Pongwe Beach Hotel

Just back from a 4 night stay at PBH on the back of a Tanzania safari and couldn’t recommend it highly enough. Unpretentious with superb food and accommodation, customer service and setting right on the Indian Ocean. What more could you want for? Right from our arrival we were met with smiles from all of the attentive staff and this relaxed and friendly nature resonated around the resort and made us feel very at home. Food was awesome, really enjoyed the entertainment which was on 2 of our 4 nights end and seemed authentically local. it’s only a shame we couldn’t stay for new year which looked to be. I think perhaps the biggest outlier that this is a great place to stay was the repeat business it has, most people we met had been before and were back again which is a complement to everyone at PBH given the range of options on the island. It was the perfect wind-down from our safari and if your looking for something more than sterile five star luxury, look know further… Thanks for having us

Pongwe Beach Hotel is a delight - it was really a joy and privilege to experience the high tide's naturally occurring private beach as well as the exceptional staff at Pongwe. We loved the effort everyone made to ensure we had the best time - the romantic dinners laid out in flower hearts on the beach, the birthday love, the genuine smiles of welcome at each meal or interaction - combined with the great food and the fabulous rooms and oh that glorious warm jade green water - unbeatable! Our favourite place to be!

We have been going to the magnificent Pongwe beach hotel for 16 years , and year after year we meet many other guests who are also returnees , and they come from many different countries and continents . The loyalty that Pongwe inspires in its guests is just amazing ! Why ? Because Pongwe has the most beautiful vibe , the most beautiful beach on the island , it’s not big , it’s not loud , it’s the place for perfect relaxation , for eating superb food , breakfast lunch and dinner if you want . You will not be hassled on this white horseshoe shaped private beach . You can walk ( at low tide ) to other restaurants and you can take taxis , arranged by the hotel , to wherever you want on the island . There are also fabulous boat trips . It’s hard to explain the lure of Pongwe beach hotel , like many places in Zanzibar the staff are just gorgeous . Over the years some of them have changed but they are always so helpful , so lovely , all of them . The rooms are different , some with a/c and plunge pools , a couple of really luxurious ones , others simple but cleaned so well , the restaurant is lovely , the views from the restaurant and infinity pools are wonderful . You can have your lunch right on the beach , by the pool , in front of your room . Your dreams all come true at Pongwe courtesy of the truly great management staff , JV , Sara and Wesley who run Pongwe as though it were one of the leading hotels in the world ! Please don’t come to Pongwe if you want nightly entertainment , if you want watersports or loud music by the pool … we usually go at Christmas and New Year and this year we were so spoiled by the magnificent BBQ ‘s on the beach , steak , lobster , grilled fish … I can’t say enough good things about Pongwe Beach hotel , it’s paradise .

After a hectic safari schedule in mainland Tanzania Pongwe Resort was just what we needed. Fantastic service, great food, idyllic beach setting with a stunning pool made it very easy to relax. Special thanks to the manager on our day of departure who got up at 5.00am and saved the situation of our separately booked transfer not turning up, he organised a transfer within minutes for us to make our flight home.

Pongwe Beach Hotel was a perfect beach oasis! We stayed for 4 days, and I have never been more relaxed at the end of a vacation. First, the hotel and garden are beautiful! The buildings are Swahili style and everything is of the highest quality. The rooms themselves are tastefully decorated and each has a huge porch perfect for lounging. The main lounge and restaurant were top notch and felt extremely luxurious. The grounds were gorgeous, full of trees and flowers with a stunning view of the bright blue ocean. It honestly looked like the ideal fantasy of an island paradise. The pool looks right over the ocean, and the beach is private, so we were able to relax in comfort and quiet (which I don't think can be said of many of the other beaches on the island). The food was also amazing! We ate fresh seafood for each meal and I was blown away by how delicious everything was - we didn't have a single meal that wasn't 5 stars. Everything about our stay at Pongwe added to a sense of peace and relaxation. We also decided to have massages at the spa, which was an incredible experience. I would definitely stay here again and can't imagine a more perfect retreat in Zanzibar. Thank you to the amazing staff for making our stay so special!

The eastern side of the island so expect a 90 minute transfer from airport to the beach resort. Delightful buildings amongst coconut groves and other mature trees. Airy rooms and a large well aportioned dining a bar area. The infinity pool gives a stunning view of the beach. A clean wide beach area with low tide walk out areas on coral sand. High tides then give you a great swimming and kayaking experience. Discretely apportioned rooms with a very comfortable king sized bed and plenty of open shelving to hang and lay out clothing. A sensibly furnished bathroom with good showers. Only criticism was that we didn’t get any information on the workings of the air conditioning so 1st night was far to hot despite free flow airing. Staff very attentive, friendly and with a very good grasp of English, hence good and interesting conversations were had with amusing banter. Great menu and choices of drinks all served promptly and with little fuss. I especially enjoyed all the fish dishes and many fresh fruits. I would recommend Pongwe Beach Resort to any body for a very relaxing holiday.