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The best hostels in Zanzibar

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Superb: 9+ Very good: 8+ Good: 7+ Pleasant: 6+
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Hostel 197 has an outdoor swimming pool, garden, a terrace and restaurant in Nungwi. Featuring a bar, the property is located within 400 metres of Nungwi Beach. The accommodation features room service, a concierge service and currency exchange for guests. I loved the ambience and hospitality here. The owner gave us an amazing welcome and the breakfast was also exceptional. The cleanliness in the rooms here was another five Star experience. We loved our stay and will stay again and again.

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9.7
Exceptional
108 reviews
Price from
US$18.70
per night

All rooms at the hostel are fitted with a seating area. With a private bathroom fitted with a shower and a hairdryer, rooms at Compass Hostel also feature a garden view. At the accommodation the rooms are fitted with air conditioning and a safety deposit box. So clean , comfortable and peaceful!the hot shower was amazing! And the common area had a peaceful space to work or just chill. The staff was very kind too

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9.7
Exceptional
119 reviews
Price from
US$11
per night

Located in Jambiani, 60 metres from Paje Beach, Jambiani Backpackers Hostel provides accommodation with an outdoor swimming pool, free private parking, a garden and a private beach area. Featuring free shuttle service, this property also provides guests with a barbecue. A terrace, an on-site bar and shared lounge are available. Really nice ,cozy and dreamy place. Doesn't feel like a hostel, more like a resort. I loved it. The staff are really supportive and friendly

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9.6
Exceptional
240 reviews
Price from
US$18
per night

Breakfast is available, and includes à la carte, continental and Full English/Irish options. At the hostel you will find a restaurant serving international cuisine. Vegetarian, halal and vegan options can also be requested. The food was delicious. The place exceeded my expectation! Beautiful simply, and clean!

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9.4
Superb
724 reviews
Price from
US$21
per night

Set within less than 1 km of House of Wonders and a 6-minute walk of Old Fort of Zanzibar, VUGA Hostel provides rooms in Zanzibar City. Among the facilities at this property are a shared kitchen and a shared lounge, along with free WiFi throughout the property. The property is non-smoking and is located 200 metres from Stone Town Beach. Great location only 5-10 minute walk from key sites like depo for Nakupenda Sandbank, Slave exhibition, Darajani Bazaar & the Freddie Mercury house. As it is in the centre of Stonetown it is also only 10mins from the airport. Can see the sea from there. Super nice host who was so lovely and accommodating. I booked it last min, the night before and messaged asking could I leave my luggage before a tour. She messaged instantly and left me in, even though I arrived even earlier than expected at 7.15am. She ensures your comfort and gives advice for tours/ restaurants. Private beds with curtains. Each bed also has a modern socket with USB & AC adapters. There are lockers with keys. Very new, just 4 months. There’s a kitchen area and bookings are blocked to make sure that there are not too many people in the room, but allow for more if travelling in one big group.

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9.4
Superb
57 reviews
Price from
US$15.30
per night

Serene Abodes provides rooms in Zanzibar City near Old Dispensary and Sultan's Palace, Zanzibar. The property is close to House of Wonders, Old Fort of Zanzibar and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Cathedral. The accommodation offers a 24-hour front desk, a shuttle service, a shared lounge and free WiFi.

Complete with a shared bathroom, the units at the hostel come with air conditioning, and certain rooms here will provide you with a seating area. Prime amazing location next to old dispensary 6meters away from the Main Street Mizingani road the touristic street , service is AMAZING Kassim was amazing , clean room and I felt at home since first night , the toilet although shared but completely clean always

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8.3
Very good
120 reviews
Price from
US$20
per night

A calm cozy hostel with a relaxing garden, perfect for younger backpackers and solo travelers conveniently located in the Nungwi Beach district of Nungwi, Green's Hostel Nungwi is situated 200 meters from Supermarket, 400 meters from East Africa Divers and 500 metres from World Wide Supermarket. The property is located 300 meters from Nungwi Beach. The accommodation offers a 24-hour security, a shared kitchen. A pool under the palms in the Green garden. Very well located. Staff was really nice and everything was comfortable and clean. We absolutely recommend it.

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8.4
Very good
479 reviews
Price from
US$25
per night

Popular points of interest near the hostel include Peace Memorial Museum, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Cathedral and Hamamni Persian Baths. Abeid Amani Karume International Airport is 7 km from the property. Everything was perfect. We booked the room with shared bathroom, but in our surprise we we we're upgrated for free to private bathroom. Thanks stuff.

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8.6
Fabulous
534 reviews
Price from
US$18
per night

Located in Paje, 100 metres from Paje Beach, Villa Upendo Paje offers beachfront accommodation and various facilities, such as a terrace. The property is around 50 km from Peace Memorial Museum, 35 km from Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park and 50 km from Hamamni Persian Baths. The accommodation provides a 24-hour front desk, airport transfers, a shared kitchen and free WiFi throughout the property.

At the hostel, each room has a wardrobe. Guest rooms at Villa Upendo Paje are equipped with a private bathroom and bed linen. We felt TOTALLY at home! Extended our stay for a further 2 nights! Extremely reluctant to check out! We were all up in tears when we left, as we were like family! All thanks to our fabulous hostess Maria, not forgetting Joseph and Kimu. Professional, efficient and so warm and kind! Loved the decor, ambiance and delicious dishes cooked by Maria! Fantastic location as it was less than 5 min walk to the beautiful beach and not far from the cbd. We would definitely recommend anyone to check in already! We will be back Maria and crew. Asante sana! Thank you soooo much for an absolutely wonderful stay!!!!

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8.6
Fabulous
55 reviews
Price from
US$36.45
per night

Set in Jambiani, Coconuts Bandas offers beachfront accommodation a few steps from Paje Beach and offers various facilities, such as a private beach area, a restaurant and a bar. The accommodation features evening entertainment and free WiFi.

All guest rooms at the hostel come with a shared bathroom and bed linen. I stayed 2 nights at Coconuts Bandas which is such a lovely place right on the beach of Jambiani. Breakfast is served in the little restaurant that belongs to the accommodation with cozy sofas and great atmosphere.The breakfast was great with different options, i had lunch and dinner there as well, everything freshly homemade cooked with many vegan options. The staff was very friendly and gave me recommendations for the area plus they helped me to arrange a taxi. Wake up and take a long walk on the beach at sunrise, you will definitely enjoy this beautiful spot. Highly recommended:)

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8.2
Very good
6 reviews
Price from
US$23.29
per night

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