Customer Reviews

"Amaan Kendwa is at the end of the worst road i have ever travelled on, but once you survive the road you come to a stunning resort, out of all the places we stayed they had the best breakfast by far, the rooms were good with a stunning view and aircon. The beach was beautiful. Unfortunatly that whole stretch of coast is full of large resorts and so its very touristy. Also found the resturant to be expensive but it did have a good variety of food. Would advise anyone staying there to go into Nungwi the local village and make your way to the little aquarium, its a natural aquarium with some beautiful fish and turtles. All in all we loved our time up north."

Ruth W., February 2007 · Amaan Kendwa

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"First of all a very big thank you to Salome for arranging a stunning holiday for us.....we stayed in a club room at mtoni marina for 2 nights, the room was great and very comfortable looked out onto lots of trees, the staff at mtoni were the best we encountered on the island, helpful and friendly at all times, my only suggestion would be that at breakfast they had a bigger selection of things to choose from and even more importantly to have jugs of water available. But all in all loved being there and would recommend it to anyone wanting to explore stone town and the surrounds."

Ruth W., February 2007 · Mtoni Marine

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"I really apprecaited that your were culturally conscious for ordering the muslim meals on the airline . That was a good start. Excellent Hotel well laid out and great beaches Rooms were renovated < decor was brilliant Service was 6 star . Really unbeatble especially the chef were very helpful and particular about the halaal (kosher) foods .Food excellent except tea poor quality Maurition tea bags and juices horrible .Serenity package very advisable and convenient. Near airport very convenient I would strongly recommend this hotel"

Haroon H., February 2007 · Shandrani Beachcomber Resort & Spa

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Wow!!! Absolutely amazing! The people are so friendly and helpful, really refreshing. Mtoni Marine was fantastic. Everything from the food right down to the friendly staff. I would recomend this holliday to everyone. Exotic Vacations were extremly profesional and Salome was a star. All the arrangements went 100% according to plan. Thank you very much!!!! Wayne L."

Wayne L., February 2007 · Mtoni Marine

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"W e had the most fabulous time. We travelled from the southern tip at Kizimkazi where we went for the dolphins tour and had a good lunch at a small local restuarant as part of the package. We also enjoyed a winding jungle tacking at the Jozani forest where across the road we had fun with the colubus monkeys and fished the trip with the refreshin trip through the mangoove trees. One of the most enjoyable was a trip through the spice farm where the young boy who was accompanying the tour guide was as we went along weaving finger rings , bracelets, neck ties, hand bags and hats as one can see in the photographs. This trip ended with Mr. Butterfly wonderful adventure of climbing a coconut tree while dancing and singing. At the ultimate end we were fed with all the different freshly picked tropical trees. I was able to uy the perfume oils of the likes of channel 5 and jasmine made rihgt there. We had many more like the Stone town triip through th slave trade area etc. We had a wonderful time."

Tsepiso D., January 2007 · Coral Rock Beach Bungalows

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Hi Stephnie, Ek hoop dit gaan goed met jou!! Ek het julle probeer bel maar dit lyk my daar is 'n probleem vandag met die telefoon lyne. Die Courier het nounet ons pakkie afgelaai, ons is so opgewonde!!!!! Ek wil net baie baie dankie sê vir al jou moeite en hulp, ek weet ek kan soms lastig raak, maar dankie vir al jou geduld!! Jy was pragtig en verseker gaan ons julle van nou af gebruik as ons travel agency wanneer ons iewers heen wil gaan!! Jou diens was uitstekend, ons skuld jou 'n groot boks chocolates!!!! Weereens baie dankie."

Adele B., January 2007 · Burasari Resort

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Hi there!! Well, when can we go back? WONDERFUL, GREAT, ROMANTIC, OUT OF THIS WORLD! Definitely a honeymoon destination, if not honeymooneers, take good friends and relax! Rooms: Great Supper: Great Beach and pool: Great Management: More than great! Things to keep in mind: 1. The breakfast can be improved, enough to eat, but boring - every day the same - think of changing the sausages every morning to mince one morning and sausages the other! 2. Please provide each room with a kettle, coffee, tea, milk and sugar - the boertjies cannot go without it! 3. The disco, what a great place! We never had the chance to go into the disco - it only opens at 22:00 (which never happened, because they do not open at 22:00). Why not use it for breakfast? That's all. Oh, we had very good feedback via other visitors re Salomé's service to them. They were extremely unhappy at the other hotel they were booked in, and Salomé helped them to get transferred! Thank you to Salomé for great service delivered to us too!! Please keep us informed of any specials! Sonja M."

Sonja M., January 2007 · Zanzibar Safari Club

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Exotic Vacations was extremely efficient and we did not have to worry about anything. Ocean Paradise is fabulous and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there and would highly recommend the resort. The staff were incredibly friendly and to quote; "makuna matata"; no problems/worries - nothing was too much for them. We would definately go back to this resort for another holiday."

Debby Z., January 2007 · Ocean Paradise Resort

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"WOW!!! Got married in Zanzibar!!! We had a fantastic time at Ocean Paradise Resort. Our transfers from and to the airport were on time which helped a lot. We've spent a week at the resort and have to compliment them on outstanding service, food & entertaining. We were initially booked further away from the beach, but upgraded ourselves to a bungalow right on the beach. All the rooms are fantastic as an aircon in Zanzibar is an absolute must! The swimming pool is great and come with its own bar in the pool. Great to “swim” while having a cocktail… We love to do things and Zanzibar has so much to offer. We’ve arranged our own guide who picked us up every day in order for us to explore Zanzibar: Stown Town, Prison Island with the giant tortoises, The Spice Tour & the Aquarium in the North (to name a few). Salome really outdid herself in arranging the perfect wedding for us. We got married on the beach at The Blue Bay Resort and it was absolutely idyllic. Thank you again Salome for the best day of my life!!!"

Madri R., January 2007 · Ocean Paradise Resort

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"It was a big shock when we landed in Zanzibar, we did not expect the airport to be like that and all the people that want to take your bags...Once we went outside and saw the board "Coral Rock" we felt much better. It was a shock to see how poor everybody is, but still happy.It is really a beautiful island. The staff at Corel Rock is fantastic, if nothing else...we will go back just because of them.They are friendly and very helpfull.I'll say there is always space for improvement, but with the resources the manager had, he did a damn good job! Thanx to Norman B. and the staff at Corel Rock. Thinus & Colett S."

Colett S., January 2007 · Coral Rock Beach Bungalows

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Heidi and the rest of the Exotic Vacations crew had their work cut out for them - we were a group of 14 friends wanting affordable accommodation in Zanzibar, over the Christmas/New Year period... But they came through smashingly, and we had a fantastic holiday! Blue Oyster Hotel was exactly what we had in mind - extremely laid back and right on the beach. The rooms are spotless and perfectly adequate, and the view from the restaurant unbeatable. Breakfast in Joburg can't possibly compare! And thanks to Heidi's personal attention, all the arrangements went smoothly. A word of advice though - rather fly from Dar to Stone Town; we were all a bit green on the ferry!"

Christine D., January 2007 · Blue Oyster Hotel

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"It was excellent to go to Zanzibar and experience the local culture. I can honestly recommend Safariclub for the whole relaxed tropical experience. Staying at Safari club is like staying at a guest house. The people are very friendly and you are not overcrowded like some of the bigger resorts. There was approximately max 100 people over the week that we stayed there. Also something that nobody told us was that the Island only caters for Visa Cards which means, take enough cash with for sightseeing and the odd bit of shopping. The odd $600 - $800 should be sufficient. It is very difficult to obtain local currency once in Zanzibar, so do it before going. Other than that is was very warm, humid and completely relaxing. It is an excellent destination for a young or old couple looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle."

Wouter S., January 2007 · Zanzibar Safari Club

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Salome, Just to let you know we had a fantastic holiday. Thank you for what you did to create the wonderful memories that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. Matthew had a 21st that I'm sure he will remember forever. Andrew, Alan and everybody at Amaan Kendwa were fantastic. They gave most things a personal touch and I always felt like they were giving us special attention. When one considers how busy the resort was and the fact that they work under very difficult conditions one can only give them 10 out of 10. The resort was really great and we felt it was very good value for money. We were lucky enough to have the best rooms in the resort, which made life just "that little bit" better as we woke every morning to the magnificent view of the beautiful beach and turquoise blue sea. Some mornings with a headache mind you - too many Kilimanjaro's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And here I speak for myself. My only criticism (as discussed on the phone this morning) is the transport arrangement between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. We all know about "Africa Time" and should have been prepared for what we endured, but we were not. In our opinion forget about the Ferry. According to the locals it has been a disaster all year and no-one is expecting it to change. Book your clients on connecting flights and preferably ones where they can leave directly from the International Airport. We basically were forced to charter our own flight, fortunately with our group of 12 people we could do it fairly easily. Dar Aviation Services were able to put on an extra flight which eventually took us to Zanzibar. We arrived at Amaan Kendwa at 8.30 that night!!!! This flight departed from the Domestic Airport which meant we had to make use of Taxis to move us the approx. 2 km's. Look at Precision Air who run a Hercules C130 from the International Airport or Tropical Air (who we used on our return trip- I was a bit more wise by that stage) and their pilot made special arrangements to drop us at International. This will also help your clients with their spending money as it will all have been paid "up-front". Thanks for everything. Kind regards John K."

John K., January 2007 · Amaan Kendwa

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"My pennie advies vir wat dit werd is…… Dit is ‘n verskriklik aangename bestemming wat die mooi van die natuur en see, die luukse van die hotel , en die bietjie Afrika (paaie , tyd,vervoer en vriendelikheid ens) goed meng! Ons het in ‘n pragtige 5 ster hotel , Ocean Paradise Resort, tuis gegaan wat aan die Ooste van die eiland is. Probeer dit gerus.(sien foto hierbo) Ek sou voorstel dat mens so twee nagte in die hoofstad , Stone Town,slaap (dis naby die lughawe en in die Suide van die eiland) So miskien die laaste/ eerste twee nagte sal sin maak.Die dagtrip is nogal ‘n beslommernis en mens kry nie werlik die gevoel van die stad/dorpie dan nie.Dis ook waar die shopping plaasvind….! Ek sal dan ook paar nagte in ‘n hotel in die Noorde van die eiland (by Nungwe village ) tuisgaan.Hier is meer restaurante ens. So mens hoef regtig hier nie noodwendig ‘n hotel wat all inclusive is, the gebruik nie. Ons het gevind dat 9-10 nagte net genoeg is om alles te doen wat mens wil en steeds genoeg tyd te gee om lekker te rus Die dame wat ons gehelp het , is Salome , by Exotic vacations. Alles het vlot verloop (selfs die vervoer van en terug na lughawe..). Gesels gerus met haar. Groete Johan"

Johan S., January 2007 · Ocean Paradise Resort

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Absolutely fantastic. The weather, food, accommodation, friendliness of everyone we met, were out of this world."

Moira M., January 2007 · Arabian Nights

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"The resort is ideal for those who want to be off the beaten path and enjoy the natural surroundings. It is at the end of a narrow rough dirt road, far north on the Michamvi Peninsula. There are long beach walks along deserted beaches with plenty of sea shells at low tide. An unspoilt paradise. It is possible to walk north right up to the point of the peninsula. Being remote and quite a drive from Stone Town, it is not really suitable for those that want to spend a lot of time touring, but for a beach holiday, I don't believe you can do better! But having said that, Kichanga also has its own full-time guide and a minibus service. Nassor arranges and accompanies guests on activities from swimming with dolphins to plantation visits, to Stone Town etc. Karafuu Resort is a short walk south along the beach. It's own beach is not as pretty as Kichanga, but it has got a cement walkway that allows guests to walk to the sea at low tide. The snorkelling near Karafuu is good and easy to get to for a bit of variety. However, we found part of the attraction at Kichanga was the walk through the tidal pools at low tide. We also snorkelled daily at Kichanga Beach and saw a lot of fish. Both resorts have dive centres, so in case one is fully booked, it is easy to arrange with the other. The elevated setting of the rooms and lodge at Kichanga affords guests an absolutely magnificent view out to the reef at low and high tide. Karafuu although its bungalows are on the beach is rather more flat and doesn't have the same views. Karafuu has many more rooms and is busier, while Kichanga being only 16 rooms(plans are underway to increase to a max of 24)offers a much more private experience. The land is larger than most of these beachside resorts, so the bungalows are nicely spread out and well-designed so that your neighbour's veranda doesn't have a view over yours. The facilities at Kichanga are typically Zanzibarian, earthy natural materials as opposed to the opulence of other resorts on this part of the coast. The food was really good (Italian run resort) and the service was personal. While we were there, the materials arrived for the construction of a wood fired pizza oven! (useful since there are frequent electricity outages and sometimes gas shortages.) Guests at Kichanga will never go hungry - Italian priorities! Also Stefano does not buy his beef at the market, so the beef for Christmas lunch arrived on the back of truck still with horns and mooing! A rather significant benefit when you see the meat market! Being December it was windy especially after sunset, however, this was a bonus since it meant we hardly saw any mosquitos and after the heat of the day, the breezes were most welcome. The only drawback is that the drinks were quite a bit more expensive than suggested by the guide books. This is largely because imports into Zanzibar are pretty monopolised. Be prepared to pay upwards of R140 for a bottle of SA wine that you would pay R40 odd for here. Also almost R50 for a whisky and soda and about R30 for a local beer. (all depending on the Euro exchange rate, prices at the hotel are in Euro). Take sufficient spending money for drinks. And don't forget you have to pay USD25 each on departure at the airport, we were short by USD3, but in typical Zanzibar style, USD47 was accepted with a Hakuna Matata! We arrived as strangers and left as friends with promises to return to visit soon!"

Lorraine T., December 2006 · Kichanga Hotel

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!Breathtaking views, fantastic hospitality and above all, an unbelievable experience. Thanks to all at Exotic Vacations and Corel Rock for a superb honeymoon."

Suli G., December 2006 · Coral Rock Beach Bungalows

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Hi Salome. The vacation was very nice and Coral Rock Hotel as a resort was fine. The staff was friendly and always supportive. The tours were well planned and executed. Old Chicken and his snorkeling outings were something highly recommendable, quite a personality which made the Hotel interesting ! Definitely the best option the area mainly due to the air-conditioning (huge competitive edge). We visited most of the other resorts in the area and they had very virtually no residents and we were full. Must be because of the outstanding marketing ! Improvement suggestions: Backup generator for water tank if the electricity fails. We battled to shower the last 2 days due to a regional electrical failure (out of the hotel’s control). Power is generally down ca. 4 hours per day at unpredictable times. A generator for the complete hotel will be huge and very expensive to run. It could help to have some oil lamps in the rooms in the event of power down’s at night (candles does not word due to the lovely breeze). A bedside table would be great. The toilet seats were a bit flimsy and ours were broken – maybe a more durable type would improve the quite moments. The temp. manager was great – Norman really made us feel at home and provided tons of humorous moments. Maybe a good idée to have a lower shelf installed in the closet, there is a lot of space to hang clothing but we found that you actually need a bit more shelving. There is enough space in the closet (hanging section) for a lower shelf. Regards Werner"

Werner K., December 2006 · Coral Rock Beach Bungalows

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Hey julle. Ons is terug en dit was fantasties. Sal verseker fotos stuur en iets skryf oor ons ondervindinge. Baie dankie vir julle goeie beplanning en ongelooflike diens. Vandat ons ons voete op Mauritius gesit het het almal geweet wie ons is, waarheen ons moet gaan en alles het sonder probleme gevloei! Te danke aan julle sal ons verseker weer in MAuritius gaan vakansie hou! Praat weer! Groete Charlene en Rozanne"

Charlene & Rozanne G., December 2006 · Mauricia Beachcomber Resort & Spa

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Mtoni Marine is a very nice hotel and we had a good stay there. The sports bar is nice for lunch and dinner and then there is also another restaurant which is a bit more expensive but truly worth while. We had an amazing dinner on the beach!! We didn't really like the beach and sea so much as we were spoilt coming from Nungwe. It almost looked a bit dirty being so close to stone town and all the big ships. I can really recommend only 1 night here to do stone town, you do not need 2 nights. One day in stone town is more than enough. Stone Town is a real experience, something you have to see from the old building to the food market - just be prepared for it!!! I would also suggest to do all your shopping in stone town and not at the resorts. We had rain every day from 18 till 26 Nov, but it does not last long and then you can enjoy the rest of the day."

Esna T., November 2006 · Mtoni Marine

Our service: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Dear Salome Thank you so much for the organizing our holiday to Zanzibar so thoroughly. We have a wonderful time. Did 4 dives at 22 meters with a visibility of 50 meters - each dive 45 minutes - what a wonderful experience. The resort is efficiently run, with all the facilities that one would want. We found Stone Town a sad site to see, the poverty is unbelievable and the conditions under which the people live is the worst we have ever seen. There is no waste disposal system and it would seem that there is no sewage pipes - so washing of clothing etc, is all done in the same waste filled rivers closest to the dwellings. I feel that it is an undiscovered jewel that could be rescued. Many thanks Max and Jenni R."

Jenni R., November 2006 · Ocean Paradise Resort

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

"Ons wil vir jou baie dankie sê vir al jou moeite. Dit was ongelooflik lekker gewees, ons sal weer deur jou so iets doen. Alles het seepglad verloop met geen pyne nie. Jacques en Valmai v.R."

Jacques R., November 2006 · Bluebay Beach Resort

Our service: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Just a quick email to thank all management and staff at Coral Rock for a magnificent honeymoon. It turned out to the most relaxing holiday I have had in ages. We found the room to be spacious and well kept, with the air-con and fridge as must have items for any hotel room in Zanzibar. The view – of course – is spectacular. A very special thanks to Norman who made us feel right at home, bent over backwards to help where he could and showed some real initiative in small improvements made to the hotel – even during our short stay. I have recommended the hotel to a colleague who has made a booking for February next year. Kind regards, Herbach & Karien B."

Herbach B., November 2006 · Coral Rock Beach Bungalows

Our service: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

"Good morning. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Exotic Vacations for the good service we received. The assistance from Salome was great. Please pass on our thanks. Blue Oyster is a wonderful hotel, with polite and helpful staff. They made our stay comfortable and our holiday worthwile. The manager Peter, is a very friendly gentleman. We got to know most of the staff including the ladies that do the cooking. The food was marvelous. We will definitely consider staying at this hotel again. The view is fabulous. I will mail some pic's once I have downloadeded them. Just one concern we have is that breakfast was supposed to be included in our package. We came across some of the slips where we were charged for omelettes, sausages & juice that formed part of the breakfast. We just thought you should know about it & give us feedback. We have however paid the bill in full. Once again, thanks for everything. Kind regards Ashley & Pamela"

Pamela S., November 2006 · Blue Oyster Hotel

Our service: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5) · Hotel: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)