Up to 3 guests
Junior Suite
Forty five square metres on the ground floor, looking into the tropical garden, with a private patio in the greenery. Sixteen of them, and the room most guests stay in. Sleeps up to three.
Lodges & partnersZanzibar East Coast
Pongwe Bay Resort
Twenty six rooms on a reef held bay on the quiet east coast of Unguja, with a pier that runs three hundred metres out so you can swim whatever the tide is doing.
From $61 per person per night
01 / 06
- Tier
- Comfort
- small resort, twenty six rooms
- Location
- Zanzibar East Coast
About
About Pongwe Bay Resort.
Pongwe sits halfway down the east coast of Unguja, on a crescent bay about two kilometres long between Kiwengwa and Uroa. A coral reef runs across the mouth of it, which does two things: it keeps the water inside flat and clear, and it takes the sea a long way out at low tide, up to three hundred metres, leaving coral flats and tidal pools and the seaweed lines that the women of the village farm. Pongwe Bay Resort answers that tide with a pier. It runs three hundred metres from the beach to a sun deck and to The Club, a restaurant and lounge standing over the water, so there is always somewhere to swim and always somewhere to eat with the sea underneath you.
The resort is small, twenty six rooms, and it is built to be walked barefoot. Sandy paths run through a tropical garden that holds small birds and, in the evening, very little light, so the sky over the bay is properly dark. The buildings were designed by Italian architects and put up by Zanzibari craftsmen using makuti thatch, Galana stone from the slopes of Kilimanjaro for the floors and paths, and mninga and mtondoro hardwood for the furniture. The cushions come from Sasik, a cooperative of more than forty women in Stone Town who sew Swahili appliqué patterns from recycled fabric. None of this is decorative detail: it is what the place is made of.
Rooms come in five published shapes. Sixteen Junior Suites of forty five square metres sit on the ground floor looking into the garden, each with a private patio. Four Master Suites of sixty five square metres take the upper floor with a furnished terrace. Two Junior Suites Beachfront of forty square metres stand a few steps from the sand. One Beach Front Family Room of sixty five square metres holds the upper floor with a full view of the ocean, and three Garden Suites of eighty five square metres run to two or three bedrooms and two bathrooms for a family or a group of friends. Every room has air conditioning and a ceiling fan, wifi, a safe, a kettle, a mosquito net and its own patio or terrace.
Days here are slow by design. There is a freshwater pool, a beach with loungers and umbrellas, kayaks and paddleboards, the Maji Spa for massages and treatments, and a beach fitness area the resort calls Jungle Jim. Meals are at Bahari Restaurant in the garden under makuti or at The Club on the pier. Once a week there is a Maasai night with traditional performances. Beyond the gate the resort arranges Jozani forest for the red colobus, Stone Town as a half day, spice farms, Chumbe and Prison islands, the dolphins at Kizimkazi, and game fishing that runs to yellowfin tuna from August to November and marlin from November into March. Kitesurfing is at a centre about ten minutes away rather than on site.
It suits couples, honeymooners and friends travelling together who want the coast quiet, and families whose children are ten or older, because the resort welcomes guests aged ten and above and says so on every one of its room pages. It is not the place for a young family, and there is no dive centre on site. Getting here is easy: about an hour by road from Zanzibar airport, or about fifty minutes from Stone Town, on a road that runs through the middle of the island.
Signature experiences
Why guests choose it.
Dinner on the pier
The Club stands at the end of three hundred metres of boardwalk, over the lagoon. Dinner there puts the water directly under you and the lights of the fishing boats out in front.
Swimming at any tide
The east coast empties at low tide and most properties here simply wait it out. The sun deck on the pier reaches past the flats, so you can get into deep water at any hour of the day.
Mnemba Atoll by boat
The island and its ring reef are the best snorkelling in Zanzibar, reached from the Matemwe jetty about half an hour north. Mornings are flattest and dolphins are often met on the way.
Jozani forest
The last refuge of the Zanzibar red colobus monkey, about an hour inland. A short guided walk through the forest and the mangrove boardwalk, easily done in half a day.
Low tide on the flats
When the sea goes out the whole bay opens up: coral pools, sandbars and the seaweed lines the village women tend. Walk out with a guide in the morning and you will see a working shore rather than a picture of one.
Gallery
A closer look.
Room types
Where you will sleep.
Up to 2 guests
Bungalow Suite
A garden suite set among the palms, a barefoot walk along sandy paths from the pool and the beach. Sleeps two.
Up to 2 guests
Master Suite
Sixty five square metres on the upper floor with a furnished terrace and Swahili inspired interiors. Four of them. Sleeps two.
Up to 2 guests
Junior Suite Beachfront
Forty square metres a few steps from the sand, with sea views and a private patio. There are only two. Sleeps two.
Up to 4 guests
Beach Front Family Room
Sixty five square metres on the upper floor, a furnished terrace and a full view of the Indian Ocean. There is one of these at the resort. Sleeps up to four.
Up to 5 guests
Garden Suite
Eighty five square metres with two or three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living area and a private patio onto the garden. Three of them. Sleeps up to five.
At a glance
The essentials, in brief.
Amenities
- Freshwater Swimming Pool
- Private beach with loungers and umbrellas
- Three hundred metre pier with a sun deck
- The Club, a restaurant and lounge over the water
- Bahari Restaurant Under Makuti
- Maji Spa
- Beach Fitness Area
- Free WiFi Throughout
- Air Conditioning And Ceiling Fans
- Private patio or terrace with every room
- Kayaks And Paddleboards
- Weekly Maasai Night
- Tropical Garden With Sandy Paths
- Airport Transfer On Request
Best for
- Honeymoon
- Couples
- Beach
- Families With Older Children
- Snorkelling
- Quiet
Wildlife and nature
- Reef fish and coral in the lagoon at high tide
- Dolphins off Kizimkazi, about ninety minutes south
- Zanzibar red colobus monkeys at Jozani forest, about an hour inland
- Yellowfin tuna from August to November and marlin from November into March
- Small birds in the resort garden
Best time to visit
When to go.
- January: best
- February: best
- March: not a best month
- April: not a best month
- May: not a best month
- June: best
- July: best
- August: best
- September: best
- October: best
- November: not a best month
- December: best
Best months
Best months: June to October and December to February.
Location & access
Getting there.
Location
Zanzibar East Coast
Arriving by air
Kilimanjaro International to Zanzibar in about 1 hour 20 minutes, then about 1 hour by road to Pongwe. Zanzibar is the island's only airport and there is no airstrip closer to the resort.
By road
There is no direct road journey worth making from Kilimanjaro. Fly Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar, about 1 hour 20 minutes with several departures a day, then drive about 37 km east across the island, roughly 1 hour, on tarmac the whole way.
On the map
Where it sits.
6.045° S, 39.406° E
What's included
What the rate covers.
Included
- Accommodation in the room type booked
- Breakfast each morning at Bahari Restaurant
- Government VAT
- Use of the pool, the private beach, loungers and umbrellas
- Use of the pier and its sun deck for swimming at any tide
- WiFi Throughout The Resort
Not included
- Government city tax of 5 USD per person per day, collected at check in
- Lunch And Dinner
- Half board upgrade, arranged with the resort
- Compulsory festive dinners on 25 December and 31 December
- Spa Treatments
- Excursions, boat trips and game fishing
- Airport Transfers
- Travel insurance, tips and items of a personal nature
- Zanzibar inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per person for the whole stay, compulsory and bought online at visitzanzibar.go.tz before arrival
Frequently asked
Questions, answered.
How many rooms does Pongwe Bay Resort have?
Twenty six across the published categories: sixteen Junior Suites, four Master Suites, three Garden Suites, two Junior Suites Beachfront and one Beach Front Family Room. It is a small resort and it feels like one.
Are children welcome?
Only from the age of ten. The resort states on every room page that it welcomes guests aged ten years and above in order to keep the property quiet, and the contract counts everyone from ten as an adult. Families with older children are well served by the Garden Suite, which sleeps five.
How do guests reach the resort?
Fly to Zanzibar, usually about 1 hour 20 minutes from Kilimanjaro with several departures a day, then drive about 37 km east across the island, roughly an hour on tarmac. The resort arranges private transfers on request. Stone Town is about fifty minutes away.
Can you swim at low tide?
Yes, which is unusual on this coast. The sea draws out as far as three hundred metres over the reef flat at low tide, so the resort built a three hundred metre pier with a sun deck at the end of it, reaching past the flats into deep water.
What is included in the rate?
Accommodation and breakfast each morning, government VAT, and use of the pool, beach, pier and wifi. A government city tax of 5 USD per person per day is collected by the resort at check in. Lunch, dinner, spa treatments and excursions are extra.
What is the best time to visit?
June to October is the dry season, with calm seas and clear skies, and it is also when the resort is busiest. December to March is warm with good snorkelling. The long rains fall in April and May, when the coast is quiet and green.
What is there to do?
On site there is the pool, the beach, kayaks and paddleboards, the Maji Spa and a beach fitness area. The resort arranges Jozani forest, Stone Town, spice farms, Chumbe and Prison islands, dolphin trips at Kizimkazi and game fishing. Kitesurfing is at a centre about ten minutes away.
What are the restaurants like?
There are two. Bahari Restaurant sits in the garden under a makuti roof and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Club stands over the water at the end of the pier and serves seafood and international dishes through the day.
Is there wifi and air conditioning?
Yes. Wifi is free throughout the resort and every room has air conditioning and a ceiling fan, along with a safe, a minibar fridge, a kettle and a mosquito net.
Is there a minimum stay?
The resort asks for three nights during its peak period. It does not define which weeks that covers, so we confirm it with the property when we hold your rooms.
What happens over Christmas and New Year?
The resort runs compulsory festive dinners on 25 December and on 31 December, and those are added to your quote when your stay covers those nights.
What is the resort actually made of?
Makuti thatch, Galana stone from the slopes of Kilimanjaro on the floors and paths, and mninga and mtondoro hardwood furniture made by Zanzibari craftsmen to an Italian design. The cushions are sewn by the Sasik women's cooperative in Stone Town from recycled fabric.
Do I need travel insurance to visit?
Yes. Visitors to Zanzibar must hold the Zanzibar inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per person for the whole stay, bought online at visitzanzibar.go.tz before arrival. Tanzania residents are exempt. If you enter mainland Tanzania first for a safari, the mainland policy covers you instead. It is paid by you directly and is not part of our quote.
What's nearby
Worth the short trip.
Uroa
A fishing village about ten minutes down the coast, good for a morning walk along the shore.
Kiwengwa
About twenty minutes north, a longer beach with caves inland that were once used as a shrine.
Matemwe and Mnemba
About thirty five minutes north to the jetty, then a short boat ride to the reef at Mnemba.
Stone Town
About fifty minutes across the island. A UNESCO listed old town of carved doors, market lanes and the old fort, usually taken as a half day.
Jozani Forest
About fifty five minutes south west. Red colobus monkeys, mahogany forest and a mangrove boardwalk.
Chumbe Island
A protected coral park off the south west coast, taken as a half day of snorkelling from the far side of the island.
Plan this stay
Build a Zanzibar stay around Pongwe Bay
Build your bespoke Tanzania safari with our team. Real lodge rates and itemised pricing throughout.
Build & price your trip