A new road for Paje – good or bad?

The next morning on the Paje strip. Kim is holding court in her tiny “Hanoi Café”. Over the last few years, street restaurants, kiosks, and boutiques have formed Zanzibar’s first and only tourism street scene here. BaraBara serves healthy breakfasts directly opposite The Soul holiday apartments – a sister investment of Fumba Town. At the bakery-bistro Corina’s Pastry, owner Corina Micu has started an elaborate buffet of cold cuts and drinks and called it “Aperitif Dinner”. It runs from 5.30 – 8 pm and is a good idea to get you in the mood for a real dinner.

The government plans to enlarge the Paje main road to a highway: Will it make the passage congested with bikers, pedestrians and trucks safer or unsafe? The discussion is on. “The best would be to convert the unique area into a pedestrian street in the evening”, suggests Kim. 

Tourist attractions beyond souvenir shops with carved giraffes and cheap t-shirts have moved from the beach to the village – not a bad sign. Will Zanzibar in five years look like Mallorca in the 70s? “Maybe, but not all progress is bad”, says Simon Beiser of Blue Oyster, a popular German-run family hotel in Jambiani. Only recently have hotels and villages in his area joined hands to build wells and water systems. Long-awaited feeder roads for villages are also under construction. After sunset, the industrial-style Bento food court in Paje gets ready for a wave of young customers. The new generation is definitely here.

Best stays for all budgets

The beauty of the southern East Coast is a wide variety of boutique hotels, apartments and villas. Here is THE FUMBA TIMES‘ pick – all offering special rates for residents.

Private comfort: Babu Villas – New! 3 lovingly furnished 

design apartments with pool and a terrace directly overlooking the white beach of Kibigiji; very private and very relaxed

Ultra-luxury: Xanadu – 9 top extraordinary domes with

butler service in an oceanfront paradise for a once-in-a-lifetime experience near Michamvi

Close to the party: B4 Boutique – quieter boutique hotel near the famous B4 beach club with 15 rooms in Paje, yummie sourdough breakfast & meeze

Cosy classic: Blue Oyster – 

18-room family-run hotel with an excellent kitchen, a quiet beach and a sustainability concept in Jambiani

Perfect hideaway: Daima Villas – private recluse with 6 homey rooms and Italian-Zanzibari cuisine in a tropical garden villa

 in Jambiani, 2 min to the beach 

Polish pleasures: Jambiani Villas & Passion Hotel – 3 beautiful compounds with villas and outstanding design hotel along Jambiani beach