How Villa Bluu Was Created
The Villa Bluu project started in 2018. My partner and I were in Zanzibar at the end of 2018 to visit a piece of land we had bought at the beginning of that year. While in Zanzibar we decided, what we really wanted was a piece of land at the beach. Our friend, Ali, said he would help us look for possibilities. We looked at a few pieces but none really stood out.
There was a final plot to show us although he said it was far too big. We nevertheless said we wanted to see it. The plot was so overgrown, you could hardly see the ocean, but standing on the boundary wall we looked out over the foliage and knew this had potential.
Buying in Jambiani
After buying the plot and registering our company, which was an adventure on its own, we started the journey, and after many months of planning we eventually, at the end of 2019 started building. Unfortunately, a few months into construction COVID came which of course put a halt to the project. The construction site was empty, we couldn’t travel, and the containers we had coming from Italy were blocked.
Building in Zanzibar during the Pandemic
My partner traveled in July 2020 to Zanzibar to see if he could get the project up and running again. The plane he flew over on, had three guests in the economy and five in business. On arriving in Jambiani the hotels and beaches were empty. He said it felt surreal like there was no one left on the island. Slowly construction did begin, but it was difficult to get sand for construction and what you could get was either bad quality or extremely expensive. Shipping containers were still difficult at this time as there were no containers available and suddenly shipping prices had also skyrocketed.
Final Stages
As the year came to an end the construction site was slowly coming together, and we could see some light at the end of the tunnel. By April 2021, 99% of the construction was complete and it was just the final finishing touches that needed to be completed.
Final touches, like the last kilometer of any marathon, were possibly the biggest battle but at the end of June 2021, we were ready for business.
The whole process was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears but we are proud of what we achieved. Welcome to Villa Bluu.
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