Lying opposite Mnemba atoll on the dazzling, peaceful Matemwe beach, ‘Utupoa’ is a Swahili mashup meaning ‘people’ are ‘fresh’ or ‘humanity is cool.’ So we say karibu – or welcome – to our home with its huge roof, hidden somewhere between the East African tall palms and utopia.

We welcome you to make our home your home. 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.

Swahili cooking is simple and fragrant, relies on the beauty, freshness, and abundance of the East African coast’s local produce. And a whole lot of love. Utupoa was designed with this in mind, and the large, round, wooden table at its centre makes dinners, and the conversations that they inspire, an integral part of our home.

Taking your seat at Bi Joyce’s table has become something entirely synonymous with our guests’ Zanzibar experience. Cooked and served family-style at the centre of the table, the menu is decided each morning depending on what looks best at the market, the fish auction, or brought straight to the door from a fisherman’s madema – or traps.