Paje By Night

With its funky and vibrant atmosphere, Paje is the place to go to have fun in a relaxed setting close to a beautiful beach.

If you're allergic to fancy air-conditioned resorts and want something more in touch with its surroundings, Paje by Night is the place to be. This vibrant, budget hotel, situated near the magnificent Paje beach on the eastern coast of Zanzibar, simply oozes character and charm. 

Paje by Night has one of the best atmospheres on the island, thanks to the brilliant team of fun-loving managers and staff. A young Italian named Marco, whose lively character is infectious, runs it. You're bound to love him and feel instantly relaxed. The barmen and waiters are equally vibey and great to be around, making Paje's bar the social hub of the area (hence the name Paje by Night). The restaurant serves excellent meals at a reasonable price and is well-regarded in the area. There’s a central fireplace around which to gather and socialise in the evenings and listen to the occasional impromptu drumming session.

The beach: A sandy pathway leads through the coconut palms to one of the most beautiful beaches on Zanzibar. Not only is it postcard perfect - swaying palms, soft white sand and gorgeous turquoise sea - the water is deep enough to swim at high and low tide. This is an enormous bonus when compared to other beaches on this coast that are greatly affected by tidal variances. 

Another plus is the fact that Paje is not your typical resort beach. You don't get regimented rows of sun lounges set out with hardly any space between them. This beach is an authentic window on the pulse of Zanzibar. Village life carries on in a quiet, tranquil fashion. Sometimes the beach is totally deserted. At other times you'll see local women harvesting seaweed in the water, fishermen venturing out to sea in an outrigger canoe or villagers cycling past with their fish baskets. No one disturbs you much. There might be the occasional group of children asking for money or pens and paper, but they're usually friendly and not invasive. 

You can lie anywhere you want on the beach or find a private place in-between the palm trees. You can even enjoy a coconut oil massage right on the beach or have your hands and feet painted in traditional Muslim henna patterns (of course, that’s if the village women are about). There are other small guesthouses tucked away behind the palm trees, but no large hotels on this stretch of coastline. You will notice one ugly building though, a monstrous red-and-white Chinese palace-like construction of a house. We choose to ignore it.

The hotel: Call it what you will, Paje by Night is somewhere in-between a funky backpackers, a beach guesthouse and a small, budget hotel. It doesn't look like much on arrival, but don't let that faze you. The management has done its utmost to spruce up the place. As you walk around you'll see ethnic paintings and colourful patterns decorating the walls, hammocks calling out to be lazed on, a craft centre full of gorgeous things to buy and gardens flourishing in-between the coral pathways. The rooms are simple, but very comfortable, clean and tidy.

Activities: Guests are offered a range of activities. You can go fishing with a local fisherman in his dhow and enjoy a meal at his home in the village. Paje is also situated close to Jozani Forest (8km away) and Kizimkazi (25km away), which means excursions are less costly than you'll find in Stone Town. You can also hire bicycles or motorbikes and explore. If you want to dive, we recommend catching a taxi to Breezes Beach Club further up the coast.

If you're after a true Zanzibar experience, value-for-money accommodation and loads of relaxed fun, Paje by Night is hard to beat.

Paje by Night’s rooms are arranged in rows on the outskirts of the property. They all have ceiling fans, mosquito nets and en-suite bathrooms (except the family rooms and Jungle Bungalows which share a bathroom). Not all the rooms have hot water, but as you will find, this is not too much of a problem in the hot Zanzibar climate. 

The rooms fall into five categories. First are the Standard Rooms or Bungalows. These rooms are small but nice and comfortable. They all have en-suite bathrooms, but no hot water. The next step up is the Standard Plus Bungalows. These rooms have recently been upgraded and are larger than the normal Standard ones, with tiled bathrooms, wooden floors and special mosquito netting. The Standard and Standard Plus Bungalows can be set up as singles or doubles.

They also have a Family Bungalow which comprises two double rooms with interleading doors and a shared bathroom (no hot water). This option is great for families or larger groups of friends 
If you’re after a bit more luxury, we suggest the King Size Rooms. These come in doubles and ‘doubles for single use’ and can even be converted into triple rooms (three single beds) where required. These rooms all have hot water and are nice and big. 

And finally you have the Jungle Bungalows which are two storey huts made of coral stone, makuti thatch and wood. They come equipped with queen size beds and a shared bathroom with hot water. These bungalows can sleep two, three or four guests, depending on your preference, with African-themed rooms that are really beautiful. They even have a great terrace on the first floor for star gazing at night, as well as an Arabic ‘relax corner’ on the ground floor. 
The accommodation at Paje by Night is simple, but clean and comfortable. This is a rare find in Zanzibar as most budget places have dodgy rooms.