The House of Royals

The Royal house is a very special place, it is a former small palace of the Sultan of Oman. It has been nicely renovated, with a lot of style, very authentic furnitue, doors etc. It has a garden, directly at the sea. Not far from stonecity, very quiet. The staff is wonderful, the landlady very nice, the cook prepares very special breakfast and dinner if you wish. It is a family atmosphere. Location also great for going on trips to spice farms, the north etc.

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Beautiful gardens, nice spacious room with plunge pool. Amazing food.

Mit ein wenig Fantasie kann man sich in diesem historischen Haus das Leben im 18. Jahrhundert ein bisschen vorstellen. Wir wurden liebevoll betreut. Frühstück und Abendessen waren ganz wunderbar. Das geschäftige Treiben der Fischer am Strand. gibt Einblick in deren Alltag. Der Garten rundherum ist einfach herrlich und man kann ihn bis in den letzten Winkel entdecken – samt Ruinen des früheren Hamam

Es gibt nichts, was uns nicht gefallen hat. Man muss nur wissen, dass das Badezimmer in unserem Zimmer ein halbes Stockwerk weiter unten war. D.h., man muss gut zu Fuß sein, um die Holztreppen hinauf und hinunter zu kommen.

The House of Royals offers a unique opportunity to step back in time and get a glimpse of the life of the Bu-Saidi family who ruled Zanzibar, and much of East Africa, from the early 19th century, either on their own or under a British Protectorate, until independence and the 1964 revolution. The house itself is only a part of the much larger complex of palaces and grand buildings which stood there but still has the feel of grandeur. It has been lovingly restored by the host Szilvia and the gardens are spectacularly beautiful. It is worth staying there just to sit on the covered upstairs balcony and walk through the extensive ruins which surround it, some of which date back centuries. It overlooks a beach which is littered with fishing boats at low water with the crews mending nets and readying the fleet to go out when the tide allows. The busy town of Bububu is a few hundred metres away. The beach extends Northwards, where there is a small hotel, which was closed when I was there, and a beachside bar. The house itself is not easy to find but Szilvia sends very detailed instructions and has a recommended taxi driver. It is a Guest House but she can arrange for guests to eat there and it is probably a good plan as, although there is a very good local restaurant (Bibi’s Kitchen) within easy walking distance, it is not an easy journey to make in the dark. The House of Royals is extremely quiet and is a total contrast to Stonetown, but may be too quiet for some guests. I found it magical and fascinating but was staying on my own and felt a bit isolated. The breakfast was excellent, especially the local fruit juice which had a hint of cloves which gave it a very exotic and very Zanzibari tang.