The Lagoons Turtle Resort

Being in Nungwi made for a really fun holiday, and it was great having local shops and markets close by. At Sandies Baobab Beach resort, the beach was right there, which was perfect. The staff were so friendly and welcoming, and always happy to help. Our room was spacious, clean, and well looked after. The atmosphere around the resort was great. I’d 100% recommend staying here to enjoy Zanzibar!

The property is lovely, with a beautiful garden, gorgeous beach, and well-kept grounds. It’s a relaxing spot if that’s what you’re after. Drinks, though, cost about twice what we paid at the other four hotels we stayed at on Zanzibar, so going all-inclusive is probably worthwhile. At the bar, a man in a suit who seemed to be a manager stood by while his companion rudely cut ahead of us to take two drinks, apparently for him. It felt disrespectful to paying guests and very unprofessional. The election-related internet outage affected all of Zanzibar, so that wasn’t the hotel’s fault. But during checkout on our third day without internet, we waited almost an hour while staff went between bars and restaurants and searched through books by hand to work out our bill. Some planning could have made that much smoother. Since card payments weren’t working, staff asked us to write our VISA number on a form and sign to authorize the charge. That seemed fine, but then they also wanted to scan the card, including the CVC on the back. We felt that was unsafe and unprofessional. When we objected, they brushed off our concerns and said it was fine. We ended up paying with the dollars we had left. The restaurant looked great, but there was no indoor area or ceiling fans when it rained, as it did during our stay. We also found insects and ants in spoons and the honey bottle, and large ants inside the nutella bottle on several occasions. Dinner was a basic buffet that stayed much the same each day. Since that was the resort’s only dining option, we ate out most days, though there were only a few beach restaurants within walking distance. The pool was full of dead flies, insects, and cockroaches, so swimming was impossible. There was no pool bar, water, or sunscreen there. The DJ played only Italian songs, signs were in Italian, and staff greeted us in Italian. There was construction next door throughout our stay, as the resort was expanding, so it wasn’t a good place to relax. They were also transitioning and rebranding as Brava Baobab Beach resort. Trees were being uprooted, work was underway, and rules and layout changed while staff seemed unaware. Guests weren’t told about any of this. We were also surprised there was no A La Carte menu, which hadn’t been disclosed when we booked. The themed shows at 9:30 PM each night were spectacular and a real bright spot in an otherwise disappointing stay. The room needed new flooring because the tiles were peeling apart, and the walls needed repainting. Our entrance, which doubled as a balcony, had two worn-out chairs and a small table with no view. The quilts were just bedsheets laid over the bed, and the room key was an old-fashioned physical one. The towel system was tedious: one towel per card instead of letting guests take as many as they needed. We repeatedly explained that we had an arm allergy and sensitive skin and couldn’t wear wristbands. We weren’t on an all-inclusive package, so weren’t sure why they were needed. Still, security and hotel staff kept questioning us about the bands at breakfast and after we came back from swimming, even though they knew about the allergy. Giving people an alternative, such as a card or room key, would have helped. We understand they wanted to keep intruders out, but even showing our room number wasn’t enough. The lobby had only about two sofas and no sea view, more like a beach motel than a resort. After hauling our suitcases around, we found our "Junior Garden View Suite," which felt old and dated rather than modern. A watersports shack, help booking boat or Prison Island tours, or even a guide to Zanzibar would have made a big difference. The hotel’s changes and poor communication created a lot of challenges for us. There are better resorts along the same stretch of Nungwi beach, so avoid Bravo/Sandies Baobab Nungwi.

The recent booking cancellations described as overbooking may actually be tied to a change of ownership. The property is now owned by Bravo group and marketed exclusively to Italian tourists. We had a lot of difficulties too, as you can see from the details here. The nightly themed shows at 9:30 PM were spectacular and a highlight of an otherwise poor stay. The lobby, though, had barely two sofas and no sea view, more like a beach motel. Once we dragged our bags around the resort and reached our "Junior Garden View Suite," it felt old and ancient rather than modern. The tiles were peeling and needed replacing, the walls needed a whitewash, and the two chairs and little table on the no-view entrance balcony were past their best. The quilts were basically bedsheets placed over the beds, and the room key was a physical old-style one. The room’s changes were part of a transition to Brava Baobab Beach resort, which happened during our stay. Trees were being uprooted, construction was going on, and the rules and layout were changing, with staff unaware of the changes and guests not informed. There was also constant construction next door for an extension, so this isn’t the place to come for peace and quiet. The restaurant had a great ambience, but no ceiling fans or indoor section when it rained. There were insects and ants in spoons and the honey bottle, and large ants inside the nutella bottle several times. Dinner was a basic buffet that didn’t change from one day to the next. There was no A La Carte menu, which we hadn’t been told when booking. Since the buffet was the only dining choice on site, we went elsewhere most days, although only a few beach restaurants were within walking distance. The pool was unusable, crowded with dead flies, insects, and cockroaches. There wasn’t a pool bar, water, or sunscreen available. Towel cards were another hassle, with one towel issued per card instead of letting people take what they needed. The DJ played only Italian songs, signs were in Italian, and staff greeted us in Italian. We would have appreciated a watersports shack, a concierge to arrange boat or Prison Island tours, or even a guide to Zanzibar. We had an allergy on our arms and sensitive skin, so couldn’t wear the wristbands. We explained this to staff multiple times, and we weren’t even on an all-inclusive plan, so didn’t understand the point of them. Still, security and hotel staff kept asking at breakfast and after we returned from the beach why we weren’t wearing them, despite knowing about the allergy. Even giving our room number didn’t stop it. We understand they wanted to keep out intruders and unwanted visitors, but an option like showing a room key or using a card would have been helpful. The restaurant was one of the few pleasant-looking spots, but the rest of the experience left us with many challenges. Better resorts are available on the same stretch of Nungwi beach, so please avoid Bravo/Sandies Baobab Nungwi.

My partner has coeliac disease, and most of the buffet wasn’t safe for her, so at an all-inclusive hotel she ended up eating chicken and rice every night. The room itself was fine and the location decent, but our last evening was much worse. I was served raw chicken from the poolside buffet in near darkness and only noticed after eating it. When I told the chef, he casually offered to make me more, but I’d already eaten the undercooked meat. No one from the hotel followed up, showed concern, or apologized. Food safety clearly didn’t seem to matter to them. It was disappointing and honestly dangerous. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.