It looks better than the photos. It is a home away from home. You really feel you can just relax as you would in your own place and leave your belongings all over without a hint of worry. Joyce is something else, one rarely meets people like her in the world, such an inspiration, and her evening stories kept everyone entertained and enlightened (guests eat together at night and it was lovely meeting people from France, Holland, Japan and America and discussing life. Two families that were there, were returning guests which is probably the best advertisement one can have for a place. She went over board in accommodating food requests for everyone , and often changed the set menu to accommodate teenage dietary requirements. The house has a bohemian feel to it and we sat in different nooks and corners all the time just watching the world go by. We went from here on our snorkeling trip from here which was perfect as they all depart 20 mins from this guesthouse (others had travelled for a LOT longer to get there). Joyce's dogs are very much part of the establishment which we loved, being an animal family.

The beach is so so so beautiful to look at and stretches for miles, perfect for long walks. It is however not great for swimming but we ended up just paddling out and examining the tidal pools.

The great helpful host Joyce makes this a perfect stay.Great almost on the beach location. Eat in the communal dining room with views of the Indian Ocean.

There is no air cond in the rooms bit there is always a constant breeze.

Delicious local fruit, fresh eggs and well made crepes for breakfast. Ginger or otherwise herbal teas of top quality. Fabulous interior, and exterior, with millions corners to sit or lay. It is nothing like a typical beach bungalow or guest house. It looks and feels as a house made with love, by creative and artistic minds.

Coffee, and a couple of holes in mosquito nets.

Family atmosphere, friendly and helpfull staff. Joyce, the owner, is very keen to help, listens to complaints and requests and tries to solve everything in a timely manner. A daily menu is sent to all guests via whatsapp so you can provide a time to serve lunch or dinner and choose your meals. I found this nice. Food is amazing. Usually, dinner is served at a big round table with all guests, so everyone can meet and share experiences. This gives the place a friendly family character. Even if we moved to another property in the neighboorhood earlier than initially planned, Joyce was so kind and took us there with her car. Trully a great person.

The place needs some renovations a a proper cleaning. The rooms do not have windows, just mosquito nets, and those are torn / have holes in several places. Older building with wooden first floor, so whenever someone walks, moves or opens/closes a door upstairs it feels like they are in your room. In our room we had 2 beds, one on a stone frame and another one on a wooden frame. The one on wooden frame was moving from all joints, so all 3 of us had to share the big bed (family with 1 child, so not a very big issue there) Similar price compared to other new/renovated hotels in Matemwe, so, in terms of facilities and comfort, you receive less for the same price. We moved to another hotel 300m away and we paid less per night for a renovated see view room with windows and AC.

A magical place to stay with fantastic details put into the interior and outdoor areas. Joyce is very informative and makes you feel very welcome. All guests are included as «family members» with a great chance to get to know each others, seated together at one dinner table. Super well-tasting meals.Comfortable beds.

Bath room needed an upgrade (at least the one I had) but functioned. Several of the personnel did not seem happy or service minded which was an obvious contrast to other places we stayed at the island.

everything! it had a very bohemian feel and it brought me back to my 20ties! minus the cockroaches 😉

The breakfast was very good. Customised to our taste and made fresh each day.

The high-tech facilities like TV, Internet in some areas. It's good for R&R but sometimes it's good for a guest to watch a movie.

The place is beautiful, with nice architecture and a lot of style. The owner and staff were very friendly and helpful, including connecting us with transportation and a snorkeling/dolphin-spotting boat tour. It is a small B&B-type place, and we enjoyed time with the other families who were staying there. Right on the beach and with a small, private pool, it is a nice place to stay with kids. The food was also very good, with family-style dining with the owners and other guests.

It was quite hot the first night we were there, and the necessary mosquito nets meant the overhead fan was not very effective at cooling us down for the night. The staff provided a couple of spare fans, and the second night was much more comfortable.

Breakfast with fresh fruit and eggs.

Where to start? The location is absolutely fantastic. When we walked in, we received a very warm welcome from Joyce. As soon as we entered the property, tranquillity hit us in the face. We immediately thought we needed to extend our stay at Utupoa. The staff went out of their way to give us everything we needed. Phoebe and Freddie, Joyce's daughters, also came over for the holidays. We had some great chats, laughs and drinks together. We left with pain in our hearts and will never forget the home we never knew we had.

It felt like Utupoa is not completely in control of the weather or the tides, they could definitely work on that. I am joking of course, they did everything they could to ensure we had a great time <3

A wonderful quiet escape right on the beach. Owner Joyce and her staff were so friendly and helpful. Food is great, access right on a magnificent secluded beach. Best place to take days off with family, like being a guest in a family home. kids loved it big time.

From the photos available at the time of booking, we hoped that Utupoa would be intriguing and quirky. It was that, and more! It is spacious, charming, peaceful, unusual, eclectic, well-located for the beach etc etc. My list of adjectives could go on and on and on. Utupoa was everything we could have hoped for. Then add to the mix our host, Joyce, who could not have been more delightful and helpful and we had a perfect holiday. The nature of Utupoa (and Joyce) inherently encourages guests to interact with each other. We quickly made some extraordinarily close friends while we were there. Utupoa is right on the fabulous Matemwe beach - some of the finest white sand you'll ever see and crystal clear warm sea. The beach out front is teaming with marine creatures if you walk out to the reef at low tide. Nearby Matemwe village is as authentic as it gets and there are a few scattered eatery shacks along the beach-edge or in the village. Also a few other larger hotels nearby, so you can also visit them for a meal (and occasional live music) if you wish. That said, the food at Utupoa is excellent, so I've no doubt you will choose to eat in-house as often as not. Utupoa (and the Matemwe area generally) is the epitome of a relaxing holiday venue. If you choose stay at Utupoa you will not be disappointed.

This is just a heads-up, not a dislike. Just be aware that the Matemwe beach is gorgeous, but it is not really a swimming beach. It remains very shallow all the way out to the reef. There are also corals and lot's of spiny urchins just under the surface. So it's hugely interesting and beautiful for exploring, paddling and walking out to the reef (make sure you have some surf shoes or something like that), but not so great if you're someone who actually wants to go swimming or snorkelling. If you want to snorkel you will probably want to go on a boating excursion (maybe over to the reef at Mnemba island, as we did) which is fabulous for snorkelling.

The room was huge and well ventilated with a private exit to the pool area. Very comfortable bed and water in the room. The whole house is amazingly decorated and a bit of a maze with so many wonderful spotts to just chill and read a book. There is only one Utupoa that's for sure! The location is great with a private beach and an array of bars and restaurants within walking distance. Utupoa also offers dinner and lunch with a set menu that changes everyday. Joyce is a wonderful host. If you want to feel part of a family and meet other travellers this is the right place, a very homely stay. Would love to go back

There were some issues with water supply, however this was resolved during our stay but still left a mediocre water pressure. Although it wasn't an issue we had to pay $1 each day for drinking water in the room and this was not declared anywhere until the final bill. Maybe a bit too pricey in comparison to other places in Matemwe as it is a lovely place but more of a guesthouse than a hotel/resort.

Locazione is great and the house is beautiful

Poor services. No hot water for shower. Hygiene not good enough. Breakfast very basic.

the main building is very spacious with lots of areas where to rest and relax, direct access and view on the beach is amazing. The atmosphere of the place is impressive. Nice breakfast included in the price.

There is an issue with termites eating the wood (furniture, floors, ceilings, …). The whole place was certainly beautiful 10 years ago, but now it is slowly decaying and would need a proper refurbishment to justify the current rooms’ prices. (Some bed sheets had old stains, hot water not always available, wifi very moody, …) Be ready to have the right amount in cash as it was surprisingly difficult to get change.

The location was amazing, right by a quiet beach, not too many tourists. The breakfast was really good! The beds by the beach to relax during the day. The house is very charming. A hidden gem !

The rooms don't really have windows that close, so the noise from outside (dogs barking, people talking, etc...) can be annoying sometimes. . The shower wasn't powerful and never really hot.

Joyce was amazing, definitely made us feel welcome and a home away from home. Beautiful location, not over run by tourists and bustle. We had the tower which was really secluded and gave a beautiful background ocean sound, breeze and sunrise view. An amazing local restaurant 5min away, truly worth the visit. Simba is great for any trips needed and very helpful. We will definitely be back and look forward to seeing all the hard work and changes being done to this amazing, cultural home... ♡

The days went to fast...

Exceptional hospitality and incredible place. Astounding beauty all around

Everything was perfect. Very nice staff especially the owner.

Exceptional and unique hotel, the warmest welcome from Joyce and her staff. Really a great experience to stay here.

Everything about Utupoa was absolutely amazing and exactly what I was looking for. The ambiance and atmosphere is what makes this a true gem: Joyce and her team are amazing and go above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. The idea is that Utupoa provides you a home away from home, and that's exactly what my experience was like. Food: you can choose to stay and have dinner with other guests, or simply wander off to one of the nearby restaurants. I enjoyed the evening dinners so much that I never felt the need to go elsewhere. If the menu of the day would have something you don't particularly like, the team is always ready to accommodate and swap for something else. Room: spacious and comfortable. As mentioned several times, there is no air conditioning but the constant ventilation made it comfortable enough for a good night's sleep. Excellent mattress and mosquito nets to keep any bugs at bay. The fridge in the room came in handy to store some soft drinks. Be aware that this is Africa, and the occasional power cut will happen. This is simply part of the experience and didn't bother me at all. Wifi is excellent throughout the property and even onto the first part of the beach. The beach has significant tides and can be quite windy - I didn't mind at all because it was a great breeze. Utupoa is along the beach and ca 1.5 km from the nearby Matemwe village center where there is a little mini market (don't expect anything Western supermarket-like though!) and if you walk / drive from the back of the property it takes you through the village allowing a glimpse of everyday life of the Zanzibari people. Make sure to stay respectful though as people typically don't like their pictures taken, especially not without asking permission. Personally I refrained from taking any pictures at all from people in the village. Joyce, Bakari and the whole team: thanks so much for the great stay.

Utopoa was the place that you feel at home. Staff was great, food was great and atmosphere was something that will make us come back.

Its coolness, interior, staff, the owner, the stunning sorroundings and the familiar vibe all over😎

Nothing!!