Travel reviews by Mr/Ms S from Seattle, WA

"Matemwe Lodge exceeded our expectations in every way. It is located on a beautiful, private area of Northeastern Zanzibar with views of the ocean from every comfortable bungalow. The personnel at Matemwe were always courteous and helpful, and they went out of their way to ensure we enjoyed each moment of our stay. The food was abundant, fresh and delicious. The bungalow was very charming and comfortable. Our only suggestion would be to upgrade the mattress on the bed.

Although we are not typically water sports- oriented, we did take advantage of the snorkeling tour (2 hours) offered and saw incredible marine life on a coral reef off of Mnemba Island, as well as dolphins playing.
This was a magical visit from start to finish."

"Zanzibar Palace Hotel is on the edge of Stone Town (the older portion of Zanzibar Town). It is convenient to the harbor and many popular sites in Stone Town are within easy walking distance. The hotel offers breakfast along with the room: a choice of typical egg and meat choices, some fruit, juices, breads and coffee/tea. With the many restaurants in the area, we did not have other meals there, although lunch and dinner were available.

The room we had, the Sultana, was charming and the air conditioner made it comfortable with the outside temperature very warm and humid. We also complement the service staff at the front desk for their very warm welcome and helpful assistance with various questions that came up during our stay.

Our only disappointment was the first room we were assigned, a "luxury" room (called "Nadia", I believe). This room, on a lower floor, is a very dark and tiny room with a small double bed. For $250 U.S. per night, it was completely unsatisfactory for the two of us, who were anticipating a relaxing haven for several days. After complaining, we were able to 'upgrade' to the Sultana room, which is a larger room on an upper floor. In hindsight, we may have been able to arrange nicer accommodations for a better price if we had done more research ourselves, comparing hotels in the area."