Tembo House Hotel has always been one of Zanzibar’s greatest hospitality gems, as the first seaside hotel within the UNESCO Heritage Site of Stone Town. Since 1994, the hotel has welcomed and wowed guests, and it continues to add to the island’s distinctive history. Whether you’re visiting Zanzibar for business or pleasure, the 4-star Tembo House Hotel and Apartments provides luxury and convenience. The hotel is equipped with everything you’ll need for a pleasant stay. The hotel offers 24-hour room service, free Wi-Fi in all rooms, a 24-hour front desk, disabled amenities, and express check-in and check-out. Some rooms provide amenities such as televisions with LCD or plasma screens, internet access (wireless), a private pool, and a whirlpool bathtub, ensuring a good night’s sleep.
Season and location
The Tembo House Hotel is located on the seaside in the heart of Stone Town, approximately 10-15 minutes from the international airport. Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Pemba, and Arusha, as well as the Selous Game Reserve and the northern parks, all have daily flight links to and from this hotel.
There are also flights to Mombasa and Nairobi on a regular basis, as well as a ferry service between Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam and Pemba. Zanzibar is also connected to Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Bagamoyo, and Mombasa by dhows. When to go: Zanzibar’s climate is characteristic of the Equatorial region. Between December and March, the weather is hot and dry. From June to October, the weather is cooler and dryer. Heavy rains are forecast from March until the end of May, with only a few days of rain in November.
Tembo Residence Hotel’s exceptional position means you can easily navigate the winding alleyways of Stone Town to visit the Peace Memorial Museum, the Palace Museum, Forodhani Gardens, the Old Fort, Tippu Tip’s house, and all of the historic town’s marvels.
The history of the hotel
The Tembo House Hotel has seen much of Zanzibar’s history and has hosted some of the island’s most renowned visitors. The seashore of Tembo House Hotel was where fisherman hauled in their catch from the sea for generations, from the 8th century AD to the 15th century AD. In the late 15th century, the first Portuguese ships to sail to Zanzibar would have been visible from Tembo. One of the first stone buildings in Zanzibar’s Stone Town was built with influences from China, India, Oman, and the Bantu people.
In the nineteenth century, the first American consulate in Zanzibar was established here in 1836, shortly after the Omani Sultanate relocated its headquarters to Zanzibar in 1832. We can only suppose that the Sultans and Consuls drank tea while watching the sunset over Zanzibar. We do know, however, that notable explorers such as Ludwig Krapf, Henry Morton Stanley, and probably David Livingstone, explored the grounds of Tembo. From the early 1880s, the Tembo House Hotel would host one of, if not the largest, trade companies on the East African coast: The Cowasjee Dinshaw and Brothers Company. Commerce and camaraderie flourished in this setting, and a wooden elephant stood in the courtyard to observe it all.
This place got its name from the elephant, which is called “Tembo” in Swahili. If you come to Tembo, you will tread in the footsteps of the previous great visitors. You’ll be walking with Mahatma Gandhi, India’s transformational Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, music legend Freddie Mercury, television sensation Peter Andre, and many other notable figures.
The lounge
Follow the checkered flooring to the hotel’s center, where you’ll find a lovely Arabian-style courtyard. It’s a nice, tranquil location hidden away from the hectic streets of central Stone Town, with traditional Swahili furnishings and plenty of hanging seats for relaxing. There is also a swimming pool where you may cool down. The Bahari Restaurant, which overlooks the sea, serves a range of local and international dishes (but no alcohol). For a more romantic evening, climb up to the roof terrace for a private meal for two under the stars.
Accommodation
The hotel has 37 rooms, each with its own set of antique furniture and decorations. All of the rooms include air conditioning and private bathrooms. Some feature balconies that look out over the beach or the pool. There is a swimming pool in the motel. Tembo House Hotel’s 37 rooms are furnished in a classic Zanzibar style, with antique furniture and artifacts from all over the world. It’s a colorful experience thanks to the stained glass windows.
All 37 apartments, which are arranged around the central courtyard, have views of the ocean or the courtyard, and all have little wooden terraces, as is customary in Arabic architecture. You’ll be transported back to Zanzibar’s past with traditional dark wooden bed stands, antique tables, closets, and ornaments, as well as low-slung sofas.
What to see and do
Swimming, snorkeling, sea kayaking, diving, water sports, dhow trips, and nature walks are among the activities available and offered at the hotel, as are visits to a dhow workshop and the gloomy caverns of the Mangapwani Slave Caves, where slaves were concealed after slavery was abolished, making their shipment illegal. The Portuguese Fort, the Sultan’s Palace, the old Dhow Port, the Old Slave Market, the House of Wonders, the Old Dispensary, Tippu-Tip, the Livingstone House, The National Museum, The Chukwani Palace, The Jozani Forest-the last red colobus monkey sanctuary, The Mtoni Palace ruins, The Maruhubi Palace ruins, and the Persian Baths of Kidichi are among the other attractions.
