Menai Bay Beach Bungalows

The hotel is a little run down but it is quiet and peaceful with comfortable rooms and very friendly and helpful staff. It opens onto the beach which is right next to a busy fishing village with a daily fish auction which is fascinating to watch. The rooms are very reasonably priced, somewhat balanced out by fairly expensive food. The menu is short but everything is freshly cooked to order and substantial. It's a bit off the beaten track but it's possible to walk to the village and pick up a dalla dalla or the manager can arrange a taxi or their own transport if you're lucky. The beach is very shallow so the water disappears at low tide but is good for swimming when the tide is in. Unfortunately quite a few plastic bottles etc. Great sunsets. Excellent island snorkeling trips can be booked through Eco+Culture and it's also possible to get local fishermen to take you out if you meet the right person.

We stayed for 3 nights. And it was one of the worse experience ever. Hôtel was far away, taxis ride was costly, room was so noisy discotheque next door, waited 2hrs for food. Some of the bad feedback by others were entirely correct. Unless there a change in management, then STAY far AWAY from this place!

Excellent food!!! Excellent. Staff!!! Excellent amenities!!! Excellent. Ambiance!!! Excellent. Decor!!! Excellent intranet!!! Gorgeous sunset kayak That's it the perfect Ingredients for an idea visit/stay!!! Highly recommend it and definitely coming back

À FUIR Malgré le personnel agréable et un beau jardin , cet hôtel n’as aucun avantage : Loin de tout, restaurant chère et pas bon, le petit déjeuner est répétitif. Au niveau des chambres, le matelas est dure, inconfortable et enfoncé. La salle de bain est médiocre et as besoin de rafraîchissement. La moustiquaire est troué donc inefficace contre les moustiques. Nombreuses coupures d’électricité et d’eau. La wifi est très lente et beug La piscine et la terrasse sont détérioré et l’eau de la piscine jaunis les maillots de bain. Le personnel qui réside à côté met la musique forte jusqu’à tard le soir malgré que nous soyons aller demander de baisser. La plage, contrairement à ce qui est montré sur leurs photos, est sale (bouteilles en verre et plastique, pneus…) et la marée est basse quasi toute la journée et vaseuse, donc impossible de se baigner .

LIKED  • The staff, from Reception to gardeners were all so friendly and helpful • The restaurant and bar – a good variety and reasonably priced, especially the cocktails • The swimming pool, with a wonderful view • The sunsets and dawns - wonderful • The gardens, well looked after and cool • The location, right on the beach, just along from a picturesque, if slightly smelly, fishing village  • Very good value all round COULD BE BETTER • The steps down onto the beach – we found these a real hazard • The fish was often overcooked to our taste, maybe because it had been kept warm • The rooms and balconies are quite small and can be airless, although the aircon and fans work - we think they would do well to have seating in the shade in the gardens where there is breeze • Noise from the village bar in the evening but it wasn't too bad

Place is very isolated, so you are forced to use overpriced taxi's. The quote the prices in Tanzania shillings then get you to pay in USD, which is then 70% dearer. Tried to charge me for things that I hadn't had. Barmaid, Margaret tried to charge me for serving me. She then attempted to steel my medication, which I had entrusted with her. The room was clean, but very dated. Beach was immediately outside, but by far the nicest I have seen.