Pongwe Bay Resort

“A wonderful relaxing stay”

We had a lovely 5 days at this resort, it's a very calm, quiet and relaxing place, with superb staff who seem to really care and to be happy in their work. Our room was huge, plenty big enough for the three of us, and kept spotlessly clean, as was the outsized bathroom (with a ginormous bath which… more

We had a lovely 5 days at this resort, it's a very calm, quiet and relaxing place, with superb staff who seem to really care and to be happy in their work. Our room was huge, plenty big enough for the three of us, and kept spotlessly clean, as was the outsized bathroom (with a ginormous bath which, of course, we didn't fill!). There were a few power cuts in our time there, and these also caused the water to stop, so we couldn't flush the chain, wash hands, etc.etc. But, it's East Africa, so we just waited until the electricity was back ! The pool area and sandy paths, the gardens, and the public areas are all fantastic, charming and natural. The public beach most of the time is not great to look at as the tide is out, and it's a huuuge expanse of rock, seaweed, and dirty sand, so bear that in mind. This is not a beach which has crystal clear, calm waters for swimming. The tides come in in the afternoon, but the waters are not clear, and the currents are strong. I didn't go in further than my ankles ! The gym is hilarious, but it works, and is quite popular. The food is fine, nothing to write home about, but tasty enough with an African/Indian twang. The Jetty walk is amazing and spending time on the sofas out there looking back to land is just wonderful, a real treat. There are sunbeds and watersports on the sea-side of the Jetty restaurant too. We spent most early evenings there, enjoying the sunsets with a drink. We had two amazing massages, with a lovely therapist, mine was outside, which I really enjoyed. If you book directly with the hotel, you are offered a free massage, which is great. (You are also offered 30% off food and drinks at the Jetty, but this didn't happen on our bill, but I left it, as it didn't matter too much to us.) We did book a trip to see the monkeys at Jawani Forest via the Resort's trips person on site, which was disappointing for the guide and the actual tour, and was hugely - HUGELY - over priced. We had a private driver, yes, but we paid over GBP£210 for this trip and it was probably no more than £100 in cost, so a big mark up. Beware ! Overall, if you are looking for peace and quiet and an authentic relaxing beach experience, with kind, professional staff, this is perfect.

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“Perfect Paradise”

This hotel is for some reason listed as 3*, but it punches way above that and the experience we had was much nearer to 5*. Everything was perfect here. The staff were so attentive, friendly, helpful and charming. The room was large, comfy bed, good bathroom. The cooking was of a very high standard… more

This hotel is for some reason listed as 3*, but it punches way above that and the experience we had was much nearer to 5*. Everything was perfect here. The staff were so attentive, friendly, helpful and charming. The room was large, comfy bed, good bathroom. The cooking was of a very high standard, plentiful and interesting and appealing to all tastes. The cocktails were delicious and very good value - as were the wine and spirits. The dining area looks over the beach and the Indian Ocean. Stunning. The infinity pool is crystal clear and also looks out onto the Indian Ocean. Massage and beauty treatments are inexpensive. The Indian Ocean is gin clear and the water is lovely and warm. This has been a pretty much perfect experience. Thank you!

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“THE BEST WELLNESS RETREAT”

We have just had a fabulous week at Pongwe Bay Resort. This is more like a wellness retreat than a hotel. The layout is fantastic. Our chalet/villa was situated on the beach within 50m of the magnificent restaurant and pool. The beach area is idyllic with ample palm tree seated shelters. A 300-mete… more

We have just had a fabulous week at Pongwe Bay Resort. This is more like a wellness retreat than a hotel. The layout is fantastic. Our chalet/villa was situated on the beach within 50m of the magnificent restaurant and pool. The beach area is idyllic with ample palm tree seated shelters. A 300-meter wooden pier leads to 'The Club' a further restaurant/bar within the Indian Ocean. OUR VILLA We were in 302, which had a seated verandah, a 4 poster bed with mosquito netting. Ample space for clothing and luggage and a spacious bathroom. It was cleaned daily and also visited in the evening to turn down the bed. THE RESTAURANT/BAR It is an awesome structure that is aesthetically beautiful. There is plenty of room for everyone. The food was both varied and plentiful. Some evenings were a la carte and some buffet. Every other evening, an event took place, including a beach bbq, a poolside gala dinner, and a Masai show. THE POOL Beautifully clean with ample sunbeds and parasols. No deep end, so really safe, too. THE SPA Predominantly for a large selection of massages, but what massages they were. The best I've ever experienced. If all of the above sounds good, they all come a distant second to... THE PEOPLE Tanzanian people have a reputation for being super friendly, and Pongwe Bay has delved deep into that gene pool when recruiting staff. Everybody and I mean everybody was an absolute pleasure to be around, and the teamwork was so good to witness. The resort is owned and managed by Italians, and they have assembled a Tanzanian workforce to be very proud of. Everyone was so welcoming, and smiles were in abundance from morning to night from all quarters, whether that be the cleaners, waiters, reception, and bar staff to management. There are far too many to mention them all but a big shout out to the following who left a lasting impression. Manjeet - The ever cheerful restaurant manager with a great eye for detail. Carolina, Irene, and Jennifer - just 3 of many waiting staff, but these in particular always stopped by to chat and make sure we were happy. Janenth- Cocktail maker extraordinaire Openda & Fatima - the girls with magic hands. Seriously good masseuses!! Davide - Fabulously attentive member of the management team and a Laziale too!! To conclude, if you are looking for an active break with plenty to do, then this may not be for you. On the other hand, if you want one of the most peaceful, relaxing, and chilled times of your life, Pongwe Bay Resort ticks all the boxes. 5* all the way. Asante Sana.

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“Lovely hotel but shame about the food!”

The hotel is very nice but is starting to look a little tired in places. The swimming pool and beach are lovely and it's a very relaxing place to be. The food I'm afraid is not good. My friend and I arrived mid morning and we had left Arusha very early in the morning so we needed coffee and somethi… more

The hotel is very nice but is starting to look a little tired in places. The swimming pool and beach are lovely and it's a very relaxing place to be. The food I'm afraid is not good. My friend and I arrived mid morning and we had left Arusha very early in the morning so we needed coffee and something to eat. We were given a cup of instant coffee, dried bread and a couple of stale croissants....not a good start! At lunchtime we decided to share a pizza. It was a shop bought pizza and I don't have a problem with that but this pizza was awful. That evening we went to the pier restaurant and it is so lovely there but the food lets it down. It was my friend's birthday and the owner of the hotel suggested we have the seafood platter. At $110 dollars for two it's quite expensive but we were on the half board basis so we each had $35 dollars towards our meal. The seafood platter was ok but overcooked and it should have been fabulous. The next day we went back to this restaurant and we ordered two different seafood main meals but they didn't have it. We decided just to choose a starter each My friend chose vegetable samosas and they were out of the freezer. I chose the calamari which was inedible. You couldn't bite into it and it was so stretchy I said I could use it as a hairband! We were starting to get a bit fed up with the food at this point. Breakfast is totally uninspiring. Stale bread, stale cake and you can get eggs cooked but you wait ages. There is last nights curry and rice on the menu and you might find a small amount of cheese. Some days there was yoghurt and some days there wasn't . The coffee is hideous so we would have to hunt on the tables for peppermint tea and when the staff bought hot water for your tea it was never hot enough. The staff were nice at breakfast but not on the ball enough. We were constantly asking for butter to be put out and for more tea. By day 3 we were eating very little at the hotel and we found a nice little place at the end of the beach where you can get dinner for less than $4. Because of the daytime heat we could only really go to this place in the evening. Every lunchtime we would just have a plate of chips from the restaurant as it was the only thing we thought was ok. Due to having small breakfasts and inadequate lunches and my anti malaria tablets I became really ill. I had a whole day in my room feeling so ill and I did actually think I was going to have to get a doctor in. Fortunately my friend went into town and got me electrolyte drinks and got me some bananas . The next day I was a little better and was able to spend a bit of time on the beach. A couple of the staff on the main desk did show concern for me and where helpful in getting me on the mend. I tried to make the best of my last few days but because of the food and the feeling ill I couldn't wait to go home. The owners really need to get their act together with the food as it is just not good enough. They have a lovely relaxing hotel on a beautiful beach but the food is seriously letting them down.

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