Maji Lodge — Hotel in Unguja

This really is just a heaven on earth, the building is beatiful with a ton of topical plants and palm trees. The lodge had direct acces to the beach from the yard which is nice to get a swim but also has a pool (though the floor of the Pool was bit rough to the touch)

The rooms were nothing too special but still really good. The sockets allowed for european chargers and had specialized equipement installed in the building to keep a constant power supply of 220V with an emergency generator in case of a sudden loss of power. The Windows didnt have glass but instead a layer of wires to keep the bugs out, its different for me as a european but can understand that its a culture difference and it was nice for the air circulation. The fan on the ceiling provided plenty cooling.

The wifi in the lodge worked great, in the yard not so much but that doesn't matter that much.

But most important, the staff was great. There was a guard on site at all times, keeping an eye on the gate and the property which made it feel way more safe. Every morning someone came to Clean the Pool and someone came to Clean the yard and garden. The sheets were changed every 2 days and towels were replaced. But most amazing was the chef who arrived 2 hours (!) Before our breakfast at 10 am to prepare fresh and homemade Juice, fresh and homemade crèpes, toast and fresh cut fruits. He made us eggs during breakfast and cleaned everything after. And even for dinner he would sometimes arrive 4 hours (!) In advance to prepare the dinner. We loved it!

Special thanks to the ( I assume stray ) cat who came to cuddle and...

Myself, and 7 other friends stayed at the villa for 10 nights. It is beautifully decorated and spacious. Matemwe is a calm and relaxing area, however, you are not far from the busier areas such a Nungwi or Kendwa. ||||Natalia is an amazing host and ensured that there were always drinks available in the fridge and sorted any problems that ensued quickly. She even sourced a 21st birthday cake for my sister and arranged a lovely beach bonfire BBQ. Natalia will also put you in touch with a wholesaler for any and all produce you could require. ||||We used the services of the chef on 2 occasions and had some of the best food of the entire trip prepared for us. Our group was a mixture of vegetarian/meat/fish eaters and he was able to accommodate all of us and any food request we had! Ask to try his version of a Zanzibar pizza, it is delicious! ||||The entire stay exceeded our expectations, from the ordering of food for the kitchen the availability of drinks at the property (for a more than reasonable amount), to the chef services, to the lovely housekeeper who tidied and cleaned up after us, the beautiful property and of course the outstanding hospitality. The entire group was sad to be leaving and we will definitely be back...

We stayed 9 nights and had a wonderful time. The home is very well decorated, maintained, and is very spacious. The backyard garden is immaculate with flowers everywhere, outdoor dining area, seating in various areas (ie whether sunny or rainy or windy or calm there is a beautiful spot to relax). There are plenty of restaurants in walking distance, and you can swim/snorkle directly from the house. ||||I would highly recomend the chef. We only booked him a couple nights but ended up having him come 7 of 9 nights and loved every meal!||||Natalia (proprietor) can help you arrange proper day trips or you can do it yourself. We did the Mbeka (sp?) snorkling, "swim with dolphins", and "stone town + prison island". All were great. I was very skeptical that "swim with dolphins" would actually find dolphins in the open waters... But damn if they didn't... They found a school of ~50 dolphins in open water, pulled the boat in front of them, our family (2 adults + 3 kids) dove in (just snorkles), and were able to swim down as a massive school of wild dolphins (including a mom and baby - sooooo cute) swam by. Amazing.||||All in all a...