Reviews of Matemwe Retreat

"The combination of a bush safari week and the beach at Zanzibar turned out to be an excellent decision.

At Matemwe we just relaxed, read some books, drank a cocktail, had a wonderful private dining at our rooftop or at the beach, took a dip in our private pool and let Jems, our wonderful butler, take care of us! He even learned us to play Bao. So thanks to Jems and the rest of the staff (especially the chef for the wonderful food!) we felt really spoiled. Only thing is of course to turn back to normal when you are at home again... Maybe we should return more often...

By the way, you can go diving, kayaking, snorkeling, visiting the village and more. We were most of the time just happy relaxing in our home and twice took an excellent massage in the spa, but more active travellers also will not be bored." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 6n in Zanzibar

"Loved the location of Matemwe and the amazing villa and personal butler service too. The beaches themselves were disappointing (plenty of sea debris on tide line) and it wasn't really easy to swim. The food was good (not exceptional as in other places) and wines/beers were decent but spirits and cocktails were very limited (many of which weren't included despite being
Quite bog standard). Main bar and swimming pool disappointing. Could have done with windows in the room and air conditioning that worked as it was very hot and there were mosquitoes despite the season.There wasn't much to do there but it was a retreat so we were happy to relax for a few days in our lovely rooftop infinity pool." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania; 7n in Zanzibar; 1n in Kenya

"Incredible accommodation and a luxury experience having our own butler - who was really nice and attentive. As we were on honeymoon we spent most of the time at the retreat as we wanted some seclusion on the last part of our honeymoon.

Sometimes the food was excellent and sometimes quite average. It is a bit more resorty when you do go down to the main area and it is a bit of a walk. We were encouraged to join other guests for one night down at the restaurant, where the food unfortunately wasnt that great. The views from our place were fantastic.

We did a nice snorkelling trip (although the coral wasnt a vibrant as Chumbe) and were luck enough to come across dolphin (a wonderful experience). Overall a great stay." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 7n in Zanzibar

"We had a wonderful stay here - the villa was delightful - great view, spacious, comfortable and very private.

George, who looked after us was very attentive and good fun; the spa was WONDERFUL - well the massages were to die for.

Matemwe is very well run and the management team are superb - all the staff were brilliant.

Will definitely return." See all these reviews: 5n in Tanzania; 4n in Zanzibar

"What an amazing place this was! My husband and I stayed here for 7 nights on the final stop of our honeymoon. It was really difficult choosing a place to stay in Zanzibar as there seem to be so many options, but boy oh boy am I glad we chose Matemwe Retreat.

After a bumpy ride down a dodgy looking dirt road through Matemwe Village we arrived at Matemwe Retreat and we were welcomed by Abdi, our butler with a cold towel and drink. From that moment on our stay was amazing! Abdi was great and did everything (booking activities, drinks, food, advice etc etc etc etc) he could to make our stay enjoyable.

We stayed in Zam Zam and the villas are fantastic, very spacious and the views of the ocean are to die for. The pool on the rooftop was the best bit and we loved that we didn't have to leave our villa at all if we didn't want to.

The food is amazing and I think we had seafood for every meal. This is caught by the local villagers and bought by the hotel and it is always superb. We dined on a few occasions at the main hotel when they had Swahili night and a BBQ. Both were excellent! The cocktail of the day also went down very well:-)

In terms of activities, there is a fairly wide choice. We choose to do snorkelling, the guided reef walk (both provided by the hotel) and diving. All are fantastic and there is loads to sea out there in the ocean! We also had an amazing 3 hour massage pamper session, which was excellent. I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed.

All in all, there are not enough superlatives to describe this place. I was very sad to leave this little piece of paradise and I would recommend it in a heartbeat." See all these reviews: 7n in Zanzibar; 5n in Tanzania

"Matemwe Retreat could not be more appropriately named – it is a relaxing haven with all you could wish for in an idyllic setting. The rooms are beautiful with rustic-chic styling, and the top deck with the plunge pool is simply stunning. We were very well looked after by Thadeo who was attentive, friendly, and a mine of information on island life and culture.

We did the snorkelling trip one morning and it was well worth the early start – a sailing trip on a dhow, amazing marine life, and a delicious, simple picnic on a deserted sandbank. The main lodge at Matemwe is beautiful, too, and Thadeo was our waiter there on the couple of occasions we chose to venture out to the main restaurant.

We had 3 days here, but we could happily have stayed for a couple more. It is the perfect mix of elegance and sophistication with a relaxed, laid back vibe." See all these reviews: 5n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"We really enjoyed the space and privacy of our villa, Safina. Our butler Daniel was superb, could not do enough for us, and his calm quiet manner was delightful.

Sally took the trouble to check that everything was ok which was very thoughtful. We had a couple of meals at the Bungalows, the food was good throughout the stay and the bar was well stocked.

The view from the villa was beautiful with stunning sunrises, the rooftop plunge pool was a great way to cool off as we watched the dhows sail by. The bath was enormous with ocean view.

We were disappointed with the snorkelling off Mnemba, the trip was well organised but there were many boats all chasing dolphin and both guests and guide were touching both coral and fish." See all these reviews: 11n in Zanzibar; 5n in Tanzania

"Fantastic location and snorkelling but everything else was a complete diappointment. The concept of the lodge was fantastic but the fixtures and fittings were a disgrace.

Air Conditioning was broken and took 3 days and 6 men in our room to fix. The toilet never functioned and was replaced during our stay causing great inconvenience and intrusion by maintenance staff. The welcoming gave us no confidence as management were not present and this feeling continued throughout our stay.

Should have been the idealic end of a fantastic holiday but by the end we were just happy to leave." See all these reviews: 17n in Zanzibar; 6n in Tanzania

"If you are able to stay at the Matemwe Retreat why try to go somewhere else? The villa is fantastic; the view is amazing, our butler Mwuyni made us feel so special with all his pampering!

It was an unique experience and considering that we live near the mythical beaches of Thailand, forget it..this is the most beautiful beach we have seen! The water has as the most amazing blue color, the sand is so soft almost like flour (if you could compare).

The only thing that we regret is that the Mnemba atoll was overcrowded.

The Safina Villa was so good that it was very hard to leave it..the private pool..the sunrise..the beach and the people fishing and singing just a few meters in front of us created a magical atmosphere! Brilliant!" See all these reviews: 7n in Zanzibar; 6n in Tanzania

"The retreat was great. Our personal porter, Paul, couldn't have been any more helpful, attentive and interesting. He was great. Beautiful room.

The food was only ok here. Not the same level of cooking as at Gibbs or Sayari." See all these reviews: 8n in Zanzibar; 7n in Tanzania