Jafferji Beach Retreat

Property class: 3.5

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Located close to Mnemba Island, Jafferji Beach Retreat provides a terrace, a garden, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Treat yourself to a manicure/pedicure, a facial, or a massage at the onsite spa. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi.
VIP Access

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Pool
  • Spa
  • Free WiFi
  • Air conditioning
  • Laundry

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 2 of 2 rooms

View all photos for Standard Room

A room with a canopy bed, striped armchairs, a wooden cabinet, and a glass coffee table.

Standard Room

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • Sea view
  • 24 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Sea View Room

A bedroom with a bed under a canopy, a wooden sofa, a nightstand, a small table with a candle, and artwork on the walls.

Sea View Room

  • Sea view
  • 24 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

About the neighborhood

Located in Matemwe, Jafferji Beach Retreat is on the beach. Nungwi Mnarani Aquarium is a popular attraction and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Muyuni Beach and Mapenzi Beach. Kiwengwa Beach and Nungwi Beach are two other places to visit that come recommended. Scuba diving, snorkeling, and surfing/body boarding offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with horse riding nearby. Visit our Matemwe travel guide
Map
Matemwe, Matemwe, 1111

What's nearby

  • A sandy beach with three wooden boats and lush green vegetation.
    Muyuni Beach
    11 min drive - 4.9 km
  • A boat on a calm sea at sunset with clouds in the sky.
    Kiwengwa Beach
    27 min drive - 17.1 km
  • A beach with wooden chairs and tables, a rope barrier, and several boats on turquoise water.
    Nungwi Beach
    43 min drive - 21.2 km
  • A calm sea at sunset with a boat and a pier on the right.
    Kendwa Beach
    47 min drive - 25.9 km
  • Matemwe
    13 min walk - 1.2 km

Getting around

  • Zanzibar Intl. Airport (ZNZ)
    99 min drive

Restaurants

  • Kasha boutique hotel
    8 min walk
  • Jua Grill
    11 min drive
  • Sunshine Marine Lodge
    8 min drive
  • Villa Kiva Garden Restaurant
    10 min drive
  • Marlin Local Restaurant
    10 min drive

About this property

Jafferji Beach Retreat

  • Hotel near Muyuni Beach
  • Located close to Mnemba Island, Jafferji Beach Retreat provides a terrace, a garden, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Treat yourself to a manicure/pedicure, a facial, or a massage at the onsite spa. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can connect to free in-room WiFi.
  • Other perks at this hotel include:
    • An outdoor pool along with sun loungers
    • A roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge), luggage storage, and tour/ticket assistance
    • Multilingual staff, a 24-hour front desk, and wedding services
    • A front-desk safe, concierge services, and a gift shop
  • Room features
  • All guestrooms at Jafferji Beach Retreat have perks such as air conditioning and separate sitting areas, in addition to amenities like free WiFi and safes.
  • Extra amenities include:
    • Bathrooms with showers and free toiletries
    • 32-inch flat-screen TVs with cable channels
    • Separate sitting areas, electric kettles, and daily housekeeping

Similar properties

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  • Pool
  • Breakfast included
  • Spa
  • Kids pool
9.2 out of 10, Wonderful, 97 reviews
The price is AED 397
AED 486 total
includes taxes & fees
6 Nov - 7 Nov
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Frequently asked questions

Does Jafferji Beach Retreat have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

Is Jafferji Beach Retreat pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking?

Jafferji Beach Retreat doesn't offer parking.

What time is check-in at Jafferji Beach Retreat?

Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: midnight.

What time is check-out at Jafferji Beach Retreat?

Check-out is at 10 AM.

Does Jafferji Beach Retreat provide a shuttle to the airport?

Yes, there's an airport shuttle.

Where is Jafferji Beach Retreat located?

This Matemwe hotel is on the beach, 2.7 mi (4.3 km) from Muyuni Beach, and within 9 mi (15 km) of Mapenzi Beach and Kiwengwa Beach. Nungwi Mnarani Aquarium and Nungwi Beach are also within 12 mi (20 km).

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Reviews

Jafferji Beach Retreat Reviews

8.8

Excellent

9.6

Cleanliness

8.0

Location

9.2

Staff & service

8.8

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 24 out of 38 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 8 out of 38 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 38 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 38 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 38 reviews

Reviews

Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice setting; friendly personnel; large and clean rooms; OK restaurant
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely place to stay. Food was ok. Room very spacious and beautifully decorated. Massage was absolutely beautiful. The staff were very attentive and friendly, the manager was a bit of an opportunist and will try get extra $$ when he gets a chance. Overall beautiful place. Would definitely recommend.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a great stay and a wonderful time at J.B.R. The property is well kept, cozy and very pretty; our room was clean, spacious and comfortable. The restaurant is excellent! The service is a little slow (no issue for us), the staff is friendly, the food is delicious and not expensive. Cherry on the cake: 1. We loved the shampoo & body wash offered by the resort; 2. The live band on Wednesday was a great surprise and so much fun!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good holiday option for this part of Zanzibar. Very friendly and helpful staff. Good food and options.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We really enjoyed our stay in this hotel. The staff was really friendly and helpfull. Everything was easy there we book some trips with them and it was good. The breakfast is good and the restaurant part serve good food. The view on the beach from the pool is beautiful. I highly recommend this place to whoever want to go in Zanzibar.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I stayed in the hotel for two weeks in the off-season, I was able to fully enjoy the magical rest. I had a massage, swam in the pool and in the ocean with the dolphins and long walks on the beach every day. The staff always made me feel comfortable and never let me lack anything. Always courteous, smiling and helpful. The food was delicious. The room spacious, bright, with a special view directly over the ocean. I would highly recommend staying at Jaffery Beach Retreat to anyone who wants to get away from stress and enjoy days of absolute relaxation and hakuna matata! Thank you so much for your hospitality. Best regards from Italy Sara
Stayed 14 nights in Jun 2022
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service

Good hotel.

Good hotel. Clean, very friendly and helpful staff. I think the description of Boutique hotel does not correspond to reality, a good 3 star hotel, well decorated, but which has had its day, at the moment well used. The location was good for our purpose, scuba diving on the island of Mnemba. The beach in front of the hotel is full of boats and (this may change) full of sea urchins. Not the most pleasant place to swim. For breakfast you get a plate of fruits, juice, water, coffee or tea and you can choose a dish: English or Omelette or Porridge, etc. If you want anything else, you will have to pay US$10.00. Few good options for lunch or dinner outside the hotel, 1 restaurant very close, and another one you have to walk about 20 minutes by the beach. We ate a few times at the hotel during our stay, the food was good. Drinks reasonably priced, not exaggerated like other hotels.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2023
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Off the beaten path, but comfy and relaxing

The staff at Jafferji is fantastic. They go out of their way to be friendly and welcoming. In particular we had a local guide for a snorkeling excursion booked through the hotel and he was amazing. We were able to swim with a pod of wild dolphins because he knew their habits so well. The people are great. BUT. Jafferji really needs to work on nickel and diming. Things like charging two dollars for water with lunch or dinner really sends a negative signal. Thirty dollars for sunscreen is also pretty atrocious. Water and sunscreen are two things you can't really negotiate on and they seem to know it. I'm sure that these practices are par for the course in Zanzibar, but they left a bad taste in my mouth. Other than that, a great trip and I do recommend it.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2018
Verified review

2/10 Terrible

Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
La camera era discreta il bagno invece faceva schifo, sporco, maleodorante e mancante di tutti gli accessori. Spesso è mancata l'elettricità e quindi anche l'acqua ed il wifi. Ristorante sufficiente ma carente sul menu. Personale attento e disponibile. L'Hotel ha bisogno di urgente ristrutturazione,
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Super belle place et staff incroyable. Merci à Munis pour nous avoir donné un si bon service. Je recommande fortement cette place.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nettes Hotel, nettes Servicepersonal, leider im Dachumbau, was den ruhigen Strandnachmittag etwas beeinträchtigt hat. Hotel verfügt über eigene Liegen und ist direkt am Strand. Dadurch ist man direkt am Strand und doch privat. Das ist auch nötig, da der Strand an sich zwar schön ist aber für die wenigen Touristen kaum nutzbar. Gefühltes Verhältnis Strandverkäufer zu Tourist 10:1. Das beginnt spätestens am 2.Tag zu nerven. Zimmerreinigung ist sehr gewissenhaft und sticht mit ihrem Arbeitseifer heraus. Preise für Essen und Getränke, eher hochpreisig und für die Region übertrieben. Es gibt aber kaum Alternativen.
Sicht vom Hotel über Privatstrand zu öffentlichem Strand
Öffentlicher Strand
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2025
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Hotel calme, personnels adorables, cuisine delicieuse.aurait besoin d un coup de neuf, eloignement important
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The whole setup of this property is amazing. The staff from the manager to the wait staff were super welcoming and helpful. Best seafood pasta i have had hand down. The location is quiet remote however. If you're ok spending time with yourself totally do it. I will be booking again.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2021
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place, beautiful beach. Extra plus for reusable glass bottles for water!
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Property is well kept. Pool looks a little larger in the photo than in reality but otherwise everything is as pictured on their site.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We were immediately upgraded to a huge suite with spectacular furniture with ocean view, because we booked with Expedia. MJ and the staff treated us royalty. As a boutique hotel, the menu was limited but fresh and the breakfast service choices were enjoyable.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I hadn't been to Zanzibar in many years and was afraid that the road from Stone Town (we took the ferry from Dar es Salaam) would be rough but it was a pleasant surprise to see the road was completely smooth, well maintained all the way to Matemwe. There were 6 of us staying at Jafferji Beach Retreat and were warmly welcomed on our arrival by manager "MJ" with a nice cool drink. Our rooms were very spacious and clean. The pool was very clean and nice to relax at. The breakfast each morning was excellent with a range of choices. We had dinner at Jafferji each evening and every meal we had was well-prepared - they have a great chef! Grilled octopus is a great choice as well as the prawns, if you like seafood. There are only small resorts bordering the Jafferji so this portion of the beach in Matemwe is very quiet. Most of the activity we could see were fishermen fishing with nets in the reef, which goes out several hundred meters. The reef is rough with a lot of sea urchins so if you venture out on the reef, make sure to wear thick diving boots or shoes you don't mind getting wet. If you head to the right on the beach, you will find a small fish market that is very active around noon. There are also a couple other resorts and restaurants down that way if you want to try lunch or dinner someplace else to mix it up. My wife had a pedicure and we all had a massage at the spa. Great massage! The masseuses come from Cinnamon Spa in Stone Town. MJ did a great job managing!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2021
Verified review

4/10 Poor

nothing
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The hotel has a great location and views. Spacious room, friendly staff, ready to assist with anything.
Stayed 9 nights in Mar 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

A place to recomend

Good location. Very nice room with wooden stylish furniture.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2021
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Cool, funky rooms in a nice hotel!

Big rooms, comfortable beds, nice pool and right on the beach. Quite small menu with okay food. Waiters were kind but a little bit to eager when cleaning tables which made us stressed. Otherwise very helpful!
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
One must travel a short distance on a bit of a "safari" road to reach Jafferji Beach Retreat, but this only adds to the charms of this remote gem! Once there you will be warmly greeted by Mr. Munisini (spelling?) who is the quintessential host--his answer to most requests: "Why not?" The room was splendid and the staff very attentive. The property is sheltered from a string of resorts up the beach by a coral outcropping and affords a view of Mnemba Island. The restaurant serves the best food in Zanzibar! I hope it never changes!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort

Unfriendly management but very nice staff

Our trip was spoiled by an overbooking situation. This was then handled very poorly by the manager, Anna. Overbooking is just unacceptable, and worse, our second night was somehow the one overbooked. So the proposed solution was to kick us out of the room that we were already in. Everything could have been handled much better, but Anna was not the person to do it. While she did accommodate significantly, and give us a better room for the first night, and eventually "find" a room for us for the second night, she left a very bad taste in the mouth. Even after everything was agreed, she missed a detail in our agreement, and came to our dinner table to further accost us during our last night, after we had finally started feeling good about our vacation again. Accommodating, yes, but poor demeanour from Anna. The property itself is not worth the price. I would put this at the upper range of the mid-level properties on the island in terms of price, but it was not in terms of amenities and interior comfort. The beach was not cleaned and had loads of seaweed buildup, while other properties had this cleaned. Even the sand area that is raised and not part of the public beach did not have pristine sand as it should. The food was simply tasteless, and we tried it all because it was free as part of our agreement. Not to mention the shame on the owner, and honestly all of us staying there to have a place where we pay more per night than the locals 3 feet away may make in years.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I really liked the property itself. The rooms were great, with an amazing aesthetic. I definitely knew I wasn't is some boring chain hotel! The grounds and pool were nice. The food was good and so was the service. Location was good but you are in the middle of a fishing village.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
All the hotel, the rooms, the restaurant, the pool and beach are very clean. The staff is friendly and try to help for all your Needs. We had excellent food in the Restaurant. Perfect holiday!!!
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2019