Boutique Hotel · Easter 2027
Easter 2027 in Zanzibar: Book a Whole Villa
Quick answer
Easter week, one villa, nobody else's rules.
Easter Sunday 2027 falls on 28 March, and a whole villa is the simplest way to spend it in Zanzibar with children of any age. Asili House sleeps up to 8 guests at US$2,100 a night, Villa Kidosho up to 4 at US$1,275, both half board at our 2027 low-season rack rate. You can book every night up to 14 April 2027, the last night before we close.
| Easter Sunday | 28 March 2027 |
| Villas | Asili House up to 8 guests · Villa Kidosho up to 4 |
| Ages | All ages when a villa is booked whole (rooms: 14+) |
| Rack rate, low season | US$2,100 Asili House · US$1,275 Villa Kidosho, per night, half board |
| Tax | Rates include VAT · infrastructure tax US$4 per person per night extra |
| Minimum stay | 2 nights |
| Last night before closure | 14 April 2027 (closed 15 April to 22 May) |
| How to book | Enquiry or WhatsApp · not on Booking.com |
| Last verified | 25 October 2026 |
The dates
Easter 2027 at a glance
Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027. The festival Sauti za Busara takes place in Stone Town from 19 to 21 March, the week before, and our seasonal closure follows soon after: the last night you can sleep at Matlai is 14 April 2027, and the hotel is closed from 15 April until 22 May 2027. Put together, that gives families and groups a window of roughly four weeks, from the festival to mid-April, and Easter sits in the middle of it.
This page is about one thing: taking a villa whole for that window. If you would rather book a single room, the booking page shows live availability; if you are weighing a group of up to twelve, our exclusive-use page covers the whole property.
School holidays
Which school holidays overlap Easter 2027
School calendars are set locally, and several of the dates below are still being published, so treat everything except the first line as a rough guide and check your own school's calendar before you book flights.
- Austria: 20 to 29 March 2027, confirmed by the education ministry.
- Germany: most federal states about 22 March to 2 or 3 April, with the exact days differing by state.
- England: about 26 March to 9 April, set by each school and council.
- Italy and Poland: about 25 to 30 March.
- Switzerland: varies by canton; Basel is about 20 March to 3 April, Geneva and Vaud about 26 March to 9 April, and Zurich's spring holiday falls later, outside this window.
- South Africa (public schools): about 20 March to 5 April.
The overlap is long enough that a stay of seven nights fits inside almost any of them, and leaves a few days either side if your flights need them.
Why a whole villa
A whole villa for families and groups
Individual rooms at Matlai are for guests aged 14 and over. A villa booked whole has no age limit, so grandparents, parents and the youngest children can share one house, one pool and one butler team, with the pool to yourselves.
Asili House has four rooms around an elevated pool and sleeps up to 8. It suits two families, or three generations travelling together. See Asili House.
Villa Kidosho sleeps up to 4: one family with children, or two couples. See Villa Kidosho. Our family page explains how a day with children works, and the villa overview compares the two houses.
Rates
What a whole villa costs at Easter
Every night from 20 March to 14 April 2027 falls in our low season, so the public rack rates below apply for the whole Easter window. They are per night for the whole villa, with half board.
| Sleeps | Per night, half board | |
|---|---|---|
| Asili House, whole | up to 8 | US$2,100 |
| Villa Kidosho, whole | up to 4 | US$1,275 |
Rates include VAT. The Zanzibar infrastructure tax of US$4 per person per night is not included and applies to every guest, children too. The minimum stay is two nights. For all the seasons and room rates, see rooms and rates.
Weather
Easter weather in Zanzibar, honestly
Late March is the tail of the hot, calm Kaskazi season: air around 28 to 32 degrees, sea about 27 to 28. The long rains usually arrive towards the end of the month, and April is the wettest month of the year, with air of 27 to 30 degrees and the sea still about 27. We close for part of April and May for that reason.
In practice an Easter week here means warm water, humid air and some heavy rain between drier spells. It is a green island and quieter than in high season. Our guide to the best time to visit Zanzibar lists the months side by side. If the weather matters more to you than the holiday dates, choose the earlier part of the window.
Before or after the festival
Beach days around Sauti za Busara
Sauti za Busara runs from 19 to 21 March 2027 in Stone Town. The organisers have not yet announced the venue for 2027. Stone Town is about 1h15 to 1h30 by car from Michamvi. One way to plan it is a festival evening or two in town and the other days on the east coast, before or after the festival, with Easter week to follow. Our Sauti za Busara guide covers tickets and the evening; the flights page shows who flies to Zanzibar and when.
How to book
How to book an Easter villa
Whole villas are not sold on Booking.com or other travel sites. You book directly: send us your dates, the number of guests and the ages of the children by WhatsApp or through the enquiry form, and we confirm which villa is free. Free dates change every day, so please do not rely on a date printed on any page; the booking page shows live availability for rooms, and a message to the team gives you the answer for a villa.
The school holidays overlap, so the sooner you ask, the more choice you have. The last night before the closure is 14 April 2027, so stays that cross that date cannot be booked.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
The practical questions about an Easter stay in a whole villa: ages, price, dates, weather and how to book. Free dates change daily, so for those we point you to the live tools rather than print them.
When is Easter in 2027, and how long can we stay?
Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027. The last night you can book before our seasonal closure is 14 April 2027, and the hotel is closed from 15 April to 22 May 2027. That leaves about two weeks after Easter Sunday, which is enough to cover the school holidays that run into April.
Can children of any age stay in a whole villa?
Yes. Individual rooms are for guests aged 14 and over, but a villa booked whole welcomes every age. Asili House sleeps up to 8 and Villa Kidosho up to 4.
What does a whole villa cost over Easter?
Our public rack rates for 2027 put every night from 20 March to 14 April in low season. Asili House is US$2,100 per night and Villa Kidosho US$1,275 per night, both with half board. Rates include VAT; the Zanzibar infrastructure tax of US$4 per person per night is extra.
Is there a minimum stay at Easter?
Two nights. Over Christmas and New Year the minimum is 5 nights in 2027/28 (23 December 2027 to 2 January 2028); in 2026/27 (21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027) it is just 2 nights.
Are the dates free?
That changes every day, so we do not print it here. The booking page shows live availability for rooms, and for a whole villa the quickest check is a WhatsApp message with your dates; the team confirms the villa the same way.
Can we book a whole villa on Booking.com?
No. Whole villas are booked directly with us, by enquiry or WhatsApp. That is also where the families and groups with children under 14 belong, because the online room search is built for guests aged 14 and over.
What is the weather like at Easter?
Warm, humid and changeable. Late March is still the end of the hot, calm Kaskazi season, and the long rains usually arrive towards the end of March, so April is the wettest month of the year. Air runs 27 to 32 degrees and the sea about 27, so swimming is comfortable. Expect showers; plan the beach days around the tide.
Can we combine the stay with Sauti za Busara?
Yes. The festival runs 19 to 21 March 2027 in Stone Town, about 1h15 to 1h30 by car from the villas. Guests usually choose one or two festival evenings and keep the other days for the beach. Our festival guide explains the evening and the drive.
Your stay at Matlai
Choose your dates and the booking page opens with them, showing live availability.
Bookings with children go by enquiry: the booking page books adults only, so send us your dates on WhatsApp and we reply with the options. Children under 14 stay with a whole villa. WhatsApp →
These dates are by enquiry only — please email info[at]hotelmatlai.com or WhatsApp +255772628833 and we will confirm availability and rates.
Indicative public rates — the engine shows live availability for your dates.
Welcome drink, kayaks, bicycles and snorkelling gear, free of charge.
Booking with the hotel itself? Ask us what we can offer for your dates.
Why guests book Matlai
- A team of butlers on call, 07:00 to 22:00. One message and it is arranged.
- Half board with a chef’s menu that changes daily: three courses, plus two à la carte kitchens at every table, Zatiny (Indian Ocean fusion) and Duyên (Vietnamese).
- Dine where you like: in the restaurant, in the garden or on your own balcony. A private table by the beach or a candlelight dinner can be arranged at an extra charge.
- Six rooms in two villas, a pool for each villa, shared by its rooms, and every room facing the sunrise over the ocean.
- Bustani, the garden spa; the sandbank in front of the hotel at low tide; a quiet beach lined with small, family-owned hotels.
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