Karafuu Beach Resort & Spa

The best place I could’ve wished for. Hotel was immaculate and the staff are all very friendly. Perfect location. The excursions, which you can book at the hotel were really well put on and again everybody was very friendly. Food for an all inclusive was exemplary. I would go as far as saying that this is the best place that I have stayed and an absolutely brilliant country. Views were great, weather was even better. Highly recommend the safari trip if you stay, best experience of my life.

A Mixed Second Visit to Zanzibar: Beautiful Resort with Some 5-Star Shortfalls. This was our second time visiting beautiful Zanzibar, and we returned with incredibly high expectations after an absolutely amazing first trip to the island. While our stay at Karafuu Beach Resort had its highlights and was ultimately enjoyable, as a self-proclaimed 5-star resort, there are several areas where it fell short of the mark. Here is an honest breakdown of the highs and lows of our stay. The Highlights: What We Loved There is no denying that Karafuu has some wonderful features and standout staff members who made our stay special: The Rooms & Grounds: Our room was incredibly spacious and comfortable. The resort grounds are lovely, featuring truly beautiful swimming pools. The Spa: If you are looking to unwind, the spa is fantastic and highly recommended. Standout Bar Staff: The bartenders were a major highlight of our trip! Most of them were incredibly friendly and always put extra effort into crafting great cocktails. Rizwa and Errasto deserve a special shout-out for their exceptional service and warm personalities. Activities & Entertainment: There was never a shortage of things to do. The resort has excellent game facilities, including pool tables, a ping pong table, basketball courts, and even a paddle court. The Animation Team: Kudos to the animation team, who did a fantastic job keeping guests entertained and always had some sort of activity lined up for everyone. Areas for Improvement: Where the 5-Star Experience Fell Short Unfortunately, for a resort of this caliber, there were several glaring issues that felt very welcoming-deficient and need urgent attention from management: Disappointing Breakfast Buffet: The breakfast selection was highly repetitive, offering the exact same limited options every single morning. Inconsistent Food Quality: The consistency of the food was shocking. For example, one morning the croissants would be fresh and beautifully soft, and the next morning we would be served rock-hard, stale croissants clearly left over from the day before. Frustrating All-Inclusive Restrictions: The resort desperately needs to make water and soft drinks available to all-inclusive guests at all times, rather than restricting them to specific hours. On our first day, we had an excursion planned outside the resort. When we asked for water to take with us, we were refused because it was before 10:00 AM. Denying guests drinking water in a tropical climate is unacceptable. Neglected Pool Furniture: The sun loungers at the main pool are in dire need of replacement. Out of 10 chairs we checked, only 2 were in an "okayish" condition to use; the rest were broken or badly damaged. Service Attitude: While the bartenders and animation team were wonderful, the rest of the staff—particularly the restaurant waiters—often felt unfriendly and unhelpful. Every time we asked a waiter for a drink at dinner, their attitude made us feel like we were causing a massive inconvenience.

Sorry for posting this review a little late, but our wonderful experience at Karafuu Beach Resort & Spa deserves to be shared. Our two daughters gifted us this trip to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, and it turned out to be one of the most beautiful memories of our lives. A very special thank you to the lady manager, who went above and beyond to make us feel special. Every day, she arranged a different, beautiful decoration in our room, making our anniversary celebration even more memorable. As we were the only Indian couple staying at the resort, she also made sure the chef prepared delicious Indian food for us. She regularly checked if we were comfortable and enjoying everything. Her kindness and personal attention meant so much to us. The resort has such peaceful and positive vibes. Everything was exceptionally clean, hygiene standards were excellent, and every member of the staff was friendly, caring, and welcoming. We truly felt at home. We also had an amazing scuba diving experience. The instructors gave us excellent training, made us feel completely safe, and took us on a fantastic full-day diving trip. It was an unforgettable adventure. Thank you to the entire team at Karafuu Beach Resort & Spa for making our silver wedding anniversary so special. We will always treasure these memories and highly recommend this beautiful resort to anyone visiting Zanzibar.

We had a beautiful week filled with fun, wonderful staff and it ticked mist of the boxes. Where it lacked it some ways they made up for it in other ways. Although the room was a bit dated it had everything we needed and was comfortable. If you are looking for a more rustic old school tropical island experience, you will get it here.