Sunrise Hotel and Restaurant opened its doors in 1994 and is owned and run by a Belgian chef – Georges Noel. He is a very charming, friendly man who makes no pretensions about this low key lodge. It is not a smart or luxurious place, but it is comfortable and welcoming with a chilled-out atmosphere.
There is a large thatched central area, where you will find the bar/lounge and dining for Sunrise. The decor here is rather strange - with garish colours that lack any co-ordination (interior designers – consider yourself warned!). But it is clean and comfortable and the restaurant serves some of the best food on Zanzibar.
There is also a large swimming pool with plenty of loungers and shade. From the pool, the long stretch of white beach is only a few steps – there is plenty of natural shade from the trees, however Sunrise has not put out any shade or loungers here.
There are two different types of room at Sunrise Hotel and Restaurant. The Standard Rooms are quite small and dark (we don't generally recommend these to our travellers), though they are still well furnished with Zanzibari furniture and air-conditioning. Then the Sea View Rooms, which are situated in bungalows, are slightly larger and brighter with much better views.
Sunrise does not try to be flashy, so it has retained a lovely down-to-earth and relaxing atmosphere. It is excellent value, as long as you aren't expecting luxury, and many will be drawn here for its fantastic food.
Ideal length of stay: 3 nights or more if you like relaxing on the beach.
Central facilities: The central areas at Sunrise Hotel are spacious and well kept, though those with an eye for interior design might find things a little garish. To reach the bar and dining area you have to cross a little foot bridge over a stream, and then both are situated next to each other under a large thatch roof.
The bar area is a semi-circular room, which is open sided and has intimate booths with little Zanzibari tables around the edge. The cream tiled floors, red and cream soft furnishings, and bright yellow bar and tarpaulin wind breaks don't match, however the bar is well stocked, the staff are friendly and it is very comfortable.
The dining area sits under the same thatch roof just adjacent to bar, and is furnished with tables and chairs. The tie-dyed table cloths are gaudy, but you'll soon forget this when the excellent food arrives.
Sunrise has a large pool which is lovely and clean with plenty of loungers under the shade of large umbrellas. It is perfect for swimming when the tide is out.
Directions: It takes around 35 minutes to fly to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam, and then it's a further one hour by car to Sunrise Hotel and Restaurant.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer
Key personnel
Owner: Independent / Owner Run
Food & drink
Usual board basis: Half Board
Food quality: The meal times at Sunrise are generally very flexible – as Georges told us himself, 'when people are on holiday, they don't want to be told when to eat!' Having said that the norm is, breakfast from around 7.30 onwards. Lunch is then 12.30 – 14.30 and dinner is usually served from 19.30 until 21.30.
Georges prides himself on having one of the finest restaurants on Zanzibar and when we were last there it certainly was excellent. The food isn't overly flashy or stylishly presented – but it tastes fantastic. There is plenty of imaginatively prepared seafood in delicious sauces, juicy steaks and tasty starters.
Dining style: Inidividual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor Dining
Room service: There is no room service at Sunrise.
Drinks included: Drinks are not included. When we were last there the drinks were about $3 for a glass of South African wine, and $2 for a beer.
Special interests
Family holidays: Sunrise is an inexpensive and very relaxed beach lodge which welcomes children. It's quite fun and informal, and doesn't have that 'quiet honeymoon' feel that can make families with energetic children feel a little uncomfortable. There's also a large pool to keep kids entertained.
- See more of our suggestions of the best places for Family holidays
Honeymoons: If you're looking for a beach lodge with superb food that's great value - then consider this.
- See more of our suggestions of the best places for Honeymoons
Beach Breaks: Sunrise Hotel and Restaurant sits in a quiet stretch of beach on Zanzibar's Michamvi Peninsula. The beach has powdery white sand which stretches off into the distance on either side, and beautiful water which is usually crystal clear. However Sunrise does lack in loungers and shade on the beach.
- See more of our suggestions of the best places for Beach Breaks
Diving & snorkelling: There's an excellent PADI dive centre based at one of the nearby lodges which organises diving and snorkelling trips throughout the area.
- See more of our suggestions of the best places for Diving & snorkelling
Children
Attitude towards children: Children are welcome at Sunrise Hotel and Restaurant.
Age restrictions: There are no age restrictions here.
Activities: Sunrise will happily organize child-minding.
Equipment: Cots are available on request.
Generally recommended for children: Yes
Notes: There are no specific facilities here for children, though there is a relaxed atmosphere, a pool and a vast stretch of beach.
Central communications
Power supply: Mains Electricity
Communications: Guests can use the office computer to email when it is available, and there's WiFi freely available if you have your own PC. There usually good reception for mobile phones here.
TV & radio: There is no TV or radio here.
Health & safety
Malarial area: Yes
Medical care: There is a doctor at a nearby resort that can be contacted in the case of a medical situation.
Dangerous animals: Low Risk
Security measures: There are guards around the lodge at night, and a central safe in the office for valuables.
Fire safety: There are fire extinguishers in the main areas.
Extras
Disabled access: On Request
Laundry facilities: There is an extra charge for laundry – it usually takes 24 hours depending on the weather and when we were last there it was around $1-3 depending on the item.
Money: If Sunrise does have any cash available, they are happy to offer an exchange service for US dollars, and travellers' cheques. However, this isn't something that you can rely on.
Accepted payment: Sunrise prefer payment for any extras in US Dollars cash, though they do also except Visa and Mastercard (for a 10% charge) as well as travellers' cheques (for a 5% charge).
We want you to understand more about Sunrise Hotel. We're also confident that a trip there with us cost you the same or less than booking it any other way, even directly. So follow the links below.
Sunrise Hotel homepage Pretty simple little site; read the menu and take our word for it; the food is at least as good as the menu!
