Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider
- I recently stayed at a boutique hotel called Kilindi on a trip to Zanzibar.
- It was designed as a getaway for a member of the 1980s pop group ABBA, but has since been turned into a luxurious eco-friendly beach getaway that costs around $1,000 a night including meals, drinks, and activities.
- While I had never heard of Kilindi before, I found that it might be the most perfect romantic getaway hotel I’ve ever seen. Each guest stays in a private villa overlooking the beach with its own pool, can dine on excellent food anywhere in the hotel (including your villa), and has a private butler who makes sure your stay is exactly what you want it to be.
I’ve always wondered what it would like to live inside the dreamworld of one of the stars from ABBA, the Swedish pop group megapopular in the 1980s that eventually inspired the hit musical Mamma Mia.
Okay, you caught me. I’ve never wondered that. But after spending a few nights inside the beachside villas designed for Benny Andersson, one of ABBA’s members and now a film composer, I can say I dream about it now. The man had impeccable taste.
Located on Zanzibar, a stunning archipelago off the coast of Africa, Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar opened to swanky travelers in 2009 with the idea of turning the all-inclusive beach vacation on its head.
Each guest stays in one of 15 eco-friendly villas that combine Swedish minimalism with Arabic architectural shapes. Meals are served up from a daily menu by German-Italian chef Lucas Wollman featuring local seafood and flavors inspired by Zanzibar’s history of African, Arabic, Asian, and island influences. Each guest gets his or her own butler, who is on call at all times. The entire 50-acre property is made up into a lush tropical garden and sits on top of clear turquoise waters where locals still work to harvest seaweed.
For those looking for the beach honeymoon destination of their dreams, look no further. I think I’ve found the platonic ideal, so long as you can afford the approximately $1,000 a night it costs to stay there.
Keep reading to see what it was like:
Kilindi is on Zanzibar, an archipelago off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean better known as the "Spice Islands." For hundreds of years, Zanzibar was at the center of the spice trade, where it was a leading producer of nutmeg, cloves, saffron, cinnamon, and vanilla. These days, Zanzibar is better known as a tropical vacation spot.
Shutterstock/Nick Johanson
While the south is dominated by the main city, Stone Town, and the airport, the north is full of gorgeous beaches — think powdery white beaches and turquoise waters — and resorts.
Ivan Pavlov/Shutterstock
When I flew in last February, I drove the 90 minutes north to Kilindi, a boutique hotel considered by many to be the most beautiful Zanzibar has to offer. When I arrived, I immediately noticed the plants and flowers that had overtaken the property.
Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- I went inside the now-closed NYC napping lounge where people paid up to $250 a month to nap in dark, private pods at any time of day — here’s what they looked like
- 10 teenagers who are probably making more money than you
- Disappointing photos show what all-inclusive resorts look like in real life
Source: Business Insider – hjacobs@businessinsider.com (Harrison Jacobs)