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.

Fabulous location lovely accomodation very professional staff cant recommend this hotel highly enough. The beech with its soft white sand is perfect and the architecture blends in well with the landscape

After a safari in Tanzania and a few days sightseeing around Zanzibar, we arrived at Pongwe hoping for a few days relaxation in stunning surroundings. We were not disappointed. From the moment you arrive, you are greeted by friendly staff who do their upmost for you throughout your stay to make it as memorable as possible. The setting of the hotel is stunning with the beach and the Indian Ocean at your feet. There are many extremely comfortable loungers dotted throughout the grounds and there were always plenty available - often with no-one else in sight. The staff will check with you to bring any food or drink you require and also bring a selection of fruit for you at 4 pm every day. The infinity pool is ideal if the tide is out and even provides a shady seating area in the water. The rooms are air conditioned and very well appointed. The morning coffee delivered to your villa is a wonderful idea and something that other establishments could emulate. The breakfast buffet is extensive and the evening meal always features a meat dish, a fish one and a vegetarian option. Tea and coffee are available at the bar area all day. The open air massages at the spa are also of an excellent standard and well worth investigating. As with any hotel, the staff are the key. Here, they are polite, friendly and attentive and help to make Pongwe an excellent choice for a wonderful relaxing stay.

Pongwe Beach is a special place. So, let's see in what ways it is special. Firstly, the site is beautiful in that it had a nice stretch of white sand beach, but with no easy access at each of the two extremities, which means that you will not be bothered by moped travelling on long stretches of beach and you are more secluded. Moving from the beach towards the hut, you will have beautiful palm trees with sun beds, sun huts, hammocks and even swinging beds. Then, further in, you have the huts, which are traditional in their architecture and beautifully designs in that they retain a very African vibe, while having all the modern amenities (from aircon, to wifi). There is also a lovely swimming pool overlooking the see on one side and providing stunning views, while in it. Then there is the nice bar and restaurant. Super-efficient. There is always somebody around to take care of guests. And this brings me to the "software" of this place. The people, the vibe, the intangible. These are the things that make this place more special than any other place I have tried in Zanzibar. The people are trained and genuinely inclined to help others. They are happy, cordial, kind and they take pride in making the guests' time as happy as possible, as they fully appreciate that people come here to relax and to make memories. For us, it was very easy to become "part of that family" in just a few days. We connected with the crew. We were taken care every single day. Nothing is too much trouble for them. They seek solutions, rather than focussing on problems. They make you feel at home. They truly care about people. So, for us it was lovely to be immersed in all the above and have some truly quality time to relax and enjoy family time. So much so that we came back to Pongwe after having transferred for another resort as per our itinerary and having missed the Pongwe vibe almost immediately. And so, we decided to call Pongwe to see if they have a room for another few days for us and, luckily, they did have one due to a cancellation and so we were able to close our holiday on a high note. So, here is the thing: if you are looking for a 5 star hotel experience with rather characterless features and standardised offering then Pongwe is likely not for you. If, however, you look for an authentic experience, in a wonderful location and sprinkled with a fantastic vibe and people, then Pongwe is for you. I cannot recommend this place enough - It is a superb establishment and I wish them all the success that they deserve.