Zanzibar Rock Resort — Hotel in undefined

I stay in an awful of a lot of hotels for work and I wanted something more natural/eco and less artificial for this stay over the Easter long weekend. Zanzibar Rock Resort was just the medicine I needed.||Sit in the bar area sipping a drink with the cooling sea breeze in your hair and just watch the tide race in and out over the sand flats - it's mesmerising. Then when the tide has come in enough, take a dip in the deliciously warm sea to freshen up before going off to read a book on a sun lounger until it's time to eat... That was how I spent the time - bliss.||The location is hard to beat:|| - it's on the ocean side of the island so the breezes are refreshing and the water is clean|| - Pongwe beach is known as one of the very best beaches on Zanzibar and the resort is literally perched on a tiny rocky island IN the beach. It is also truly beautiful with white sand and turquoise water - no filters or photoshop required...|| - all the beaches on Zanzibar are tidal, so at low tide it is a bit of a walk (for the love of god - take beach shoes, not flip flops, there's sharp things in the sand and lots of rays in the shallows) out to water deep enough to swim in - but it only needs to be half tide to be able to swim directly off the island. Though there isn't a beach on the island, there are steps down to the water and sun loungers everywhere.||The villas far exceeded my expectations... They are completely naturally constructed from branches and woven palms - really expertly done. They are large and airy with big four-post beds draped with mosquito netting and they also have ceiling fans - no energy-hungry aircon here.||There is a separate toilet and a shower room. The water pressure in the villas is very low (my friend reported the same in his villa on the other side of the island) - but that isn't a problem when you are swimming in the sea at least twice a day.||Although the resort is 'eco' that certainly doesn't mean it's dirty. The whole place is incredibly clean with absolutely no mould or mildew to be seen or smelled anywhere (my pet hate). There are also far fewer flies and mosquitos here than anywhere else we were in Tanzania. I did not see a single cockroach on the island either.||The restaurant/bar areas are the same very natural construction and set out on the outer point where the sea breeze keeps the heat down and the beer and cocktails flow freely.||The food served was simple but really really good... You can tell when the cook just loves food. I had all sorts of things from the menu and took advantage of a fresh catch of prawns that was made into a delicious curry. Zanzibar is the spice island after all, the flavours were fantastic.||My friend is vegan and I couldn't believe how amazing the staff were to actually create a daily changing menu of completely vegan food for him. Just incredible - he was extremely impressed.||The guys Abdul and Noah were so awesome. We were frequently the only people on the island and they were so friendly it really made the weekend great.||Tips on finding the resort: go to the Northern end of Pongwe and lookout for a small white sign with "Zanzibar Rock Resort" on the beach side of the road - it's easy to miss. Then drive all the way down the tiny sandy road and then get out and keep walking straight until you get to the beach and you will see it. Try to time coming and going with low tide, though there is a boat they can ferry you with.||Electricity on Zanzibar: this is a tiny African island, as such, expect the power to go out fairly often and stay off for long periods. Don't forget that means no wifi, charging devices or using ceiling fans while it's off . I'm actually glad there's no backup generator in the resort, it would destroy the serenity. Just make sure you do what you have to on the internet and recharge everything whenever it's on.||A note on getting around: taxis on Zanzibar can be daylight robbery, I mean trying to charge USD $160 for an hour's drive type of robbery... My advice would be to either pre-arrange a driver to take you wherever you want to go at a daily rate, or renting a car and driving yourself. It's not quite as hair-raising as some posts I've seen suggest, but do ensure you have all the proper paperwork as well as some spare cash on hand... And beware the unmarked hidden...

If you're looking for a place that cuts out the noise n fuss, where you can just drift off n sleep or read a book and feel rested and at peace, this is it. All you hear all day is the sound of waves against the cliff face and maybe a gull flying by... Sunbathe undisturbed by day, count the shooting stars by night.. you read right. The sky is so clear by night (unless you get a bright moon looming over) and if you're lucky you will even spot a few fireflies!! Can get magical :) The entire place is lovely and well maintained, warm and friendly staff. ||The rooms are clean, earthy and comfortable with a little sit out. Most of the cottages face the sea and sea breeze just lulls you into a blissful state and also keeps the rooms cool and airy. Juices are nice and staff is very accommodating with personal requests. ||||On the flip side: If there's a full moon happening, you may want a room that doesn't face the ocean front cuz the sea can get rough and the sound of crashing waves can keep you up at night. ||The free wifi is only avble at the reception area but otherwise its a good thing cuz it keeps your phone quiet. ||The restaurant isn't bad but the menu does need a bit of sprucing up! The food is priced in USD and may seem a bit pricey for an otherwise budget place. For a one night stay we ending up spending almost the room price on food for two, so you might wanna head out for dinner. ||Also, the tide comes in and surrounds the rock in the evening so you will have to wade through water with a...

I only went to the restaurant, I did not say in the hotel. I had a bad visit. The food and drinks were more expensive than the quality warranted. More important, the management needs to do a better job of marking the safe path to the front door when the tide is in. Like the approach to Mordor, there is a narrow, hidden safe path surrounded by razor sharp black rocks. When the tide is in, the coral stones are almost impossible to see since the silt has been kicked up. The local staff was also really nice, though they need to be trained and equipped to offer...