Hotel berhampiran Mwani Zanzibar (previous name Seaweed Center), Kusini

Whilst the staff at the bar were very friendly (a highlight) there were some things that massively let it down: -pool wasn’t very clean (water wasn’t clear) -mosquito net was broken - very disappointing for a 4 star hotel. -breakfast was disappointing. You pick up to 3 things off a menu but we found them quite bland - eg the French toast I would have expected to come with berries/similar, it was basically just bread. -noise level in the room, even with windows shut was really high. -parts of the complex looked tired - eg wires sticking out of ceiling in the downstairs, and mirrors which had rusted. Disappointed for the high reviews that this place had.

We stayed at Karafuu for our honeymoon and it was the best decision we’ve ever made! We had a junior suite room and it was exactly like the photos. It was right on the beach with french doors looking out to the ocean. You could hear the waves from your room. It also had a lovely terrace to relax with a morning coffee. On our arrival the room was decorated for a honeymoon and we received a complimentary bottle of red wine and a fruit platter. The hotel restaurants had a massive variety of food and as vegetarians we had plenty of options to choose from. The main swimming pool and swim-up bar were amazing and we used quite a lot. Drinks were very tasty and you get to have a laugh with the bar tenders while they mix up your cocktail! The beach is beautiful! There’s no words to describe how pretty the beach is, white sand, crystal clear waters! We recommend wearing reef shoes as there’s quite a lot of sea urchins in the shallow parts but there is a path that leads further into the ocean where the clear bottom sand so you can stand freely. The entertainment was amazing. There is always something to do! The animators always have games planned and the evening entertainment is very fun and inclusive! Be expected to get up and dance! The staff were all incredible. Everybody is so friendly and will go out of their way to make sure you have the best time. They made our experience even more special. Thank you everybody for everything you did for us! We absolutely recommend Karafuu especially if you’re looking for a true African feel! Hakuna Matata!

😀 I contacted the hotel to inform them of my 0400 arrival. They welcomed myself and my daughter with a warm welcome. The bedroom was beautiful with a lovely large bed. The, which was decorated with red petals. We didn’t want to mess up the petals🤓🤓. mattress was excellent qualitygood . The bathroom was a lovely size. I enjoyed my showers, but had to get use to the very salty water, which made my skin itchy at times. I have very sensitive skin ( No fault of the hotel 🤓). Bathroom toiletries smelt lovely. The staff are all amazing. Hamadi, Ayubu, Dayana and Alan 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾. The owner was very attentive and would ask the guests how they are. The restaurant area and lounge area are large and clean. The pool area in front of the restaurant is large and clean. My favourite area of the hotels is the jetty area. There is a beautiful pool down in that area, where myself and my daughter requested a floating breakfast. It was paradise. The floating breakfast was an additional USD$30. I strongly recommend it. Hamadi and Alan brought the floating breakfast singing to us. It was amazing. My daughter enjoyed the jet ski. She was in her element. The restaurant food was lovely and cooked to perfection. Well done to the 🧑🏾‍🍳. I love that the hotel is calm, private and secluded. Away from the hustle, bustle and noise. If you want a peaceful and relaxing stay Blue moon resort is the one for you! Thank you Blue moon for a wonderful stay! I would strongly recommend this hotel 💯%. The hotel arranged a phone with the pharmacist and they delivered my daughter’s tablet to us. 😡 The road leading to the hotel needs attention. It’s very very bumpy and uncomfortable. The bedroom/bathroom needs a brighter light. Too dim. I’m a vegetarian and have a fish/seafood allergy and felt limited to the food choices in the evenings. I had vegetarian curry or vegetarian pasta. I didn’t like the vegetarian burger.

I was very disappointed when I realized that the beach was not good. It was covered with kelp. Until 3 pm it was low tide and you can’t swim. After 3 pm the water comes back but it is too choppy for swimming and snorkeling. The water is full of kelp pieces. The ground under the water is uneven with sharp rocks and some sand. There are lots of spiky beach creatures and I need to see a doctor to get some of those splinters removed. If you come here bring swim shoes. The pools and general decor and atmosphere was nice. However this is not a five star resort. The electricity went out many times, wifi was poor , and the only towels in the room were gray old bath towels. Two per room. No hand towels. No shampoo. They had used little plastic shampoo bottles filled with a mystery liquid with no labels. No slippers or a robe provided like in real five star resorts. Bring everything with you. The town in 80- 90 min car ride away. The staff was all locals and there were many staff members who were just standing around. A teen boy took fruit from the buffet and called wild monkeys to come to eat. There were no “don’t feed animals signs”. A monkey came inside jumped on the buffet and took a bunch of bread. The staff did’t even remove the bread the monkey touched. I complained but they let the teen do his feeding activity every morning. Between 8- 9 pm the maids tried to enter my room every night to spray bug spray which I declined. They should ask before spraying. The resort is very remote with only one other resort nearby. It is probably because of the bad beach situation.

We were staying here for our first 5 nights in Zanzibar during our 12-night holiday which was not following a safari, we were exploring the island, staying in different hotels. For anyone reading this review I feel it is as important to provide some trip advice which I have learnt from our trip; the reason being the island of Zanzibar is best described as RAW tourism and there are points that you will need to know before travel and selecting your hotel base. The visa process cannot be processed using the official Tanzanian tourism site and the e mail address is not monitored so at this time do not waste your time on the official site. We selected an established visa online service provider who we found to be excellent, providing the visas within 6 days. A word of caution there is some confusion regarding the ability to obtain your visa on arrival at the airport for $50, on check in with Fly Dubai they requested our visas and confirmed that it was mandatory to have a copy prior to boarding. During the flight visa application forms were distributed but only to selected passengers who were not referrals, my strong advice is to have it before you go. So, Raw tourism, well the island economy is 90% dependent on tourism and the authorities are in my personal view making some very poor decisions which will impact on tourism. As of the 1st of October 2024, you will now be required to purchase mandatory travel health insurance from a single source in Tanzania regardless of whether you have cover or your status at a cost of $44 for each person. Your stay will be taxed each day at $5 each day for each person, so for a 12 night stay you can add on $120 dollars. This meant our stay cost us $246 for visas, $120 tourist tax and you can now add on $88 for travel insurance making an extra charge of $454. We took low denomination US dollars and sufficient to pay expected charges and tips, if you decide to pay by credit card be prepared for 3 – 5% charges applied to every transaction and make sure you check, as on several occasions we were present when clients were hit with a 10% charge, which when challenged was reduced to 5%. When paying with US dollars ensure you request that prior to paying the change is provided in the same currency and not the local currency shillings; The difference is significant in value. The island may well establish itself as a tourist destination of choice for Honeymooners and post safari relaxation, with its current stance it will struggle to attract return visitors. My apologies for my opening which has nothing to do with the hotel, but these are things which travelling from the UK I wish I had known before I travelled. We selected The Residence to be our second hotel following 5 nights in the north. We had been unimpressed with the standard of our first hotel in the north but enjoyed the area and beaches. What a difference this hotel provided, our villa was modern and spacious, we loved the grounds which allowed us to see varied wild