8 Day Yoga Holiday in Zanzibar, Tanzania - Stay at Hakuna Matata Villa or Frangipwani
Yoga Holiday in Tanzania
This is one of the most popular yoga retreats offered in Tanzania.
The program is not a strict yoga retreat. It is rather a yoga holiday. You will meet other like-minded people practicing yoga at any level and instructed by a professional teacher, but also kite surfers or divers and Africa's explorers. About 50% of the participants, from all over the world, are solo travelers. You will be staying at Hakuna Matata Villa or Frangipwani Boutique hotel, both just a minute's walk from the most beautiful beach overlooking the azure blue lagune of the Indian ocean: the beach of Paje.
Meet the instructors
Highlights
- Unlimited access to the yoga lessons (2 lessons on most days)
- 1 60-minute massage is included in the price
- Tropical feeling, lush garden and stunning beach
- Free time for relaxing, sunbathing, swimming, walking on the beach, hanging out in a hammock
- 7 nights accommodation
- Full breakfast daily
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Yoga styles
5 days with instruction in English
Accommodation
Facilities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Air-conditioned rooms
- Bar
- Dining area
- Garden
- Luggage room / storage
- Restaurant
- Special menu request
- Terrace
- Board rental
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Ironing / ironing board
- Laundry
- Tour assistance
- Outdoor shower
Frangipwani Boutique Hotel
Frangi'pwani offers exclusive luxury at the most affordable rates. Located in the heart of Paje, just 200m away from Paje by Night (for Yoga) and the white beaches with the azure blue colors of the Indian Ocean. Inside Frangipwani you can enjoy a nice cocktail from our bar and relax at the sunbeds facing the large pool. The restaurant offers a nice variety of local and international dishes which can be served in our large garden terrace, our little rooftop terrace or in the privacy of your room.
Each room has a spacious, natural, clean design that reflects the hotel’s sense of relaxed luxury. Feel comfortable and at home in large double-bed rooms. With each room facing the pool or garden you have the choice of upper or ground levels. Each offering the perfect space for all your vacation needs.
There are a two types of rooms:
- The terrace rooms downstairs have a private terrace overlooking the garden or pool. Inside is an extra large king size bed, and in the back an open spacious bathroom with separate toilet.
- The balcony rooms upstairs have a private balcony overlooking the garden or pool. The spacious room features an extra large king size bed and this room is big enough to fit an extra single bed for twin or triple setup. Separate bathroom with toilet and shower.
Hakuna Matata Villa
Hakuna Matata Villa is located 100 meters from the beach in a lush green part of Paje. There are six private rooms and one 4 person dormitory, a shared, outside seating area with comfortable couches, a small restaurant with outside terrace, delicious cold pool, outside shower and a terrace with sunbeds. As it is a small guesthouse with a shared dining area, it is very easy to mingle with other travelers. The staff consists of a small team, which makes it an intimate and homely place.
Behind Hakuna Matata Villa is the 24hr supermarket with small local shops and restaurants (African BBQ is open 24hrs) close by. The yoga studio is located in Paje by Night, the other location just 50mtr from Hakuna Matata Villa. The studio is located in the lush garden, with also a bar and a restaurant, a swimming pool with jacuzzi, a Balinese Spa hut. There is a detached kite surfing school on the beach, where you can spend your time sunbathing, swimming in the sea, kitesurfing or doing SUP. Hakuna Matata Kiteschool is approximately 400 meters away from the hotel.
All rooms have air conditioning and a private en-suite bathroom, the dormitory has a shared bathroom across the hallway.
There are a few types of rooms:
- The double/twin rooms are 20 sqm and features two single beds which can be joined together with a mattress bridge to make one 7ft wide double bed.
- The king rooms are 22 sqm and features a king size bed.
- The dormitory is 20 sqm and features two bunkbeds.
Note:
The electricity in Zanzibar is very unstable, but don't worry about that because there is a backup generator for both places to keep your room cool, the water running and the Wi-Fi working.
Program
This yoga holiday consists typically one morning drop-in-led class and one afternoon drop-in-led yoga class every day, except on Sundays. Arrival day or departure day is depending on your travel schedule. The lessons consists of a combination of Ashtanga, Poweryoga, Hatha, Yin and Vinyasa and Budy Flow (from half of November when Brigitte will start teaching
A 60-minute massage at the massage salon is also included in the price.
Ashtanga yoga is a rigorous, active, dynamic, energetic, sweaty, physically demanding practice that requires synchronization between breath and movements. Malika teaches these lessons vinyasa style. These active lessons are in the morning.
Hatha is a traditional style of yoga that is known for its focus on physical postures (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama). The asanas are used to align, strengthen and promote flexibility in the body. Pranayama exercises help to control the flow of prana (life energy) and enhance the mind-body connection. Attention is given to the proper alignment of the body in each posture, which can help prevent injury and improve effectiveness of the practice. Hatha lessons often include periods of relaxation and meditation, promoting mental clarity and stress reduction.
Yin Yoga targets deep connective tissues by long-held passive stretches, and is designed to complement more dynamic styles of yoga. The passive poses are mostly done seated or lying down an are held for 3 to 5 minutes. Muscles are relaxed, allowing deep tissue release and increasing flexibility. Yin yoga is best practiced with a meditative approach, releasing tension in mind and body allowing a deep sense of inner calmness. Overall Yin Yoga is beneficial for improving flexibility, reducing stress and enhancing mindfulness, making it a valuable practice for both physical and mental well-being.
Budy Flow is designed by Brigitte, one of the teachers. She will be in-house between half November and end of March. It is a a unique fusion of yoga, dance, and somatic awareness that invites people to move with joy, depth, and presence.
Some morning lessons are given at the beachfront rooftop from Zanzibarista coffee house (150 m distance) on some days and at the shala in the hotel’s garden for the rest of the days.
After the lessons at Zanzibarista you can enjoy a fresh brewed cappuccino or ice cold homemade lemonade overlooking the quiet lagune from the Indian Ocean from your lounge seat.
The rest of the day is entirely up to you, you can spend it relaxing, sunbathing, swimming, walking on the beach, hanging out in a hammock, and still, there is time to go on excursions and explore the island.
Important note:
Please be aware that the teachers' and instructors' profile are the teachers that are in-house now. Most already work with them long time. If your booking happens to be in the future, the teacher might be another one. However, rest assured it is a qualified teacher. Let them know at the time of the booking if you have any concerns.
Instructors
Palma Lacanfora
Palma is a 1500-HR CYT Yoga Teacher from Germany, living in Zanzibar for 2 years. She teaches already 20 years the traditional Ashtanga Mysore Style Method and also Hatha-Flow and Yin- Yoga with a strong focus on alignment. The combination of all these styles will enrich you with muscle strength, willingness to keep it on, and body and soul flow. Palma has extensive experience studying with well-known teachers such as Manju and Sharazad Jois, Dr. Ronald Steiner,Petri Räisänen, Kathy Cooper, Shankara Darby, Govinda Kai. Join Palma to enhance your journey of peace and self-awareness!
Brigitte Breternitz
Brigitte Breternitz is a Berlin-based choreographer, yoga teacher, and founder of BUDY Flow – a unique fusion of yoga, dance, and somatic awareness that invites people to move with joy, depth, and presence. Her journey with yoga began in 2007 as a complement to her career as a dancer and choreographer. What started as a physical support quickly evolved into a deep personal and spiritual path. Over the past decade, Brigitte has traveled regularly to India, where she trained in traditional schools and explored yoga as a way of life.
Retreat location
This retreat is located in Paje, the most sensational and characteristic beach on the south eastern coast of the island of Zanzibar.
Zanzibar is a wonderful, romantic, historic and stunningly beautiful tropical island off the Tanzania coast.
There is a vast range of things to do on the island, notably some amazing diving, snorkeling, kite-surfing, as well as some superb historic and cultural activities.
Food
Shilinde is a good and fast chef, that will turn your dish into a small piece of art. The menu a la carte of the restaurant offers a variety of dishes to choose from, most notably organic dishes, fish and seafood, responsibly fished from the ocean, big healthy salads, meat, fresh homemade pasta, traditional soups, and pizzas (tip: the restaurant of Paje by Night has real Italian wood-fired pizza on the menu). In terms of food there is a lot of flexibility. They also offer very nice 100% fresh fruit juices, and smoothies as well as wines, beers, coffee, and tea.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Pescatarian
- Halal
- Seafood
- Lactose Free
Things to do (optional)
Optional excursions
- Yoga private classes
- Diving
- Blu Safari
- Bike rental
- Dolphin tour
- Jozani forest walking
- Kite surfing
- Spice tour
- Stone Town historic visit
- Surfing
- Prison Island visit
- Visit/swim in one of the many caves
- Scooter rental
- Snorkeling
- Visit/swim in one of the many caves
- Visit the sea turtle sanctuary
Spa treatments
One 60 minute massage is included in the package price.
What's included
- 7 nights accommodation
- Breakfast
- One 60-minute massage at the hotel's Massage salon
- Unlimited access to all yoga lessons
What's not included
- Flights
- Transfers
- Any other activity or amenity not specified under the inclusions
- Bar and restaurant at the hotel
- Kitesurfing lessons and rentals at Hakuna Matata Kiteschool
- Tours and excursions on the island (can be booked at the reception)
- Bike rental
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Transfer available for additional US$ 50 per person
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport
34 km away from your destination
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flights to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ). A transfer is available from this airport for an additional 50 USD.
The best option is to book your flight to arrive directly in Zanzibar at at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ). With KLM you can check-in a kite-bag instead of one suitcase for free.
Other option is to fly to Dar es Salaam and take a local flight to Zanzibar. Most of the time they will charge extra (25-50 USD) for the kite-bag. Your can also travel by ferry (2 hours, 35 USD) and you can take the kite-bag for free. Location of the port is minimum half hour drive from the airport, depending on the traffic.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 24% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
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