Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs E from Sydenham

"Set amongst the wilderness and resting on the shores of Lake Manze, the camp here is a must for those who enjoy the outdoors and who love being amongst nature. The variety of wildlife here is incredible and much of it can be seen in and around the camp (including elephants who frequently walk amongst the compound), whilst more can be heard at night as many of the animals come to the lake to drink.

Being in a tent you get a real sense of living and sleeping in the very world which the animals inhabit whilst having the opportunity to travel further afield during the day to witness the diversity of animal and bird life in the surrounding areas. This can be done either in a jeep, by boat along the river or simply by walking into the bush, all accompanied by very helpful guides who are only too happy to teach you about the animals and their behavior as you watch them in their natural habitat. (Safari on foot is superb as it gives you a chance to stop and see details that you would perhaps miss whilst driving.)

The food here is both simple and familiar, a lovely mix of fresh salads, meat dishes, rice, pasta and desserts. Cooked breakfast is available every morning, lunch is often in the company of passing elephants whilst dinner is usually held with all visitors to the camp under the stars. (Be sure to check your plate before each mouthful here as the insect life is abundant!) After dinner a Masaai guard will guide you back to your tent and once there you will rely on candle and torchlight as there is no electricity. There are torches in the tent but we recommend you bring your own! (There are some power points in the bar area if you need to charge camera batteries etc.)

All the staff here are very friendly and incredibly helpful, whilst eager to talk to you about your day and what you have experienced. We spent four days here and saw more than we could have hoped for, but a shorter stay would be just as rewarding.

Overall an amazing and memorable experience and we would thoroughly recommend it."

"I don't think either of us will forget the moment we arrived at pongwe. Simply stunning. We were already talking about a return visit after five minutes! The hotel is laid out as a series of thatched beachfront rooms/bungalows around a stunning white coral sand private beach with an open sided communal bar/dining area in the centre. At one end is a beautiful infinity pool overlooking the sea which comes in very useful as the tide only comes in twice a day. Although the emphasis here is not on five star resort luxury, this place provides exceptional quality, comfort, privacy and relaxation, all set against the luxurious backdrop of palm trees and the Indian Ocean. Owing to its popularity the hotel is usually running at full capacity but doesn't accommodate many people and so never feels crowded.

The food here is fantastic. There is a buffet of fresh tropical fruit and cereals with cooked breakfast available to order, whilst lunch and dinner are prepared from set menus with plenty of fresh fish, vegetables, salads, rice etc. all cooked using exotic combinations of local spices. They are more than happy to accommodate any dietary requirements that you might have, and the waiting staff are extremely friendly. (The cocktails are a must by the way- prepared with fresh local juices and delivered with a big smile! Perfect by the pool....)

They have generators running throughout the day here and power points in all the rooms so electricity is not an issue. (Plugs are the same as the UK) Water for the shower and the sink taps is basically naturally filtered sea water so not good for drinking (!) but there is plenty of bottled water available.

If you can tear yourself away from the idyllic surroundings then the hotel can organize a variety of excursions for you including diving, tours of a spice plantation, trips to nearby islands and so on, although the atmosphere is so calm and relaxing here that it is difficult to leave!

This is definitely not an option for those looking for wild nightlife but for anyone wishing to spend some or all of their stay on Zanzibar in a state of comfortably relaxed tropical bliss then we couldn't recommend pongwe beach hotel enough. (Recommended to book WELL in advance....)"

"Our stay at the Zanzibar Coffee House was the conclusion to our whole holiday and we were pleasantly surprised to find such wonderful rooms above what is a very modest entrance. (Easily missable if you're not concentrating!) The rooms/suites are all named after types of coffee (not surprisingly) and are decorated with a distinctly north african feel around the centerpiece of an enormous four poster bed. The coffee house is situated in the very heart of Stonetown and, once you have familiarised yourself with the local streets, easily accessible from the popular eating/drinking areas.

The coffee house itself is a charming place to sit and relax away from the bustle of the streets. Breakfast is provided on the roof of the building providing great views of the town and comprising fresh fruit, pastries and cooked breakfast to order. We didn't eat lunch or dinner here and therefore can't comment but the menu looked varied and well priced.

This is by no means luxury accommodation but overall the rooms are large, beautifully decorated and excellent value for money. A perfect base for exploring all that Stonetown has to offer."