Scroll directly to
Are you looking for a responsible and eco-friendly way to visit Zanzibar and enjoy its beautiful beaches by the Indian ocean? So was I, but I discovered that finding vegan-friendly, sustainable, green hotels, bungalows and other accommodation is not easy on this island. Don’t worry, I did the research for you and will share my favourites around the island in this article.
After checking out these tips for sustainable hotels on Zanzibar, be sure to also check out
- Vegan (street) food and dishes in Zanzibar, Tanzania
- My favourite favourite vegan-friendly restaurants in Zanzibar
- My favourite vegan-friendly hotspots in Arusha, Tanzania
- Tips for a responsible, ethical, vegan safari in the Serengeti, Tanzania
- Chumbe Island Coral Reserve – the ultimate eco-tourism on Zanzibar
Hodi Hodi Boutique Beach Houses - Matemwe Beach
https://www.hodihodizanzibar.com
The accommodation
Hodi Hodi means ‘knock knock?’ to which the answer here is always ‘Karibuni’: you are welcome. Julia Bishop, the owner, clearly cares deeply about both people and the planet and that is visible in everything that is decided in this beautiful piece of paradise. People from the local villages are employed and schooled to support their communities, they minimise the use of plastic, they are very conscious about their water and energy usage and they built the gorgeous boutique houses from locally sourced materials. The pool is tiny but very comfortable, but we hardly spent time in it anyways. The beach right in front of Hodi Hodi, with huge palm trees providing shade any time of the day, is in our opinion the most best beach of Zanzibar.
The food – shifting to 100% plant-based!
But perhaps the main reason to come here, is the food. At the end of our Tanzania trip, we concluded that the food we had at Hodi Hodi was the best food we had throughout this journey. And that says a lot, because we had a LOT of amazing food in Zanzibar and the mainland. In line with their love for the environment and especially the beautiful coral reef in front of their coast, which is being depleted and destroyed due to fishing, Julia was already considering shifting to completely plant-based with locally and sustainably sourced ingredients as much as possible. After sparring with us during our stay, she decided to go for it! Luckily, the chefs already know very well how to prepare incredible vegan meals, as we’ve experienced.
Mangrove Lodge – Eco-bungalows in Chuini (North of Stone Town)
The accommodation
This secluded little paradise is all about sustainable, eco-friendly, economically conscious and socially responsible tourism. They make great efforts to preserve the environment. From responsible waste management to striving for zero waste and zero plastic, and from organizing beach clean-ups to collecting grey water and building with only locally sourced materials. On top of that, they buy and employ local and seasonal as much as possible.
We were surprised by the beauty and comfort of this place. The bungalows are cute and comfortable, hidden in a beautifully kept rich garden. The pool area however, is the absolute highlight. The pool’s shape follows the shape of the rocks, giving it a natural pool-feel. The swing-beds perfectly overlooking the sunset and the local community coming out to meet and enjoy the beach in front of the lodge, is an absolute joy.
The food
Mangrove Lodge has their own cosy restaurant and bar which serves a variety of delicious vegan dishes. That’s a good thing, because Mangrove Lodge is very secluded (in a mangrove) so you don’t have many restaurants or streetfood stands nearby. If you let them know you are vegan, they will also prepare you an incredible vegan breakfast apart from the breakfast buffet.
Blue Oyster Hotel – Jambiani
Blue Oyster is a very comfortable, cosy, family-run hotel, directly at the beautiful white beach of Jambiani. Many other accommodations and tour operators around the island we spoke with, called Blue Oyster “exemplary” regarding their eco-friendly policies. And that was confirmed during our stay. Sustainability is visible all around this place. The reception holds a huge book of everything they do to preserve the environment, reduce their footprint and support local communities. As part of their green mission, they do not offer a pool or air-conditioning, but luckily the rooms are cool, have a fan and the ocean is right in front of you. The Arabian style bathrooms are absolutely gorgeous and the staff is very friendly.
The food
Blue Oyster Hotel has a small restaurant overlooking the ocean, serving an a la carte dinner, lunch and breakfast. If you let them know in advance, they will make sure that more items of the delicious breakfast will be plant-based. The buffet served freshly baked bread with local jams, chapati, kachori, bean stew and lots of fresh fruit.
Cristal Resort Eco-Bungalows – Paje
https://www.cristalresort-zanzibar.com
The accommodation
The vibrant little town of Paje was our favorite place in Zanzibar, and Cristal Resort was the perfect, spacious eco-paradise to stay at. From the adorable, minimalistic little eco-bungalows you step right onto the white sand underneath insanely tall palm trees to take a dip in the ocean. It’s perfectly situated at a more quite part of the beach, but still within 10 minutes walk to the center, beach bars and cafes. The lounge is very stylish and clean with a proper Ibiza-vibe and pool is large and comfortable. They are working consciously on becoming increasingly eco-friendly with as an important step becoming very vegan-friendly.
The food
Cristal Resort has a very cool cocktail bar and restaurant by the beach, with seats and swings integrated with the palm trees and their roots. Although most of the staff had never heard of the word “vegan”, they sure have now after our visit! And once they got it, they went out of their way to make us comfortable. That included delicious vegan pancakes at breakfast, the most delicious Thai curry we’ve had since Thailand (the chef is Thai!) and gorgeous vegan sushi from the sushi master.
Spice Palace Boutique Hotel – Stone Town
https://www.spicepalacehotel.com
The accommodation
Perfectly located right in the middle of the ancient center of Stone Town and within minutes from basically anything, this very modestly priced hotel was the perfect getaway for us. The rooms are clean and very comfortable with a huge, modern bathroom and cute balcony overlooking the narrow old streets. They also have a gym and the so-called JAWS-bar and everywhere you look, the funny signs and slogans make you smile. Although they are not necessarily focused on sustainability, what won it for us was the beautiful rooftop terrace from which they also serve their delicious vegan-friendly breakfast.
The food
We only had breakfast here, which happened to be very vegan-friendly. The staff is more than happy to show you which traditional Zanzibari foods are vegan and which are not. Luckily, a LOT is fully plant-based.
