Eileen and Marcus first came to Zanzibar for the surfing and diving, meaning only to build themselves a holiday home. What they built instead, from scratch, opened in 2016 as nine villas facing the Indian Ocean at Dongwe, on the Michamvi Peninsula on Unguja’s southeast coast. Eileen, of Zambian heritage and shaped by years working in Zambia, designed every villa herself, while Marcus, a South African art collector, filled the interiors with African textiles and eclectic colour. Each villa has its own private plunge pool and a dedicated butler, and the beach runs for miles in both directions, the tide pulling the water out and back across the day.
Each villa has its own private plunge pool and a dedicated butler
The building borrows from the island itself: walls of coral, window frames and decking cut from reclaimed dhow timber. Domed ceilings, curved walls and arched, open-pavilion windows draw on Swahili and Arabian traditions, and hand-carved wood and intricate detailing run throughout, so that each villa feels made rather than assembled.
Every villa carries a Swahili name and its own character. Alfajiri, meaning Dawn, is a beachfront honeymoon villa whose first-floor bedroom balcony hangs over the ocean, while Kimwondo, or Shooting Star, lifts its plunge pool and dining area to the roof. Grandest of all is Mbingu, Heavenly Sky, the four-level presidential villa with two private plunge pools of its own, a ground-floor lounge and garden pool and a rooftop pool above. Set further back, the garden-view villas of Umande, Korongo and Mlima take their privacy from the tropical vegetation that closes around them.
Every villa carries a Swahili name and its own character.
Booked together, the nine can be taken over as a single private retreat. There are no set meal times and no main dining room, a deliberate choice that decides how a day unfolds here, because guests choose where and when to eat rather than working around a kitchen’s schedule.
Dining follows the guest, not the clock, with no fixed timetable and no main dining room to organise the day. A resident team of international and local chefs cooks to each guest’s preferences, and meals appear wherever suits, in the villa, on the beach, in the garden or beside the central pool. Much of what reaches the plate has grown only a short walk away, in the retreat’s organic shamba, which supplies herbs, fruit and vegetables alongside its own chickens, ducks, pigs and goats, while the fish comes from local fishermen who work with the breeding seasons rather than against them.
What the garden and the sea cannot provide is sourced close to home, and even the water is considered, plastic bottles having given way to recycled glass made on the island by Chako Zanzibar, an organisation that supports Zanzibari artisans. Dense tropical gardens shade the walkways between the villas and give each one its seclusion. At the Kiota Spa the open-sided treatment rooms leave the sound of the ocean present throughout a massage or facial, so that even stillness here carries the beach in it.
A resident team of international and local chefs cooks to each guest’s preferences.
For those who stir, the island waits. About an hour inland by road, Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park holds the endemic Zanzibar red colobus monkey, along with bushbabies and around 40 bird species, and Stone Town, the spice farms and the Kuza Caves all lie within reach. The layout of the place, though, with its private pools and flexible dining, is built for those who mostly want to stay put, where birdsong carries through the foliage between the villas and the beach runs for miles in both directions, the tide pulling the water out and back across the day.
That quiet is protected: Xanadu does not take children under five, holding the calm the setting is built around. Abeid Amani Karume International Airport is around 57 kilometres away, an hour to ninety minutes by road depending on traffic. When guests do rouse themselves, the beach gives up snorkelling, sea kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and fishing as the tide permits, and a private sunset dhow cruise or boat trip rounds off a day. Whether they fill their hours or spend them beside a plunge pool, the nine villas can also be booked together and taken over as a single private retreat.
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accommodation
Nine individually designed villas, a mix of one- and two-bedroom layouts, each with a private plunge pool and dedicated butler. Coral walls, domed ceilings, hand-carved wood and salvaged dhow timber run throughout. Rain showers, twin sinks, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth speakers and mini-bars feature as standard, with several villas offering rooftop pools and direct beach access.
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activities
Snorkelling, sea kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and fishing run from the beach, tide permitting. Private sunset dhow cruises and boat trips can be arranged. The Kiota Spa offers massages, facials and reflexology, with yoga sessions available. Off-site excursions reach Stone Town, spice farms, Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park and the Kuza Caves.
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conservation
The organic shamba grows herbs, fruit and vegetables and raises chickens, ducks, pigs and goats for the kitchen. Fish is bought from local fishermen who respect breeding seasons. A partnership with Chako Zanzibar, which supports island artisans, has replaced plastic bottles with locally made recycled glass. Remaining supplies are sourced locally.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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Zanzibar has its own international airport near Stone Town, with direct and one-stop flights from Europe, the Middle East and regional hubs, so you can often fly straight in. From the airport it is about an hour by road to Dongwe on the Michamvi Peninsula, on the island's south-east coast.
We build the flights and the transfer in, and because you can fly straight to the island, Xanadu makes a natural beach finish after a mainland safari. If you are coming off a mainland safari, we can also arrange a private charter to the island, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, so the crossing fits neatly around your final game drive. Tell us your safari dates and we set the island stay onto the end.
Yes. Zanzibar and Pemba lie at sea level, well below 1,800 metres, and current UK guidance from TravelHealthPro lists the islands as a malaria area, so this is not a malaria-free beach stop. Risk is lower than it once was, but the mosquitoes that matter feed after dark, so cover up in the evening, use the repellent and nets provided, and antimalarial tablets remain the real protection.
Health advice can change from year to year, so we always ask you to confirm the current position with a travel clinic or your doctor before you travel, and to take the usual care against bites after dark.
The coast is hot and humid for most of the year, typically in the high twenties to low thirties, with the long rains of April and May the wettest and stickiest stretch to avoid.
Pack very light, breathable clothing, swimwear and sandals, with a light cover-up for time off the beach and modest dress for Stone Town and the villages. Bring strong sunscreen, a hat and insect repellent for the evenings.
For settled seas and the clearest water, come in the cool, dry Kusi season from June to October, when diving visibility peaks in September and October. February is the standout of the hot season either side of it.
The long rains of April and May bring rough seas and reduced visibility, and many lodges and dive centres close, so we plan around them.
The tide on this south-east coast pulls the water well out and back across the day, so swimming from the beach is best planned around the higher tides, with snorkelling, kayaking, paddleboarding and boat trips run when the water allows. Each villa has its own private plunge pool, so you can swim regardless of the tide, and Stone Town, the spice farms and Jozani forest are all reachable as day trips.
Yes. The nine villas come in one- and two-bedroom layouts, each with a private plunge pool and a dedicated butler, so children can swim whatever the tide is doing.
Tell us the children's ages and we will confirm the right villa and how the team sets up the stay.
Yes. Wifi is provided as standard in the villas, along with Bluetooth speakers, and mobile coverage on this part of the island is reliable, so you can stay in touch easily if you need to.
That said, this stretch of coast is about slowing down, so most guests use it lightly. Tell us if reliable connectivity matters for work and we will confirm the current setup before you travel.
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
