Travel reviews by Williams family from UK

"The coffee house has an excellent central position in town. It is not swanky but homely, welcoming and full of character with a wonderful roof terrace which hotel guests can use until 11 am and after 3 pm. There is a great atmosphere and the cafe itself serves excellent food and drinks and is always busy and buzzy. We had the arabica room which was nicer than our kids room, which was the cappucino room. Would highly recommend this hotel if you are staying in town rather than paying a lot extra for one of the bigger, smarter hotels."

"As a family we cannot praise this camp enough. They provided us with an experience none of us will ever forget. Ezra, our driver was so knowledgeable and passionate about showing us the area and animals. He knew the area extremely well and we were not disappointed in what were able to see and do. The river, walking and jeep safaris were all excellent. The snacks, drinks and meals provided whilst we were out on safari were amazing. Usually taken, sitting down at a table with an amazing view. The attention to detail in everything was incredible.The food was top notch and the friendliness and service provided by the managers, waiters, all the guides and massai guide was outstanding. We felt like we were made to feel part of a family . Everybody was interested in our day. At most, there are around 20 guests and so the camp feels homely and intimate. The attention to detail in everything which is done is amazing, even our serviettes were folded into the shape of elephants by our waiter Victor! Every night, there is a different cocktail provided and your table is set and positioned in a different place by the river or by the pool or on the outside terrace of the main camp building - lit by lanterns. We were constantly escorted to our tent by a polite, reassuring and handsome Massai guide. Our tents certainly epitomised 'glamping', with a deck raised on stilts, tea delivered in the morning, giant comfy beds and lovely bathroom. There is a refreshing swimming pool but to be honest, we did not have that much time to use it as we were constantly keen to go on safari. When we did relax, we loved to play cards in the comfy sofas and chairs on the main deck of the camp building, which is on high stilts, attractively built with a thatched wooden roof overlooking the river.
Our family, 2 adults and 3 children in their 20s, all felt that it was the best experience we had ever had on a holiday and we have all travelled a lot. We were certainly sad to leave."

"Pongwe Beach Hotel has a lot of character and charm and exists alongside an idyllic stretch of beach. It exhibits a Tanzanian/ Zanzibar vibe; more so then probably a lot of the newer, more exclusive resorts which are being built on Zanzibar. The food, particularly for the evening meals was creative and delicious and the service at all times was excellent. The beach front villas were lovely, but not luxurious. All guests are provided with a colourful cotton robe to wear around and these were certainly popular. As you opened the door of your bedroom, you are confronted by white sand, hammocks and turquoise sea - an idyllic setting.

This hotel was a fabulous, quiet place to simply relax. If you wanted to do lots of activities, then it would probably be better to stay in an area of the island where those activities took place as Pongwe is an hour East of Stone Town or be prepared to travel. However, we did go on a snorkelling trip which was well organised and professionally run to Nmemba Island, This was organised for us by Pongwe Beach Hotel.

We paid for half board which was perfect as Breakfast and Dinner were substantial, but be prepared to pay for lots of extras such as lunch snacks and drinks and bottles of water at the meal tables - it can mount up!"

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