Reviews of Matemwe Lodge

"After spending time in two different safari tent camps it was absolutely fantastic to arrive at this incredible beach front resort for a little indulgence. The grounds were immaculate and the well tended gardens spectacular. The staff greeted us with welcoming smiles on our arrival, refreshing drinks and hand cloths which were truly appreciated. We arrived towards the end of lunchtime but were accommodated with a perfect lunch to tie us over until dinner. Our bungalow overlooked the reef and the vast Indian Ocean beyond. The perfect setting and we had a fully furnished private deck for lounging and enjoying the sea breeze.

Our bungalow was perfect inside as well with a high thatched ceiling, two comfortable double beds with quality linens, one on the main floor and one upstairs both with well placed.fans. The bathroom was huge, with a beautiful tub and great walk in shower, and a separate toilet. we were so happy we were staying 4 nights!

The meals were fantastic in their presentation, variety and taste. The dining room was well situated overlooking the water as was the infinity pool. A second pool was closer to the bar lounge area and was equally as nice with a small waterfall.

We utilized the sports centre for assisting us with an afternoon kayaking out to the reef, a wonderful boat ride and snorkelling outing to a distant reef and a swim with the dolphins and a walk to the fish market and a village tour. The staff at the centre were very helpful and friendly.

Overall the front desk staff, the bar and wait staff were all excellent and attentive. i also really enjoyed my massage treatment. This resort and the staff put on a fantastic and swahili dinner and entertainment fun night which all the guests really seem to enjoy and learned a few new dance moves! I highly recommend this resort as a great place to unwind and relax." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"On arrival at Matemwe we were met by Ross and given an intro tour of the establishment. He had arranged a complimentary bottle of champagne to be left in our room which successfully placated us on our initial poor experience with the transfer company who collected us - a very nice touch. Ross is an exemplary host and is clearly focused on making Matemwe as successful as possible; his commitment to the training and career opportunities for members of the village is to be highly praised.

The lodge itself was exactly what we wanted in that it was a wind down/get in the mood place for our forthcoming safaris on the mainland. We stayed in room 11 and it fulfilled our needs. The decor and ambience was spot on. We would have liked a fridge in the room with some drinks in it to avoid having to walk to the bar area or ring room service. Completely fresh sheets every day was a real treat!

The food was very good if not overly adventurous. The staff were pleasant to chat to and courteous throughout our stay. However, the finer points of service need to be reinforced; while sitting at the pool for instance we were never asked whether we wanted anything. If one went and found a staff member and asked for something it normally arrived but we would have liked them to be slightly more attentive and proactive. We arrived on Sunday which was the African dance evening - this really set the mood for our stay - great fun and everyone got up and danced. Wednesday night was the seafood BBQ and was an excellent last night of our stay. I am glad we hadn’t arrived on Thursday and left Sunday as I don’t think there is any other evening event during the week.

It is a pity that it is not really safe to swim in the wonderfully warm sea due to the many spiny sea urchins, especially as the sand on the beach has to be experienced to be believed! However, many small touches at Matemwe (honesty beach bar, double hammocks in the villas etc) make enjoying the sea from the land very bearable! There is not much to do at the resort so 3 days/4 nights was enough. If you want to explore locally perhaps add another day. We did nothing day 1, followed by a reef walk day 2 and boat trip on day 3 which was enough for us." See all these reviews: 6n in Tanzania; 4n in Zanzibar

"We greatly enjoyed our stay at this lodge, because the excellent rooms offer a beautiful outlook over the sea and the service was always friendly, if sometimes rather inefficient! It is unfortunate that the reef in front of the lodge is dead and swimming in the sea involves careful avoidance of sea urchins. Consequently, snorkelling has to involve a boat trip to a reef further away.

An important attraction of the lodge is that it is located close to a working village, so there was always plenty of activity with fishermen setting out and returning with their catch. Despite its proximity to the village, the beach was generally uncrowded and not as affected by rubbish as we had feared might be the case." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania; 7n in Zanzibar

"Matemwe Lodge exceeded our expectations in every way. It is located on a beautiful, private area of Northeastern Zanzibar with views of the ocean from every comfortable bungalow. The personnel at Matemwe were always courteous and helpful, and they went out of their way to ensure we enjoyed each moment of our stay. The food was abundant, fresh and delicious. The bungalow was very charming and comfortable. Our only suggestion would be to upgrade the mattress on the bed.

Although we are not typically water sports- oriented, we did take advantage of the snorkeling tour (2 hours) offered and saw incredible marine life on a coral reef off of Mnemba Island, as well as dolphins playing.
This was a magical visit from start to finish." See all these reviews: 6n in Zanzibar

"Amazing food, the best food we have ever had on holiday. Extremely helpful and friendly staff without exception. Lovely cottage, great location, beautiful sand on the long beach, although there was a lot of seaweed that could have been cleaned up to make it look even better.

The biggest concern which you should tell others was the inability to enter the sea due to thousands of sea urchins.The village you had to drive through was quite distressing to see the poverty and squalor and the road into the lodge was in dire need of repair and improvement. Apart from these few issues we would not hesitate to recommend this resort.

We would definitely go back" See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 3n in Zanzibar

"Matemwe Lodge was our last stop after a safari "high". The cottages were fantastic, very clean and each felt tucked away and had a view of the ocean and sunrise.

The stretch of beach is public but no one is there during the day so it seems private. It's a wonderful spot to decompress and meditate. Great diving, food, and professional staff. They even surprised us on our last night with a candlelight dinner on the beach.

Our only advice is if you are running low on cash stop in Zanzibar Town when you arrive because you will not want to Matemwe Lodge once you arrive (it takes a solid hour from the airport to the lodge)." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 4n in Zanzibar

"We enjoyed our four night stay at Matemwe lodge, The room was excellent with delightful terrace from which to sit and watch the fishing boats and dhows slip by. The staff were attentive and friendly.

We had an excellent excursion for snorkelling and also had the opportunity to swim with the dolphins. Apart from this excursion, swimming was difficult. The pool was very small (only a plunge pool really) and the tides were generally low while we were there which made swimming from the beach impractical.

Overall though a very nice place to relax for four days" See all these reviews: 7n in Zanzibar; 6n in Tanzania

"Matemwe Lodge has a superb location by the coast. It was magical for our room to be so close to the sea and hear the waves crashing on the reef whist we were in our room.

The staff and managers were all very helpful and friendly and provided excellent service.

We felt that our room 12 was very good, but on first impressions was a little tired. .

The Lodge was very quiet when we were there probably under half full which detracted from the atmosphere.

We were slightly disappointed with the food, and enjoyed the food more at the safari camps. The range was slightly limited and we expected more variety in the seafood, this may be due to the low number of guests. However, the barbeque night was excellent.

we went on a trip to Stone Town and a Spice Tour organised by the hotel which worked well." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"It was slightly difficult coming off a busy safari routine to such a peaceful retreat and we did feel slightly at a loss when we first arrived as it is very low key. However, the staff were amazingly helpful and welcoming, helping us to plan activities, for example snorkling and island visits. The lodge is situated next to a fishing village and it was fascinating being shown the village by a member of staff who lived there and seeing every day life in a rural community.

Matemwe Lodge's beach is very beautiful, however it is worth noting that while we were there it was very difficult to swim due to the reef and the many sea urchins. The lodge does have lovely pools though. The food was delicious and the staff friendly and welcoming. We particularly enjoyed the barbecues with the live music. It's worth noting that it is quite a long drive to some of the island's tourist attractions but the hotel were great about organising transport and guides.

We were slightly unprepared for the changeable weather - it was quite windy and sometimes we had short bursts of rain. But a lovely holiday all in all and Matemwe is perfect for a relaxing retreat." See all these reviews: 9n in Zanzibar; 7n in Tanzania

"Location and restaurant service were both a little disappointing. Although it was possible to visit the local village with a guide, there were no facilities available outside the hotel - not even a bar on the beach.

Service in the restaurant was indifferent, probably caused by lack of training and supervision. It improved very considerably after we complained." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar