Nyumbani
About Us
Tim was a pilot in the Middle East when we first came to Zanzibar on a flight he was operating. It was 1992, before electricity, tarmac or cell phone networks.
When Tim sat on the Matemwe Beach all those moons ago, he gazed out to the Indian Ocean, and felt the kusi breeze from the south and the kaskazi from the north, and he imagined what home might be. He envisaged a huge roof, a round table from which to eat, and two bedrooms strategically placed to catch these signature trade winds in our dreams.
Nyumba Kubwa is the central hub of our home, the heart of it. Over the years, it has become a space filled with books, memories, trinkets from our travels, stories, our daughters’ art, our dogs, a piano that needs to be played, perhaps, indeed, all the stuff of life that solidifies our imaginings of what makes a ‘home’.
We welcome you to make our home your home for a while. Come, breathe, feel the sand between your toes and the wind on your skin. Wash the world off for a while, unwind, eat fish. It’s sort of like a hotel, but totally isn’t.
KAribu
A Destination
“This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whomever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.”
~Rumi
Contact us
Bookings / Enquiries
To enquire or book directly without fees, please email us below.
Please note, we accept payment in cash, card, or via online transaction. There is an ATM in Kiwengwa (15 minutes drive away).
For bookings, please click the button below or email us at [email protected]