White Sands Hotel and The Beach Resort

The fireworks were breathtaking, with a good safety setup, and the entertainment made it a fun night. The bubbly helped us welcome the new year in style. We chose this less crowded hotel for the New Year's crossover, and it didn't disappoint. From registration to the takeaways, everything had a tropical feel. The kids got to help set up their glowing goggles. The buffet had plenty of choice, including a fresh seafood corner, and the kids especially loved the octopus. The dessert corner was a treat too, with celebratory cake and all-you-can-eat ice cream, which was ice cold even in the heat.

We had four lovely nights catching up and having fun with old school friends, and the staff were very supportive. Even with the post-election crisis, restricted movement, and no internet, we still enjoyed ourselves. The surroundings were enchanting, with endless photos as we watched the sun rise and set. The birds were cheeky little bandits, so we had to guard our meals like warlords. It's clearly a well-managed place. They had so many kinds of tea that my coffee rights got trampled. Nice place.

The room was really nice and cool, the bathroom had the best shower I've ever had, and the garden and views are spectacular. But we came to swim at the beach, and the whole stretch is far too dirty for that. We tried the water in both the morning and afternoon, at low and high tide, and it was full of garbage and plastic. The sand was covered in rubbish too, which didn't feel safe for babies. I know it's not the resort's fault, but it spoiled our holiday. The pool water was murky, with stuff in it, and didn't seem clean. They should clean it more often. Some staff weren't very welcoming either. Dinner was quite bad in taste and really expensive.

The property is a lovely escape from busy Dar, and the owner has clearly spent money maintaining it. Sadly, the service doesn't live up to how nice it looks. On arrival, no porter was there to welcome us or help unload the bags. Pool service was also lacking. We struggled to get anyone's attention and ended up walking to the pool bar to order food and drinks, since we had a child with us. On departure, after waiting over half an hour and calling reception twice, nobody came to help with our bags. We had to carry them down ourselves.