The Sands Beach Resort

The villa was clean, comfortable, location is perfect, and the staffs were amazing especially Mr Ali, he was so friendly and helpful, he made our stay enjoyable.
They were extremely accommodating and allowed us to check in early and to check out late. The service was exceptional as well, they celebrated Eid AlAdha with beach view dinner, amazing food and songs, Would definitely be again there.

Summary: The Sands is a terrific resort, located on a beautiful beach, with incredible facilities, terrific food, and an amazing staff. Highly recommended.

Go Deeper: The Sands Zanzibar Beach Resort is amazing. We stayed here with our two daughters in July 2023 and had an incredible time. This followed a safari on the mainland and then two nights in Stone Town at which point we were ready to relax and enjoy the beach. The Sands was exactly what we needed

Where to begin?

The property is immaculate. As you enter from the main road you’re overwhelmed by a sea of bougainvillea and other tropical flora. And the beach is a blinding shade of white, which descends into the Indian Ocean’s many shades of blue. Depending on the tide, you’ll wander on the bottom of the ocean and see crabs and other wildlife or spend hours swiming in the ocean’s warm waters.

The facilities are terrific. We stayed in a two-bedroom villa with our own private pool. The rooms were comfortable, well-decorated, and well equipped (hot water, AC, fans, etc.). While we visited during the busy season, there were no crowds and at times we felt we had the property to ourselves, whether we were at the beach or at the main pool, which was also very nice.

The food is excellent. Breakfast is a buffet-style setup with an omelet/egg station, some of the best crepes we’ve ever had, fresh fruit, great coffee, and a number of other options. For lunch we ate at the beach bar, which was also very good. French fries at the beach are one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Dinner is also buffet style, which changes every night. Depending on the catch of the day, there is a whole fish that is grilled onsite. They are also really nice salads and main courses that reflect Zanzibar’s diverse culinary heritage (Swahili, Bantu, Arab, Portuguese, Indian, British and even Chinese cuisine). You will not be hungry here.

But what truly sets The Sands apart is its staff, which is led by the general manager Mr. Amos and his assistant Mr. Ally. Both gentlemen took the time to introduce themselves to us and — on many occasions – followed up and asked us how we were doing. From the minute we checked in we were met with smiles and kindness. This continued throughout our stay, whether it was at the front desk (including Ms. Yesenti and Mr. Yasintia), the beach bar and restaurant (including Ms. Hameda), with the gardeners and housekeepers, or the Massai security staff. This also includes the amazing masseuse Debora, who provided my wife and I two excellent treatments (Tip: go for the deep tissue first and then follow up with the Swedish) before you check out). And because we had a very late departing flight, we were given a late checkout – which may not always be the case given the busy season, but which we really appreciated.

Bottom line: this was the perfect end to an amazing trip and I would not hesitate to stay here again. I’d like to thank the entire team at The Sands for a truly wonderful stay. Asante sana!

Really nothing to say !! EXCELLENT…
Staff very very friendly and there for every need.
The Beach 🤩 ….
The bar .. and the cocktails alcoholic and NON alcoholic … 👍👍👍🤤
The food … AMAZING 🤩 and 🤤🤤!!, breakfast and dinner .. fresh, tasty… you can eat with your eyes shut without any worry..
The villas are clean, and a very good size! Security 24/7..

Without any doubt I will come back, (and this time do a Safari before hand !!).
An super hôtel to just relax and get away from reality for a week.

Thank you for everything… Alex (villa 120)

It’s a beautiful small, personal hotel with and guest relation manager who cares. That’s ally. First impression at the reception is basic but once you walk through to the main area it’s magical. The restaurant staff and choice of menu is superb. The rooms are spacious and clean. The grounds are well managed and beautiful. Access to the pool and beach is great. It was a lovey experience made all the better by Ally and the restaurant staff.

Beautiful tropical beach, grounds and bungalows. Clean, new, spacious 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom villas with dining area and kitchenette (no cooking facilities) that are great for families or groups looking for more space to spread out as well as standard bungalows nice for couples who want a clean, comfortable room with air conditioning. The property is set on large tropical grounds on the beautiful beach in Dongwe with a nice restaurant and beach bar, Bucaneer PADI Dive Center and Aquaholics Surf School on site. One of the better, newer properties located in this area close to many 5 star hotels and facilities within walking distance on this stretch of beach.

The Sands is set in a beautiful tropical garden with palms and Bougainville flowers everywhere. The beach is amazing and one of the top best of the island, with white and soft sand. Villas are spacious and and all of them with a view of the ocean. I love the restaurant position, overlooking the gardens and the big pool. For those who love Diving you can find a 5 star PADI diving center and the amazing and sole Surf school in the island! I've paid a visit during the setting up of the property for a NEW opening at June 1st and I'm looking forward to spend a great holiday again in the summer season!

Secret paradise! Beautiful hotel, fantastic beach with white powder sand, very polite and helpful stuff, makes this hotel one of the most the best I ever been at. The hotel is never crowded, even if is full of guets. Lovely beach bar with swings, pool and 160 sqm villas with big terrace and magnificent view are breathtaking! This is definitely a joy of my life!

Definitely Recommend this resort!
It was simply beautiful, the staff was very friendly and helpful, it has a nice beach, a bar where they make great cocktails, even ones in coconuts, the restaurant offers a variety of nice dishes, fruits, fish, everything. Every night they had a different huge fresh fish. Everything was great and we had a good time there. Also it is on a good location, easy to access other beaches. Pool is also nice. Almost no mosquitos. Really, I cannot say anything bad about the place, would visit again!