Travel reviews by Ms S & Mr A from New York

"Was pleasantly surprised by our night at the Asmini, as we were originally trying to book 3 nights at the Coffee House but one night was full. The man at reception was very warm and friendly, as were the people who helped carry our bags, turned down our beds, and served us breakfast. The hotel is especially charming from the outside and on a quiet, narrow street (as if there were any other kinds in Zanzibar), and was quite easy to locate due to its proximity to a larger hotel with signage throughout Stone Town. We only had one night at Asmini and would have stayed more had we known it was so great."

"It's easy to get lost in Stone Town (practically impossible NOT to get lost) but we knew every time we walked out the front door that it would take an hour of wandering to find our way back to the Coffee House. Which is not the worst thing if you have time and enjoy a good wander. We stayed in a split-level suite with a large bathroom and a beautiful big bed. At first it seemed more high-end than Asmini (where we'd been previously), but there were no toiletries for guests - not even hand soap! Service was pretty poor - the female staff downstairs seemed bothered by our requests to make dinner reservations, give us directions or make a recommendation for dinner. We came back to the hotel with 45 minutes before dinner and our towels hadn't been replaced - I had to ask twice just to have a towel to take a shower. We also got to dinner that night and our reservation hadn't been made - we were given the worst table in the house (on the beach next to the boat loading dock - loud, bright and fume-y) which was unfortunate, because we only had one night for what we were hoping was going to be a romantic, relaxing meal. The innkeeper Jane was very sweet and helpful, and breakfast on the roof was lovely. Coffee was also, predictably, delicious. If service had been better we would have been much happier with the Coffee House."

"What an amazing trip! We'd never been on a safari before and didn't see ourselves as "safari people" so didn't know what to expect. Everything was just perfect - we wished we had 3-4 days at Lake Manze instead of the 2.5 that we'd scheduled. I've never been so relaxed in my life, and days started early and were jam packed with activities. From the minute we stepped onto the landing strip everything was just perfect - we were greeted by our guides, helped into the truck and onto our first game drive in minutes, seeing a ton of animals including a pride of 12 lions in our first hour! When we made it to camp, Richard and his staff were outside waiting for us. Our bags were taken to our tents and we were given cold drinks and asked what we wanted to do (if anything) for the rest of the day. They do a great job of keeping you on track and making sure you see the most you can see without making you feel obligated or overscheduled. Everything's flexible - if you want a long or short drive, a boat safari or walking safari (or a nap)-- almost anything can be arranged within 3 timeslots. Our guides Emmanuel and Ally were incredible, so sweet, knowledgable and professional. They picked us up at the landing strip and were our guides throughout the entire trip, even returning us to the landing strip on the morning we departed-- what a smart idea, they know what you've seen and what you're still on the lookout for, and what your appetite is for safari. Richard was incredible as well, what great stories he has, and what a way with guests from across the globe. Elephants roamed the camp like stray dogs, the bar was always open, the shower water was hot, plentiful and in open air, we ate dinner at one huge table under the stars and guarded by Masaii warriors-- how can you complain?? My only negative comment is about the coffee - fresh brewed with bottled water would have been preferred to Africafe made with filtered water - but we support the camp making a real effort at sustainability so we'll let it pass. :)"

"Amazing food and friendly staff."

"Didn't end up going there, spent an extra night at Pole Pole."