Reviews of Qambani

"Absolutely stunning property with unobtrusive but attentive service. The common areas and villas were impeccably appointed. Entering the property took our collective breath away. We ate, drank, lounged in the pools all day, and practiced the art of 'pole pole' or slowing down from our busy lives. They provided kayaks which we took into the ocean when the tide was in. The beach is mostly a coral reef (?) so not too swimmable, but is nonetheless lovely with crystal clear turquoise waters and powder white sand. It's also practically private when the tide is in; we had it entirely to ourselves when kayaking. I loved that each meal was set up in a different location and that the menus changed every day. Their in-house masseuse is brilliant - I had the best massage of my life here!

The food taste ranged from OK to great. There were some minor communication issues (such as their brochure listing that you were invited into their kitchen and that the chef would recommend off-menu dishes for you) - but when we asked about this, the staff and chef looked really confused. However, communication improved a lot when we started using their WhatsApp number to ask questions and place orders, so maybe it was just a language issue. We were also able to request a specific off-menu item on the second day and they made it for us.

Overall a wonderful, memorable, relaxing and bespoke experience at one of the most gorgeous properties I've ever seen. Would highly, highly recommend." See all these reviews: 4n in Tanzania; 2n in Zanzibar

"Exceptional location. Brilliant staff. Great rooms. Fantastic beach that almost feels like a private one.

Flexibility (within reason) on food choices and very responsive staff.

Infinity pool is a real highlight.

Suggestion: Kayaking equipment and set-up needs better upkeep and was short of the standard you would expect in a resort this extraordinary. However, still worked and made for a special day on the water." See all these reviews: 4n in Tanzania; 2n in Zanzibar

"Secluded and isolated which allows for a peaceful and tranquil stay. Only 5 villas so very much private and special.

Villa was very spacious with a nice verandah and balcony area. Huge bathroom, all impeccably clean and luxurious.

Food was good and accommodated dietary needs when necessary. All the staff are attentive and passionate about looking after you.

Swimming pool a delightful area with very comfy sun loungers and again first class service for drinks/ food." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"Wow, we loved Qambani. Our villa was luxurious, and it was incredible to have that type of relaxation and beauty at the end of a week and a half of safari and bumpy game drives.

Our host was welcoming and extremely helpful in setting things up for us and making sure we were happy about everything. The food here is phenomenal - you get to pick your meals (like a restaurant) from a daily menu.

The infinity pool was really nice to have. The ocean wasn't great because of the location on the island - the tide has pulled the water out for most of the day.

Still, we would love to be able to stay here again!" See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar; 5n in Kenya

"A real luxury resort that doesn't feel like a honey moon place.

Until I saw this pool, I didn't understand what an infinity pool meant. and the beach is amazingly beautiful." See all these reviews: 7n in Zanzibar; 5n in Rwanda; 4n in Zambia; 1n in Tanzania

"Although the unmade road to the hotel, lack of signage, and poor entrance/gates didn’t give great first impressions, it really didn’t matter as the hotel itself is delightful. The decor is wonderful, with fantastic rooms, the staff willing, and the position great overlooking the beautiful blue sea. There is a lovely infinity pool too.

The South African chef, Philip, made us all extremely welcome, and went out of his way to accommodate our tastes. His cooking is excellent. You can alter the menu, decide when you want to take meals, and have snacks during the day. The local Swahili dishes on the menu one night were fun." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"Qambani is a beautiful resort with access to beaches but also a few great pools on-site. Our villa was the most secluded and looked different from the others, with its Moorish architecture - but was also great as this was the conclusion to our honeymoon. This may not be the best spot for travellers who don't wish to be far away from the rest of the resort, or who have difficulty with steps.

I was a bit concerned when we were not greeted immediately upon our arrival - but we soon realized that this is because there is no official "front desk" or "check-in area". The whole resort is meant to feel like home for guests, and they have basically access to all the areas for lounging, etc. For the most part, we did not have difficulty finding staff if we needed anything during our stay.

The villa itself was well maintained, and any issues we ran into were solved very quickly. I especially loved the toiletries provided! We also had a private plunge pool, which had beautiful views of sunsets each evening. We were also able to utilize a roof deck for meals and spa treatments.

The staff was very friendly and always greeted us with a smile. Meals were very well-done, and even though we were told that we could make special requests, we were pretty much always open and happy to take the lunch and dinner meals as suggested. It is a nice touch to be able to have your meals at a time and location of your choosing, and luckily the staff was flexible if we had not made up our minds in the morning.

We weren't sure what to expect after reading that the tide goes out ~1.5km during low tide, and that the beach in front of the resort is essentially tide pools - but we enjoyed utilizing that time to take a walk out and check out the marine life, or lounge in our villa or at one of the resort's main pools. Indeed, the infinity pool with the swing is a standout! Going for morning and evening swims during high tide was also wonderful. We utilized the resort's kayaks, snorkel masks and aqua shoes.

We were especially appreciative of the personalized touches during our stay - complimentary champagne to help us celebrate our honeymoon, and a private dinner set up for our last night at the resort." See all these reviews: 5n in Zanzibar; 4n in Tanzania

"We visited mid-July 2019. The grounds are beautiful and a very secluded location on the tip of the Michamvi peninsula. There is not really a beach at high tide, and at low tide the reef rocks go out probably 300 meters so it's not 'classic' Zanzibar beach.

However our main concern was the poor attention to details that we expected. The initial room we were booked in was one of the original buildings - musty, dark, no window in the bathroom, dirty water in the Nespresso machine.... We did get a room change on request without problem. We left laundry and it wasn't done by 9p the evening before an early departure and had we not reminded them we wouldn't have gotten it back. The food was very heavy - fried, not an emphasis on vegetables or when they were they were drowned in heavy dressing." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 3n in Zanzibar

"Qambani was a stunning hotel in a beautiful setting.

We loved the room, whilst the pool was huge and had the most gorgeous views.

The staff were lovely and the food was very very good." See all these reviews: 5n in Zanzibar; 4n in Tanzania

"Qambani is wonderful. Stylish, comfortable, amazing food, incredible views, stunning infinity pool – the stuff of my wildest holiday dreams!

We stayed in the Castaway apartment which was really spacious and perfect for our family of four.

The highlight for my children was the chance to visit Axel's ice-cream lab – and to help him make a batch of what they described as the best ice cream EVER!" See all these reviews: 12n in Zanzibar