It took Henry Stanley, the Victorian explorer, several weeks to reach Zanzibar in 1871; modern-day jet-setters need just 10 hours to get to the spice island, off the east coast of Africa. Now, property developers are moving in: the first residential scheme aimed at overseas buyers has gone on sale, albeit on a 66-year lease, the longest the government will permit.

Prices at Monsoon Garden, a gated complex of five properties on the outskirts of Pingwe, a fishing village in the east of the island, 70 minutes’ drive from the capital, Zanzibar City, start at £395,000. That buys a three-bed, three-bath timber house with a 50ft living room, a media room and plunge pool. The largest house, at 5,500 sq ft, costs £695,000 and has a private swimming pool.

The properties are surrounded by a coral-stone wall and have direct access to 150 metres of white sandy beach, fringed by lush coconut plantations and the Indian Ocean.

Zanzibar, 2½ hours by boat from Dar es Salaam and famous for its spices, the slave trade and as the birthplace of the late Freddie Mercury, has long attracted honeymooners and travellers looking for an off-the-beaten-track beach destination with more culture than the Maldives, the Seychelles or Mauritius.

“The philosophy is to have a house in a beautiful place that still retains a strong local identity,” says Marilyn Acons, director of the London-based Zanzibar Beach House Company, the developer behind the project. “Zanzibar is a special place.” Acons insists the five homes are “houses, not villas. ‘Villas’ sounds like something encroaching from the West”, she says. “They use no concrete, not much glass and aim to be as sustainable as possible.” Each owner is expected to pay $250 a year to a fund to help local villagers.

The design is inspired by the island’s African and Arab influences. The properties have high makuti roofs of woven palm leaves, and no air conditioning – they take advantage of “Swahili ventilation”, the sea breeze.

One buyer who has followed in Stanley’s footsteps, but hopes to stay for a lot longer, is Clive Pinder, 46, who has just put down a deposit for one of the homes. Pinder, who retired from his job in private equity a couple of years ago, and his girlfriend, Karrin Nicol, 48, who live in Odi-ham, Hampshire, hope to spend four months a year in Zanzibar.

“When we sold up in London, I considered buying a semi in Basingstoke and renting it out, just to stay in the market,” says Pinder. “Instead, we went for a fourbed house on one of the best beaches in the world. We can let it out for 12 weeks a year, for the same rate. It’s a no-brainer.

That said, this is Africa, so anything can happen.”

Then again, that’s the point.

Savills in association with Pam Golding; 020 7016 3740, www.savills.com

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