Pongwe Beach Hotel

Rooms

The rooms are fairly typical of Zanzibar beach hotel rooms, with whitewashed walls, mosaic floors and beds carved from Mninga and Mvule trees. Interior decoration isn’t the strongest point of the resort, but all rooms are clean and pleasant, and new guests can expect amazing floral decorations on their beds.

Each room has a private terrace, with a mosaic floor and handmade wooden chairs or loungers - the ideal place to sit and watch the ocean, which is just 20 metres away. There are 13 Beachfront Cottages, 4 Sea View Suites and 3 Cliff Seaview Suites, both of which have their own plunge pools, and 3 Garden Cottages, which are slightly cheaper and don’t have sun loungers. And although the cottages tend to share an adjoining wall with one neighbour, they still feel totally private.

The ensuite bathrooms are are more Moroccan in style, with earthy red walls and a walk-in hot-water shower. The only caveat is that the hotel uses brackish water to avoid depleting the freshwater table, so you do feel a bit salt-encrusted after a few days.

Features include:

• Fan
• Mosquito net
• WiFi

Eating

The food is one of the highlights at Pongwe. Meals are served in a big palm-thatched building overlooking the beach, with lots of sofas covered in African fabrics. On arrival, guests are given a glass of juice here - ours was mango and ginger.

Kick-start a day in paradise with breakfast on your private terrace. Linger over fresh fruit salad or a cooked English/American as the sun warms up. The other meals follow a set menu formula, but with more leeway than at other hotels. Lunch, for example, allows guests to choose from a range of dishes including bacon and feta cheese salad, tuna nicoise, steamed crab claw with rice and tomato sauce and fruit platter.

Dinner is 3 set courses, and guests can choose how many of these they want. Our menu was spicy pumpkin soup, grilled king prawns with spicy potatoes and vegetables, then chocolate gateau. Once a week there is live entertainment from a local Jambo trio.

If you want the chef to rustle up a particular dish for you, they are happy to do so with some advance notice. The bar also stocks some really good South African wines and Spanish cava.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Restaurant
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Relax on the powder-soft sand and watch the local women sort through their fishing nets
  
• Take a dip in the aquamarine sea or the gorgeous infinity pool
  
• Don flippers and mask and go snorkelling on the Pongwe Reef, which is recommended for children, or take a trip to the Mnemba Atoll, Fumba or Chumbe Island
  
• Lie in a hammock with a cold beer and a good book
  
• Borrow the hotel's Frisbee, kite, football or French boules and have a game on the beach
  
• Have a game of Bao, a Zanzibarian board game, as popular here as football. Staff will be happy to explain the rules (and challenge you to a game!)
  
• Go on a boat trip - honeymooners can book a romantic sail on a traditional dhow, or you can go out on a local ngalawa and fish for marlin, barracuda and king fish
  
• Rent a jeep and drive down to Chwaka Bay to see the mangrove swamps and swarms of crabs (a 20-minute drive)
  
• Hire a motorbike and head into Zanzibar's historic capital, Stone Town, to spend a day wandering through its narrow pebbled streets. Barter for local art in the markets, check out the magnificent Sultan's palaces then tuck into barbequed meat and fish at the bustling Forodhani Gardens
  
• Take a spice tour, or ask reception to organise a day trip to Jozani Forest to see the Red Colobus monkeys

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Kayaking
• Sailing
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Wildlife

Kids

Children are welcome but there are no specific facilities for them and the overall vibe is quite grown up. It will suit older kids who'll enjoy snorkelling and kayaking around the cove. The hotel can provide cots and highchairs at no extra cost.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The 2-bedroom Beachfront Suite is best for families, with a double room, a twin room, and a private plunge pool.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Pongwe Beach Hotel is on the east coast of Zanzibar (Unguja) island, 1 hour's drive northeast of Stone Town.

By Air:
Stone Town Airport (60km) in Zanzibar is the closest airport. You'll probably fly here on a connecting flight from Dar-es-Salaam (in Tanzania). It's also possible to catch a hydrofoil from Dar to Zanzibar. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports, and hydrofoil information.

From the Airport
The hotel can arrange a private transfer - see Rates for more details. Alternatively you can take a taxi, which will take approximately 1 hour.

By Car:
Hire cars aren't very popular because of the bumpy roads, bad signposting and short distances involved, but work out well if you are a group of 4 or want complete independence. If you’re interested, see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.