At Mrembo Spa, we celebrate and share Zanzibar’s time-honoured knowledge of natural beauty, we invite people to relax, enjoy and meet in an inspiring atmosphere, and we provide livelihoods for 10+ Zanzibari families.
Our History
When I, Stefanie, owner of Mrembo Spa, first came to Zanzibar in 2000, I was fascinated by its natural and cultural riches. I immersed myself in learning about Zanzibar’s abundance of herbs and spices and their many uses for the enhancement of beauty and well-being.
This knowledge is an inherent part of Zanzibar’s culture and traditions, passed on from generation to generation by the elder women of the society. Usually, it is well kept off the eyes of the casual visitor in order to keep it pure, but they decided to share it with me.
During the long time I spent studying, the idea evolved to create a place where this precious knowledge is showcased and made accessible to interested visitors.
This is how Mrembo Spa came into being.
I am deeply grateful for these wonderful ladies’ trust and committed to prove worthy of it.
To this day, their continued support and encouragement mean the world to me.
Traditional Knowledge meets State-of-the-Art Training
While the ingredients and many moves of our treatments are rooted in traditional knowledge, our therapists have also undergone thorough training by international professionals. In our team, we have specialists for spinal revitalization and firming techniques. The sequence we use most often is a combination of different techniques compiled by myself after 10 years of experience.
Mrembo is more…
Mrembo Spa’s doors are wide open to both visitors to the island and members of the local community. Our beauty treatments are an important part of it, but we don’t stop there. We love and encourage intercultural exchange, sharing stories and playful learning. Mrembo is a casual, friendly meeting place; often, people just come for a cup of tea and a chat, and that includes both our neighbours and customers.
Mrembo is the only spa on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba that grew directly out of the local community and has been supported by them all the way. Local people come to our spa to purchase their favourite natural remedies and for their ceremonial treatments (like the Singo to prepare a bride for her wedding), which speaks for the authenticity and acceptance among Zanzibaris.