Firefly Bagamoyo — Hotel in Pwani Region

Terrible, noisy, too expensive. First impression is very good. They did an excellent job decorating and they make you feel very welcome. But, if you actually like to sleep at night, skip this place. Sleeping is impossible because of the traffic noise. There are these heavy motorcycles right under your window the whole night through. The people of the hotel aren't to to blame, I know. We were told that the street once was free of traffic. So why the one star then? Well, because there is much more wrong that is to blame on the owner. The beds: dreadful. Worn out matrasses, so thin in some places that you feel the wood or stone (yes, stone!) underneath right through it. The noisiest fan in the world, Electric wiring is unsafe, done with tape, power outlets coming from the wall, showers are made of the hoses that are normally used in this country to clean your behind, so uncomfortable... And they say it is to keep water usage down. Yeah, right. It is to prevent people from taking showers. Then the prices, absurd, far too high! A very mediocre breakfast for one person costs more than dinner for five at a good local restaurant. The menu for lunch and dinner makes me laugh... Why is there no local food on it? Why Hungarian goulash in Africa? And here again,why the very mediocre quality for these high prices? After one meal we decided not to eat here anymore. The food was greecy, the rice was not cooked long enough... No, very bad. To me it is very clear that this place is only about one thing: making as much money as possible without any regard to the guests. The owner says it is not possible to lower prices... If that is so, then why can others do the same or better job than Firefly does? And yes, the staff do their best, the hotel has a lovely terrace around a pool, but that simply is not good enough to counter all mentioned negatives. Avoid this place, that is my recommendation. Do not let yourself be deceived by the looks of this place, because you...

This is a lovely little escape with very creative touches in this eco-friendly environment. The staff were very friendly, and accommodated my various needs during a too brief stay. The meals were fabulous, and the history of the building was fascinating. The property is larger than I expected, but it is still a very cozy setting. I truly appreciated the ingenuity that was involved in getting me to my bus on time after an unexpected cancellation. Great time, and I'll hope to return to explore more of the area. It was really great to see the property featured in the video "Diaspora" by rapper Roma when I road the bus home. Glad to see we share excellent tastes in Bagamoyo accommodations.

Disliked · I really enjoyed my room, but since Firefly is on a busy street, and walkway to the ocean for fishermen, it can get quite noisy in the bedroom, which is in complete contrast to what you experience in the common areas around the pool. Also, the beach just outside of the property is not for swimming, and is filled with fishing boats and fishermen. However, it's a fantastic spot to see...

We stayed at Firefly in Bagamoyo for 5 nights and will absolutely recommend this place. This is not a luxury hotel for sure, but I will call this place an oasis in a very interesting town. The idyllically garden with a swimmingpool, bar and different relaxing places is a masterpiece and the most relaxing accommodation I have visisted. The sea breezes here is also very pleasant. They serve good food and drinks at reasonable prices. The rooms are clean and beds are equipped with efficient mosqito nets.

If you want to experience an authentic town in Tanzania I will recommend Bagamoyo and a stay at Firefly. Just outside the door step from Firefly you will experience dusty sandy streets encircled by ruins from the First World War. Close by you can visit and old fort and buildings from the German colony history, in addition to the old slave marked. There is also a nice beach nearby.

We visited Firefly in December and the Christmas celebration at Firefly will stay as a lovely memory my family and I will...