Tembo B&B Apartments

The beachfront is lively pretty much all day and night, so this isn’t a quiet resort kind of stay. It felt best for a stopover before or after flights, rather than a long, relaxing break. Tembo is a large hotel divided into two sections, and I’d recommend asking for a room in the main building. Walking through the alley to the other side at night felt a bit uncomfortable for us, especially if you’re not used to Stone Town. The location is great, right in Stone Town and about a 5-10 minute walk from the main port, with plenty going on nearby.

The room in the anex building was more than big enough, and the staff were attentive, friendly and never pushy. After we checked out, one man even helped my son look for a toy car, which was just impressive. We also loved breakfast, which was better than at many European hotels, while the kids played on the public beach out front. There are three pools as well. The quality for the price is stunning. We usually don’t return to the same accommodation because we want to try more places, but we’ll come back here.

The breakfast buffet was delicious, and the staff were warm, friendly and welcoming. The rooms and public spaces were beautiful. In the hot, humid weather, the pools were a lovely way to cool off, especially the two infinity pools. We had a wonderful stay and highly recommend this accommodation.

I’ve travelled to more than 30 countries, and this was the first time I got bitten by bad bugs. I saw cockroaches on site and asked the staff to get rid of them, but they kept coming back. When I got home, I found multiple bites all over my body. The worst hotel stay of my life.