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Lodges & partnersZanzibar East Coast

Pongwe Beach Hotel

Two hundred metres of private white sand halfway up the east coast, with a reef a kilometre out that keeps the bay calm.

01 / 06
Tier
Comfort
Location
Zanzibar East Coast
Reviews
4.8 ★ on TripAdvisor
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About

About Pongwe Beach Hotel.

Pongwe sits about halfway up Zanzibar's east coast, fifty kilometres from Stone Town and an hour from the airport, on a two hundred metre stretch of white sand the hotel has to itself. A reef a kilometre offshore takes the force out of the Indian Ocean, so the bay stays flat and swimmable in a way that much of this coast is not. Coconut palms lean out over the sand. The rooms and suites, in six categories, are low buildings set among them, every one facing east, which means the sunrise arrives in your room whether you asked for it or not.

The year here splits cleanly. January and February are hot and bright. March brings the first long rains and the hotel closes from the eleventh of April until the end of May. June to October is the dependable stretch, dry and breezy. November and early December are warm with short afternoon showers. Tides matter more than weather on this coast: at low tide the water pulls a long way back over the flats and the fishermen walk out across them, and at high tide you can swim straight off the sand. The house reef is good for snorkelling and boats run north to the Mnemba reefs when the sea allows.

Thirteen beachfront rooms stand in the first row, thatched, with hand carved Zanzibari beds and limestone walls, opening onto the sand. Three garden view rooms sit back among the palms at the lowest price on the property. Four sea view suites and two cliff ocean suites each have a private plunge pool, and one superior suite stands alone on a raised coral outcrop at the end of the cliff path, with a wrap around deck and one hundred and eighty degree views. Two family suites, the largest rooms here, hold two separate bedrooms, a sixteen square metre pool and an eighty square metre terrace. There is an infinity pool above the beach, a restaurant that changes its menu daily around what the boats bring in, a lounge, a spa, and bicycles, kayaks and paddleboards free to use.

It suits people who want the beach itself rather than a resort built around one: couples who will spend four days reading and swimming, families who want a room opening onto sand where they can see everyone, and snorkellers using the reef. It is not a large hotel and it is not a party address. The cliff and sea view suites take no guests under twelve, so families use the beachfront rooms and the family suites. Four nights is about right, and it pairs naturally with a northern circuit safari, flying back into Zanzibar and driving an hour east.

Signature experiences

Why guests choose it.

  1. The bay at high tide

    The water in front of the hotel is held in by a reef a kilometre out, so at high tide you can swim and snorkel straight from the sand with no boat. Masks and fins are kept at the snorkelling hut.

  2. Sunrise from your own deck

    Every room on the property faces east. The sun comes out of the Indian Ocean between about six and half past six, and the fishing dhows are already out by then.

  3. The cliff path

    A short path runs along the low coral cliff at the end of the property to the superior suite and its deck. It is the best spot here to sit and watch the tide turn.

  4. Bikes, kayaks and paddleboards

    Mountain bikes, kayaks and stand up paddleboards are free to use. The flats at mid tide make the easiest paddling anywhere on this coast.

  5. Dinner from the day's catch

    The kitchen writes a new menu daily and leans on what the Pongwe boats land that morning, including whole baked fish and seafood platters.

Room types

Where you will sleep.

Beachfront Room

Thirteen rooms in the first row, thatched, with hand carved Zanzibari beds and limestone walls, opening directly onto the sand. Air conditioning and ceiling fans, no private pool.

Garden View Room

Three rooms set back in the tropical garden, about thirty seconds from the sand, at the lowest price on the property. Air conditioning, and the same beach, pool and kitchen as every other room.

Sea View Suite with Private Pool

Four suites in the second row with their own plunge pool, a coconut wood bed and a rain shower, in a garden setting with glimpses of the ocean. No guests under twelve.

Cliff Ocean Suite with Private Pool

Two suites raised above the coastline and set apart from the main hotel, each with a private pool, a king size bed and a sun deck with its own dining table. No guests under twelve.

Cliff Ocean Superior Suite with Private Pool

The one of one, on a raised coral outcrop at the far end of the cliff path, with a wrap around deck, a private pool, an open air shower and a king size four poster.

2 Bedroom Beach Front Family Suite with Private Pool

Two suites, the largest rooms here, with 120 square metres indoors, an 80 square metre terrace, two separate bedrooms and a private 16 square metre pool.

At a glance

The essentials, in brief.

Amenities

  • Swimming Pool
  • Private plunge pools in the suites
  • Restaurant
  • Lounge
  • Spa Treatments
  • Private Beach
  • Wireless Internet
  • Air Conditioning
  • Kayaks
  • Stand Up Paddleboards
  • Mountain Bikes
  • Yoga And Fitness Classes
  • Laundry Service
  • Family Friendly
  • Snorkelling Equipment

Best for

  • Honeymoon
  • Couples
  • Families
  • Beach
  • Snorkelling
  • Slow Travel

Wildlife and nature

  • Reef fish and coral on the house reef, reachable from the sand at high tide
  • Green and hawksbill turtles on the Mnemba reefs to the north
  • Bottlenose dolphins off Kizimkazi, about ninety minutes south
  • Zanzibar red colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest, about an hour inland

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: not a best month
Best months

Best months: January to February and June to October.

Location & access

Getting there.

Location

Zanzibar East Coast

Arriving by air

About one hour twenty minutes from Kilimanjaro International to Zanzibar airport by scheduled flight, then a road transfer of about one hour to the hotel.

By road

Zanzibar is reached by air. About one hour twenty minutes in the air from Kilimanjaro International to Zanzibar airport, then about one hour by road east across the island to Pongwe.

On the map

Where it sits.

6.036° S, 39.407° E

What's included

What the rate covers.

Included

  • Accommodation on the meal plan you choose, bed and breakfast or half board
  • Breakfast daily, served from 07:30 to 10:00
  • Dinner daily on the half board plan
  • Air conditioning, ceiling fans and mosquito nets
  • Wireless Internet
  • Mineral water in the room each day
  • Tea and coffee brought to the room each morning
  • Fresh Towels Daily
  • Use of the swimming pool and the beach
  • Mountain bikes, kayaks and stand up paddleboards

Not included

  • Zanzibar infrastructure tax of 4 US dollars per person per night, collected by the hotel at check in
  • Compulsory Tanzania inbound travel insurance, 44 US dollars per adult
  • Lunch, and dinner on the bed and breakfast plan
  • All Beverages
  • Airport Transfers
  • Spa treatments, excursions and tours arranged through the hotel, settled at the hotel on departure
  • Entrance and conservation fees on any excursion, paid in cash on the day
  • Tips And Gratuities
  • International And Domestic Flights
  • Visas And Departure Taxes

Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

How many rooms does Pongwe Beach Hotel have?

Six categories. The 2026 and 2027 contracts price thirteen beachfront rooms, three garden view rooms, four sea view suites with private pools, two cliff ocean suites with private pools, one cliff ocean superior suite and two 2 bedroom family suites.

When is the hotel open?

All year except the long rains. It closes on 11 April and reopens on 1 June, in both 2026 and 2027. There are no rates and no bookings in that window.

How do guests reach the hotel?

Fly into Zanzibar airport, then about one hour by road east across the island on tarmac. Stone Town is the same hour away. Airport transfers are not included in the room rate.

What is included in the rate?

Your room on the meal plan you choose, bed and breakfast or half board, with air conditioning, wireless internet, mineral water, and morning tea and coffee brought to the room. Bikes, kayaks and paddleboards are free to use. The hotel offers no full board and no all inclusive plan.

What is the best time to visit?

June to October is the dependable stretch, dry and breezy. January and February are hot and bright. November and early December bring short afternoon showers. The hotel is closed from 11 April to 31 May.

Can you swim at low tide?

Mostly yes, which is unusual for this coast. The reef sits about a kilometre offshore and the bay keeps water through more of the tide than most of the east coast, though the flats do open up at the lowest spring tides.

Is there a minimum stay?

One night for most of the year. Over the festive period the hotel requires five nights, and it accepts no arrivals or departures on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

What do I pay at the hotel?

The Zanzibar infrastructure tax of 4 US dollars per person per night is collected by the hotel. Spa treatments, excursions and tours arranged through the hotel are settled there too, along with the entrance fees on any excursion, which are paid in cash on the day.

Is there a festive supplement?

Yes. On 24 and 25 December and on 31 December the hotel charges a supplement per person per night, and it is added to your trip price automatically, so the total you build is the total you pay.

Are families welcome?

The hotel takes children in the beachfront rooms, the garden view rooms and the family suites; the cliff and sea view suites take no guests under twelve. We are not yet able to price a child here, so children cannot be booked at this hotel yet.

What is there to do nearby?

Stone Town and Jozani Forest are each about an hour away, the Mnemba reefs about ninety minutes, and the dolphins at Kizimkazi about the same.

Is there power and connectivity?

Yes. Every room has air conditioning, and wireless internet reaches the rooms and the public areas. The hotel takes US dollars, Tanzanian shillings, euros and pounds, as well as Visa and Mastercard.

What's nearby

Worth the short trip.

  • Stone Town

    About 1 hour

    The old city, a labyrinth of alleys, carved doors and bazaars, and the easiest full day out from Pongwe.

  • Jozani Forest

    About 1 hour

    The only protected forest on the island and the home of the Zanzibar red colobus monkey, with a butterfly centre nearby.

  • Mnemba reefs

    About 1 hour 30 minutes

    Known for their snorkelling, off the north east corner of the island, with turtles often seen on the way.

  • The Rock Restaurant

    About 1 hour 30 minutes

    A small restaurant on a coral outcrop in the sea off Michamvi, reached on foot or by boat depending on the tide.

  • Kizimkazi

    About 1 hour 30 minutes

    A fishing village on the southern tip with resident bottlenose dolphins and a twelfth century mosque, the earliest evidence of Islam in East Africa.

  • Spice farms

    About 45 minutes

    Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper plantations inland of Stone Town, often combined with a day in the old city.

Nearby

Other places to stay nearby.

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