Every now and again a lodge comes along that has a strangely indefinable magic – a phenomenon that people sometimes describe as something being “greater than the sum of the individual parts.” And that definitely applies to Unguja, a lodge on the southern tip of Zanzibar which, in its uniquely understated way, inevitably manages to charm the guests who stay there.

This small upmarket lodge is located near the village of Kizimkazi – famous for the excursions to see the many dolphins that make this bay their year round home. The most remarkable feature of the lodge has to be the eleven very spacious private villas which boast stunningly original curvaceous architecture and are beautifully decorated in typical Zanzibar style. Other than the bedrooms themselves, the villas are largely open air – so you can be showering or brushing your teeth and at the same time be able to look out over the blindingly blue waters of the lagoon just beyond! There are screens to preserve guests’ modesty, but some people may perhaps find the sheer openness of the bathrooms initially a little disconcerting. the most remarkable feature of the lodge has to be the eleven very spacious private villas which boast stunningly original curvaceous architecture and are beautifully decorated in typical Zanzibar style"

Another lovely aspect of the villas are the comfortable lounge areas with their baraza seating areas strewn with cushions from where you can chill out watching the age-old passage of the local fishermen sailing past the lodge in their traditional dhows. The 2 room types at Unguja, the Baobab and Sea View Villas, are very similar with a couple of important differences. The 7 Sea View Villas sit on a small coral shelf/clifftop about 2 metres above the beach and all face out across the sea. These rooms often get a lovely sea breeze, and do not have air-conditioning. By way of contrast, the 3 Baobab Villas are all set inland and face into a little small garden around a huge baobab tree. Though you sacrifice the sea view, you’re compensated in the form of a private plunge pool/jacuzzi on your porch area and because these rooms don’t receive the cooling sea breezes as readily they are equipped with air-conditioning.

Another highlight of the lodge are the wonderfully friendly and welcoming Dutch owners, Elies and Ralph, who go out of their way to make their guests feel at home. Their warm hospitality goes hand in hand with the intimate bar area where guests inevitably meet and chat over a cold Kili or G&T whilst watching the sunset (a benefit of the lodge being on the southern tip of the island) before heading into the adjacent restaurant which consistently serves up some of the very best food on offer on the island.

Another thing that we loved were the lush lodge gardens that make the lodge a green oasis filled with butterflies and birds (unfortunately they also make taking decent pics of Unguja an absolute nightmare as it’s almost impossible to get a decent view of the rooms or main lodge building on account of the luxuriant plant growth!) Another lovely area is the pool which, rather than overlooking the ocean like so many other lodges, instead leads directly off the bar/restaurant area making for a lovely communal area.

So what of the lodge’s weak points? Well this is one of the quietest, most traditional parts of the island with very few other lodges, beach bars and restaurants – so if you’re wanting a bit of nightlife away from your lodge then Unguja is not the lodge for you. And if you’re looking for endless white sand beaches lined with palm trees then you’d be better off heading instead to the east coast too – the beach at Unguja is quite small (about 70 metres long) and accessed by steps that lead a couple of metres down the coral cliffs found on this stretch of the coast. At high tide the sand directly in front of the rooms is usually completely submerged and instead it is more like descending the stairs of a swimming pool directly into the water.

Of course another option if you’re looking for picture perfect sand, sea and swimming conditions is to head out on one of the excursions to the nearby islands and sandbars that dot the bay. These are offered by the dive centre based at the lodge which also offers uncrowded diving on the far less explored reefs of the south - and of course Kizimkazi is renowned for excursions where you have the chance of swimming with the dolphins that inhabit the bay.

Some of the most attractive and innovatively designed rooms on the entire island – hugely spacious and with a unique open air feel that delights most guests

Elies and Ralph are wonderfully warm hosts who, rather than being professional hoteliers, have instead built and run Unguja in a successful attempt to create the type of place they always enjoyed staying at as guests themselves

You’re in the dolphin centre of Kizimkazi – so you can beat the rush of day-trippers from elsewhere on the island and have the ocean (and hopefully some dolphins) all to yourself

Excellent food and intimate atmosphere perfect for lovers of peace and tranquility

The beaches here don’t fit the stereotypical endless white sandy beaches lined with palm trees that Zanzibar is famous for

Open air bathrooms may feel a bit too exposed for some people wanting greater feeling of privacy

It may perhaps have been the time of year we visited, but we found more mosquitoes than average here (most guest reviews don’t comment negatively in this regard though so we were perhaps unlucky)