Aya Sophia Hotel

Aya Sophia Hotel occupies a quiet stretch of the Kigamboni coast at Mbutu, roughly 35 km beyond the Nyerere bridge and far enough from central Dar es Salaam that the loudest thing you hear is the surf. The resort is laid out as a village of freestanding whitewashed villas under conical thatched roofs, each with its own veranda, set across wide green lawns that run down toward the beach. Interiors are bright and generously proportioned, with exposed timber beams, hardwood floors, air conditioning, IPTV, a small fridge and marble bathrooms with twin basins. Five categories scale from the two person VIP and Golden villas, popular with honeymooners, up to the VIP Family, Royal and VVIP villas that sleep four, the Royal adding its own walled private pool. The centrepiece is a large pool at the edge of the lawn looking straight out to the water, with a separate screened pool for women guests who prefer to swim in privacy. Elsewhere there is a spa and sauna, a fitness gym, bicycles, a children's play area and a fenced enclosure of zebra and antelope, an unusual touch for a Tanzanian beach hotel. The restaurant serves Tanzanian and international dishes indoors or on a shaded deck facing the sea. It works equally well as a first or last night on a safari itinerary and as a standalone weekend by the ocean.