Travel reviews by Mr & from Mrs S, Oxford

"We didn’t see much of this hotel as we arrived at about 11pm and left just after 8am. The room was large and air conditioned. The staff were helpful and the breakfast was good.

For us, the most useful aspect of the hotel was the very friendly mini mart inside the hotel, which provided us with toiletries after one of our bags was lost by KLM. The main I opened at 8am, which enabled us to get what we needed and get back to the airport for our transfer."

"Our stay at Lake Manze was fantastic. We were greeted by Sean and Millie, who made us feel so welcome. The evenings spent eating together with the other guests at the lodge made for very interesting conversation.

The lodge was very quiet during our stay and we were lucky enough to have a guide and driver to ourselves for the duration of our time at Lake Manze. We had never been on Safari before and Shaun guided us through the options for each day and we soon got into the rhythm of the camp.

The wildlife was everything that we could have hoped for and more with each day unbelievably delivering more exciting encounters than the previous one. One of the joys of Lake Manze is the wildlife in the camp and we had elephants coming through, monkeys trying to steal food if it was left unattended, baboons wandering around and one night there was a hyena outside out tent. We were very glad of the Masai, who escorted us about. At night, the hippos, hyenas and leopards were all easy to hear - I got our guide to give me animal impressions, so i knew what was outside the tent.

Lake Manze is a basic safari. There is no electricity in the tents and no WiFi in the main areas. I know that some of the guests were annoyed about this, but for us it was all part of the experience and we were often able to grab a data signal when we were out and about. The reality is that we didn’t really have time to spend on our phones in the evening because by the time we had showered and changed, it was time for dinner and afterwards, we were so tired we fell asleep.

Thanks to Shaun and Millie for making us feel so welcome and also for finding our lost bag."

"We had the most amazing time at Manta Resort. Firstly, we were upgraded to a beachfront villa, which was stunning. When we booked, there was a big difference in cost from the superior garden to a beachfront and we had plumped for the former. Having spent our holiday in the beachfront, I would say it is worth upgrading to: the room is enormous with huge floor to ceiling windows that opened up entirely enabling us to go to sleep and wake up to the sound of the sea; our very own plunge pool, the perfect place to cool off and watch the sun go down; the villas are entirely private, so no one can see in; and the sea breeze keeps the room cool at night - we had the windows open and the curtains drawn - and didn’t feel the need to use the air conditioning although there is very effective air conditioning over the bed if you want it.

On arrival at the resort, we were assigned Iddi to look after us. I would describe him as a sort of butler: he answered our many questions; liaised with the chef to ensure my food was lactose free; took us out on excursions; and told us all about the village and life on Pemba. He was fantastic and made our stay even more special. He has the enviable ability to be there when needed, but not to be intrusive.

Each day, we had a treatment in the spa and most days we went snorkelling before breakfast. We also visited the lighthouse; went to the forest and spice farm, on both of these activities we were escorted by Iddi; and went on a sunset dhow cruise.

The eco credentials of this resort are also excellent. They have protected an area of reef, which has been so successful the scheme is extending to other areas around the island. They have also been instrumental in supplying electricity and water to the village in the last few months improving the lives of the local people.

This place is a little piece of paradise tucked away from the rest of the world that you can visit knowing that you are giving back to the local community rather than taking away."