Mbweni Ruins provides elegant, characterful accommodation in a unique location on a sheltered west coast beach, just south of Zanzibar's Stone Town. It is set in a glorious seven acre botanical garden, in the midst of which lie the Mbweni Ruins themselves; the remains of a complex built by Victorian missionaries under the guidance of David Livingstone, to house and school freed the slaves that the British were rescuing from slave dhows from the mainland.
Mbweni Ruins Hotel has thirteen air-conditioned suites, each furnished in distinctive Zanzibari style, with plenty of wood and colourful fabrics. Each suite is close to the swimming pool and secluded beach and has a balcony overlooking the sea.
The Baobab Suite is perfect for honeymoons, and for that extra special treat. This spacious suite, complete with king-sized fourposter bed, has its own rooftop terrace with spectacular views over the ocean, the ruins and the gardens, which are vibrant with the colour and scent of frangipani, hibiscus and oleander.
The swimming pool lies just above the beach, with its beautiful swaying mangrove trees; this is a perfect place to watch the sun go down, especially at low tide when the sea recedes. The Raintree Restaurant, set on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean, offers traditional spicy foods and seafood delicacies. The view from the restaurant sweeps across the Indian Ocean to the islands of Chole, Bawe and Chumbe, and tables are often set up on the beach for a romantic barbecue. The Mangrove Bar, perched above the ocean, also has outstanding views.
The staff at Mbweni are part of the family. Many of them helped to build the hotel and have stayed to run it, and the service is friendly and discreet.
Amongst the ruins at Mbweni are those of St Mary's School, where freed slave girls were given an education to enable them to make a living and run a home. The ruins include a beautiful, roofless chapel, which is now occasionally used as the setting for romantic dinners.
The luscious garden was planted over the last 10 years, and Mbweni Ruins is renowned for its tranquil environment, with a nature trail winding through the grounds. The garden, now established as a flourishing Botanic Garden, has over 650 plant species including 120 species of palms, and most of the plants are labelled. The superb palm collection includes the Majesty palm, Bottle palm, several kinds of Caryota, Sabals, Borassus, Bismarckia, Licualas, Florida Silver and Thatch palms, Royal palms and many kinds of Dypsis.
In the palm garden beside the Industrial Wing are two ancient Cycad trees, which could be over 500 years old. Both of the large old trees at Mbweni are males, and a new tree has been planted beside them in the hope that it may be a female and that it will eventually produce fertile seeds. A spice garden has been planted beside the ruins, containing cinnamon, nutmeg and clove trees. In front of the west facade are some hardwood trees, including African Blackwood and Red Sandalwood. By a bench overlooking the ocean and beach is an Ylang Ylang tree whose yellow orchid-like flowers are highly scented.
There are all sorts of birds, butterflies and small mammals around, attracted by the fruits and shade of the gardens. In the last century, the Zanzibar Leopard was known to live in the scrub to the south, and mongooses, galagos, serval and civets are still in the area. The galagos, or bushbabies, love to feed on the oily fruits of the Neem trees and in the dry seasons when these are not available, they eat the sweet gum of the Acacia trees. There is a grove of these near a bird bath above the beach in front of the ruins. In the water below the beach, a species of Zanzibar Mangroves grow - Sonneratia alba - protecting their own little ecosystem of bird and marine life. Shellfish cluster on their trunks, crabs scuttle about their exposed aerial roots at low tide and the Mangrove Kingfisher can be seen flitting about.
Activities:
At Mbweni Ruins you can canoe or swim along the shore or in the pool, take a dhow trip from the beach to the sandbanks opposite, or into Stone Town.
You can snorkel and enjoy a barbecue lunch on pristine beaches, follow the nature trail around the grounds, have a massage or canoe in the mangrove glades just to the south. Trips to visit the museums, markets, shops and historic buildings and ancient alleys of Stone Town can be arranged, as can diving in the coral gardens around the islands, deep sea fishing, spice tours and swimming with dolphins at Kizimkazi.
Mbweni Ruins is 6km (10 minutes' drive) from the town and 4km (5 minutes' drive) from the airport.
