Zanzibar – Independent i Zanzibar, Tanzania

"Kendwa Sunset is very well located by a beautiful beach. Hotel is well kept and with a cosy feel. Green garden feel in first part of the hotel and beach vibe at the bungalows located as an extended part of the beach. Room was good with nice beds, clean and with nice size bathroom. Beach area is large with more space between chairs than many other hotels. Pool had great clear view over the beach and ocean. All this would give a 9-10 rating. However service was clearly the worst we experienced among the 5 places we visited in Zanzibar. Seemed to be a mix of Language challenges, care and pure skills. So bring a lot of patience and Hakuna Matata in order for it not to destroy your experience. During 4 days (ehere we also ate elsewhere) we experienced a meal that did not arrive until we were ready to pay, rarely being able to order what we preferred (more than other places) but the challenge was not so much ‘sold out/not in stock’ but lack of knowledge among servants on what was available so ordering was a cumbersome and time consuming process, incorrect order when food arrived and attempt to make us order things we did not want ‘because we have already put x in the system so could you not have y instead’. Likewise for beach towels where ‘sold out/not available right now and not able to find out when we could get a towel or if we could use our rooms towels instead until we went to the reception. However the day the little lady in the restaurant was in, all went smooth 😀"

"Second stay at Tembo house hotel also a great pleasure. Deluxe suite gives great view of the beach from the private terasse and bathroom is modern. Smaller than the family room but great for being closer to beach life. Employees SO friendly and positive. Guests feel really welcome and all requests are being handled smoothly and with a smile. Our favorite out of the 4 hotels we have stayed at during our Zanzibar vacation. Highly recommended!"