Chumbe Island Vacations from SAR6,892

Enjoyed my travel. Beautiful property

The hotel is new And the staff are great we had an amazing time. The only issue is that the property was poorly built and already has signs of distress it will probably look worse in a few months

We visited The Island at Pongwe as the final stop on our honeymoon to Tanzania and Zanzibar and it was the perfect way to conclude an incredible trip. Set on a coral island just off of Zanzibar, the Island Pongwe is run by the amzaing Michela and her team. The island feels like pure rustic luxury and prides itself on being as sustainable as possible - they source food and materials locally. The service was amazing and we were greeted by the team who showed us to the Villa - a room with an incredible vista of the Indian Ocean. We were also kept company, by the islands dog, Ara, who was so sweet. The team were very helpful in organising a Dhow sailing experience with the local fishermen/sailors. At low tide you are able to walk out towards the reef - just watch out for sea urchins! The food was incredible and tasted so fresh. We were also lucky enough to be treated to a performance by local Masai on our final night. 10/10 - would definitely recommend even at least 1 nights stay here - it's so worth it for this little slice of paradise.

Overall the property has a lot of potential. The grounds were quite overgrown and unkempt, and the rooms while tidy, had poor finishing particularly with respect painting, where there was paint all over everything. The timber shutters on the terrace doors were broken, one set didn't close at the bottom. The wifi was very unstable through the property, and could not maintain a connection. In the room it did not work at all, and I was unable to do my work until later in the first evening when the IT person was able to install an additional AP in my room. The food in the restaurant was OK, nothing to write home about, and would expect more for example from breakfast, where the fruit selection was limited despite there being an abundance of fresh fruit varieties from street vendors on the roadsides not far from the Resort. The staff were adequate, but lacked the bubbly, friendly and enthusiastic energy that I've experienced almost everywhere across East Africa.

Amazing resort, perfect for relaxing and the friendliest staff with the F&B team going above and beyond. We had a lovely private dinner on the beach on our last night which was a perfect end to an unbelievable stay. Highly recommended and will be back.