as well as a restaurant area & shisha pipe lounge which is great for a late evening shot or 2 whilst experimenting with the flavoured shisha on offer!
3) Service:- Headed up by Jeremie, Kitty & Cycil the team at Kikadini couldn't have been better during our 6 night stay. Nothing was too much trouble & everything was done with professionalism & courtesy. As the hotel is relatively small we tended to deal with the same 4 or 5 people for the week that we stayed. (throughout our stay there were a max of 11 people staying in the 3 Villas, & for 2 nights we were the only couple there) This meant that we really got to know the team & they are a great bunch who were excellent at giving us private 'couple time' whilst also being available for a chat & a laugh when we were in the mood. I even managed to get taught some Swahili by the night watchman & the groundsman!! Genuinely can't fault the service & want to publicly thank everyone at Kikadini for making our time there so relaxing.
4) Food:- In summary, EXCELLENT! Jeremie (the previously mentioned Head Chef) spent 5 years in Bangkok & the food that he serves up is heavily influenced by this. We ate at the hotel every night for 6 nights & there was not 1 mouthful that we didn't enjoy. I won't give too much away as part of the magic of Kikadini was that there are a few surprises on the menu, however, the one thing I will say is that the seafood BBQ on the beach is a must!
5) Trips & Excursions:- there's a long list of trips & excursions that the management can arrange but we elected to 'free-style' a little bit. We ventured into Stone Town for a day (about an hour's cab ride away) where the market & little side streets are an explorer's delight. I'd never been to Africa before & it genuinely felt like I'd stepped into a different world. It's safe as houses & everyone that we met was pleasant, friendly & helpful. (if a little keen on getting hold of my holiday cash!) There are spice stalls, traditional butchers & fish merchants a-plenty & all are happy to chat & try to sell you their goods.
We also went snorkelling with StoneFish (one of the hotel staff) which I'd thoroughly recommend (cost around $40) The hotel has its own traditional Zanzibar fishing boat which we went out in & was great fun..... just don't expect the Royal Yacht Britannia!!
We also took a day trip out on Safari Blue which involved a boat trip & a seafood BBQ. Safari Blue wasn't organised by the hotel (apart from the logistics of getting us there & back) & instead it's an independent company who operate their own tours. It was a good day out but due to the numbers of people who go on it (there were 3 boats of about 20 people each when we went) it did feel a little bit like we were cattle getting herded around at times. It would be awesome for kids but I'm not sure I would recommend it for a honeymoon couple / chilled out holiday.
In summary there is nothing about our 6 night stay at Kikadini Villas that was not at least a 9 out of 10 in my opinion. Sure there are cheaper places to stay in Jambiani, however for what you get this place is certainly not over-priced. One thing to point out (which the team are aware of & working on) is that the prices on the website aren't 100% accurate. It's worth contacting the hotel directly to get accurate pricing. Ignoring this for a second, when we looked at the website before we booked we were afraid that the pictures & words on there had set our expectations too high, however, it was in fact, the other way around & the place was better than we could ever have imagined.
Hopefully we'll be back in Zanzibar in the future & I wouldn't even dream of staying anywhere else other than Kikadini Villas!!