Sunshine Marine Lodge
Hotel in Unguja North Region
3-Star Hotel
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Top-tier experienceOne of the higher cost properties in the area
Includes essentialsGarden, Pool, Kitchen or Kitchenette and more
About this hotel
Private beach and 3 outdoor pools, near Mnemba Island
Spend the day catching some rays at Sunshine Marine Lodge's private white sand beach, relaxing by one of the hotel's 3 outdoor swimming pools, or pampering yourself at the full-service spa.
Sunshine Marine Lodge offers 24 air-conditioned accommodations with safes and complimentary bottled water. Rooms open to balconies or patios. Beds feature down comforters. This Matemwe hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Guests can make use of the in-room coffee/tea makers and minibars. Bathrooms include showers with rainfall showerheads, and complimentary toiletries. Housekeeping is provided daily.
3 outdoor swimming pools are on site along with a children's pool.
Spend the day catching some rays at Sunshine Marine Lodge's private white sand beach, relaxing by one of the hotel's 3 outdoor swimming pools, or pampering yourself at the full-service spa.
Sunshine Marine Lodge offers 24 air-conditioned accommodations with safes and complimentary bottled water. Rooms open to balconies or patios. Beds feature down comforters. This Matemwe hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Guests can make use of the in-room coffee/tea makers and minibars. Bathrooms include showers with rainfall showerheads, and complimentary toiletries. Housekeeping is provided daily.
3 outdoor swimming pools are on site along with a children's pool.
Children under 14 years old are not allowed in the swimming pool without adult supervision.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Amenities
Pool
Air conditioner
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Hot tub or spa
Garden
Map of Unguja North Region
Available Rooms
Ocean Front Suite
1 King • 1 Single • 431 ft²
Sleeps 3
You'll be directed to Expedia.com for availability & pricing
Family Suite with Partial Ocean View
1 Double • 2 Single • 753 ft²
Sleeps 4
You'll be directed to Expedia.com for availability & pricing
Deluxe Ocean Front Suite
1 Queen • 1 Single • 538 ft²
Sleeps 3
You'll be directed to Expedia.com for availability & pricing
Deluxe Suite, Garden View
1 Double • 1 Single • 322 ft²
Sleeps 3
You'll be directed to Expedia.com for availability & pricing
Family Suite, Garden View
1 Double • 2 Single • 538 ft²
Sleeps 4
You'll be directed to Expedia.com for availability & pricing
$$$$
Ratings and reviews
4.0 / 5.0
Extremly isolated. No possibility to eat outside (without Taxi).
Daily power cuts, some of which lasted a long time. No air conditioning and no WLAN during this time. Bar and restaurant also affected.
The staff are very keen to maintain European standards, but are overzealous. Every plate is cleared away in a hurry, regardless of whether your partner is still eating or whether you want to keep your plate to have a snack.
Hotel pool was not cleaned separately in the morning. As a result, there were lots of dead insects floating in the pool.
4.0 / 5.0
The propertynwas beautiful, the room was spacioua and incredible balcony. The distance from town and expense to get there and back ( over an hour $160 rtn)was the only drawback.
1.0 / 5.0
At first glance it looks as if this hotel is a quite calm luxurious hotel. But after staying here for 5days I would not say that luxury is the correct word. All in all we had 5 cockroaches (apart from other critters) in our room at different times. After the first night we told the reception and got the reply that they would try to fix it but that they really can’t because the hotel is located in a very green area. They sprayed a lot of bug spray in our room hoping that it would solve the issue at hand. Well, it didn’t. The door to the room had a glitch of maybe 3-4 cm at the bottom, that was the critter highway 1 to our room, the doors to the terrace where the same, a huge whole that just was another entrance for bugs of all sorts to enter our room. The room also had the bathroom window (not really a window, patterned holes in the wall with insect nets for coverage.) that was straight towards the stairs that other guest used to get to their rooms. So whenever you needed to go, you had to check so there wasn’t anyone outside that could peek in or just hear the sounds that can happen during a visit to the restroom.
Furthermore the hotel did not comunicate well, as an example, we were away on a trip all morning and back at the hotel at 12:30, a lot of time for the staff to clean. But they came and wanted to clean the room exactly when we got back and needed to change clothes. They had so much time to do this, but chose the worst possible time.
5.0 / 5.0
The staff at Sunshine went above and beyond the call of duty to make our stay there wonderful. We especially would like to acknowledge Hamida, Rosemary and Daniel. Everyone there was great and always had a smile waiting for you. Service was top notch and their restaurant deserves a michelin star.
5.0 / 5.0
The best part of the hotel is the staff—warm, friendly, wonderful and willing to go ABOVE AND BEYOND to make our stay wonderful. The location is far away from hustle and bustle of beaches like Nungwi. No one is trying to sell you anything here. The view from the pools is lovely and the dramatic rise and fall of the tide made for fun little adventures. The dive shop was handy and lovely. The snorkeling and diving at Mnemba were just 20 minute away and great. To note: there isn’t a swimmable beach in front of the hotel. For this, you wait until low tide and walk north to Muyuni or bike there…well worth it for the sandbar, starfish, and swimming. We are so thankful to Sunshine Marine Lodge team for sharing their beautiful space and smiles with us!
2.5 / 5.0
Awesome time at the Sunshine!
Great food, impecable service, a peaceful place to enjoy Zanzibar. The hotel is beautiful and offers many services (spa, free yoga classes, diving school inside the hotel). We had an amazing time and we wished to have stayed longer. Everyone at the Sunshine helped us to enjoy this moment so Kudos to everyone!!
2.5 / 5.0
Beautiful and very peaceful stay. Friendly staff. Snorkeling trips organized every day. Bus to small nearby beach several times a day. Nice variety in food menu that changes every day. Would definitely stay here again.
5.0 / 5.0
The place is very nice Food is Amazing great for a cupples retret! You will anjoy your stay if its a relaxing mode!
2.5 / 5.0
Amazing. Great service, nice lodge and exceptionel location. Like paradise :)
5.0 / 5.0
Amazing views, pools, food and service. Very relaxing private paradise!
5.0 / 5.0
Loved the rain-shower-head in the shower. Loved the view from the balcony. Loved everything.
5.0 / 5.0
We stayed at this property to go scuba diving. Our room was beautiful, the pool was clean, the food was good and well priced and the staff were very friendly and professional. We had a great time and recommend this property to anyone!
5.0 / 5.0
This is such a fancy resort and even though the beach is not right by the hotel they have shuttles that will take you to the private beach whenever you want. the private beach is just amazing as it’s so deserted!
1.3 / 5.0
My wife and I chose to stay here because of the on-site Scuba Diving shop (Dive Point Zanzibar), and really enjoyed our 5-night stay. The property is located about 90 minutes from the airport, and a one-way private transfer/taxi arranged through the hotel costs $60 USD. We opted for the "half board" option which includes breakfast and dinner each day. Breakfast includes a continental style breakfast, but you can also have eggs/omelettes cooked-to-order, along with African pancakes (like a thick crepe). For dinner you can choose from the "Catch of the Day", or from a limited 4-course menu that changes daily. All in all, we were very happy with the quality, and quantity of the meals. The rooms were spacious and comfortable (we opted for the seaside bungalow, and had a beautiful/close view right from our room and porch - well worth the extra $. The property grounds are nice, quiet, there are three separate pools on-site, and a nice bar and restaurant. They also offer free yoga classes on Monday, Wednesdays, & Fridays, and you can snorkel right in front of the property during high tide (there are big tide swings here, so at low tide, there is not enough water to snorkel). We were very pleased with the overall service at the resort, however the restaurant staff/waiters do not seem to be very motivated, or have not been trained well on how to provide excellent service. DivePoint (scuba shop) is excellent, really nice to have on-site, and we loved our 7 dives with them!!!
2.5 / 5.0
My wife and I chose to stay here because of the on-site Scuba Diving shop (Dive Point Zanzibar), and really enjoyed our 5-night stay. The property is located about 90 minutes from the airport, and a one-way private transfer/taxi arranged through the hotel costs $60 USD. We opted for the "half board" option which includes breakfast and dinner each day. Breakfast includes a continental style breakfast, but you can also have eggs/omelettes cooked-to-order, along with African pancakes (like a thick crepe). For dinner you can choose from the "Catch of the Day", or from a limited 4-course menu that changes daily. All in all, we were very happy with the quality, and quantity of the meals. The rooms were spacious and comfortable (we opted for the seaside bungalow, and had a beautiful/close view right from our room and porch - well worth the extra $. The property grounds are nice, quiet, there are three separate pools on-site, and a nice bar and restaurant. They also offer free yoga classes on Monday, Wednesdays, & Fridays, and you can snorkel right in front of the property during high tide (there are big tide swings here, so at low tide, there is not enough water to snorkel).
We were very pleased with the overall service at the resort, however the restaurant staff/waiters do not seem to be very motivated, or have not been trained well on how to provide excellent service. DivePoint (scuba shop) is excellent, really nice to have on-site, and we loved our 7 dives with them!!!
5.0 / 5.0
As always the staff at the hotel are excellent. The location is ideal if you need to take a break from life and rejuvenate. overall excellent value for money.
2.5 / 5.0
Great location for relaxing - well kept property with awesome view of ocean and Mnemba Island straight ahead, cool breeze, and very friendly and helpful staff. We had a family death and had to rebook and they were incredibly accommodating. Wifi was reasonable for Zanzibar (we didn't try to stream netflix or anything). Dive shop team are great and reasonably priced. Food was good and prices were reasonable (same as or less than other similar places in Zanzibar)
1.3 / 5.0
Great location for relaxing - well kept property with awesome view of ocean and Mnemba Island straight ahead, cool breeze, and very friendly and helpful staff. We had a family death and had to rebook and they were incredibly accommodating. Wifi was reasonable for Zanzibar (we didnt try to stream netflix or anything). Dive shop team are great and reasonably priced. Food was good and prices were reasonable (same as or less than other similar places in Zanzibar)
2.0 / 5.0
The lodge is located in an amazing area. Staff were nice, food was good. However, it is a bit isolated, so you have no options for going around at low costs.
2.5 / 5.0
Ideal stay for those of us that need to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Stayed for 3 nights the hotel staff were wonderful, hotel restaurant had a decent food & drinks menu, no internet connection and weak phone signal in the rooms so ideal to disconnect from work and life but you can find wifi by the bar, lots of water activities or just lay by the pool and do nothing kind of place, Loved it, also most importantly make sure you get a rental call its cheaper than taking a taxi to and from the hotel or moving around the island.
2.0 / 5.0
We stayed 2 nights and had a fantastic room with sea-view. Place is absolutely top-class, staff are really friendly and helpful, beach is very close and theres a pool too.Restaurant is also very nice, on a big terrace Be aware that the place is rather isolated so you wont be able to go for a stroll as no other restaurants or shops around - good for a couple of days but probably not much longer. Also, its pretty much on a cliff and to get to the beach you have to cycle, take a boat (when its his tide) or ask for a lift...
4.0 / 5.0
We stayed 2 nights and had a fantastic room with sea-view. Place is absolutely top-class, staff are really friendly and helpful, beach is very close and there's a pool too.
Restaurant is also very nice, on a big terrace
Be aware that the place is rather isolated so you won't be able to go "for a stroll" as no other restaurants or shops around - good for a couple of days but probably not much longer.
Also, it's pretty much on a cliff and to get to the beach you have to cycle, take a boat (when it's his tide) or ask for a lift...
2.0 / 5.0
A fantastic remote location- a real getaway! A dive centre on site with great instructors and hotel staff are friendly.
Some small issues to note:
- wifi is not great and phone reception v v limited.
-they charge 5% on all card transactions and there is no cash point so come prepared with dollars to settle your bill or account for the extra costs.
Not as much locally caught food on the menu as you might expect on the coast - always catch of the day and lobster but many other dishes are European (pastas etc) and difficult to go elsewhere for meals.
Having seen the half board menu on their notice board and eaten it one day I would recommend doing half board as the a la Carte menu can get pricey each day. Not quite as much variety on the menu but all nice food.
-The road to the lodge is badly affected by the wet season so be prepared for a bumpy 10 minutes of the journey but this adds to the feeling of remoteness. Bear it in mind though if you're planning excursions out as it's very remote and adds some time to the journey.
Positives- Breakfasts are lovely with lots of fresh fruit, pastries and cooked breakfasts
- diving is great
- Not having the white sandy beach right at the front of the hotel is actually an added bonus as you really get to see the tides and rock pools forming with lots of wildlife to look for each day.
-The view out to Nnemba is gorgeous - arguably better than the view they would have staying out on the island looking back at Zanzibar.
2.5 / 5.0
After two intense weeks in Tanzania, we wanted to have a rest in Zanzibar.The Sunshine Marine Lodge was just ideal. Away of everything, beautiful property, very cosy and comfortable rooms, great food, great service, amazing dive centre and dive site (the best we've seen in Southern Africa so far). The beach is not next to the hotel and allows you to have a nice walk to get there, which is even more rewarding when you finally find the place: amazingly tiny white sand, and most importantly, no people, just some fishermen. We can only recommend the place!
1.0 / 5.0
Dont be fooled by the name, lodge is not quite what it is. This small place has well appointed rooms in bungalows scattered around a nicely landscape natural garden, a nice pool, and the property gives on the beach. Very friendly service, great views, nice base for exploring the surrounding beaches. Very friendly service. On-site diving Center, with very friendly staff.
2.0 / 5.0
Don't be fooled by the name, "lodge" is not quite what it is. This small place has well appointed rooms in bungalows scattered around a nicely landscape natural garden, a nice pool, and the property gives on the beach. Very friendly service, great views, nice base for exploring the surrounding beaches. Very friendly service. On-site diving Center, with very friendly staff.
1.5 / 5.0
Beautiful,new and isolated location with excellent staff.
0.8 / 5.0
But for the need to spend 30 minutes on unmade road, 20 minutes of which is on a single vehicle very rough track which would be well suited to field testing ATVS, each time you want to go off and explore the island I would rate it higher. Unfortunately the local taxis are not 4x4s. As it is I feel that this journey isolates the hotel and presents a barrier to full enjoyment of a stay in Zanzibar. For those who simply want to spend the week diving at the PADI school on site, and for those whose ideal holiday comprises butt squatting eating and drinking then Sunshine Marine is a gem. The staff are really friendly and helpful and the setting/gardens are magnificent. Food is good and reasonably priced. The hotel is in an area where most people survive on subsistence farming and fishing so you see people in the sea fishing with nets from your balcony and a large fleet of small local trimaran fishing canoes are located on the beach nearby and the twice daily fishing flotilla passing by adds extra charm and a feeling of being in 'real Africa' - as does seeing people extracting and carrying their water from three wells located along the aforementioned track. Reef off Mnembe Island is excellent and very well stocked with fish despite the fact that a lot of fishing seems to take place on the reef. So, we enjoyed the stay at the hotel but did not see as much of Zanzibar as we had wished to do as the very uncomfortable access meant we limited our trips off site. Hotel 4.5/5 Access 1/5
2.5 / 5.0
The Sunshine Marine Lodge is a great relaxation escape! The grounds and setting are beautiful and all the rooms enjoy great views. The restaurant is reasonably priced with attentive, polite staff and good food at all times of the day. We sampled a wide range of drinks from the bar which were great. There are plenty of places to relax like hammocks and loungers round the pool. Room furnishings are very comfortable compared to other places we stayed in Tanzania (although this was a higher price range than those others). The snorkelling trip to Mnemba atoll was well worth it even in the rougher weather and we swum with dolphins! We did walk to the beach at low tide and explored the rock pools but spent most of our time chilling out. Allow 3 nights or more as it is a reasonable trip from Stone Town. I recommend that most of your Zanzibar excursions are done from a Stone Town base and then you should come here mainly to relax.
1.3 / 5.0
This resort was the perfect choice to end our 3 week trip! We loved the rooms, the views, the staff, and the food! The rooms were very clean, and quite large with a huge balcony/patio with amazing views of the ocean. The staff was very nice, espcially the waitstaff, bartenders, and the dive shop crew. The food- All fresh ingredients (fish caught that day), fresh fruit and fresh squeezed juices, and amazing pastries and desserts! Location- very secluded, and private. Not a place for crazy nightlife. However, you do get to meet the other people staying there due to the intimate setting of the resort, and the friendly atmosphere in the common areas. We went SCUBA diving and snorkelling, which entailed a very short boat ride to Mnemba Island, which can be seen from the resort. The dive equipment was all new, with great dive instructors. Just be aware that this resort is extremely remote. You can rent a bike (for free) to go to beaches nearby, but it is a hike to any sort of civilization. Also, make sure you contact the resort before you arrive to organize a ride from the airport/Stone town before you come. The location is miles (not an exaggeration) down a challenging dirt road (African Massage), with no road signs to follow. Overall, I cannot say enough good things about this resort! I HIGHLY recommed this place if you are looking for a quiet, relaxing place to enjoy the spectacular beauty of Zanzibar!
1.0 / 5.0
This is a beautiful spot if you want quiet and isolated white sands beach, which we did. It is at the end of an unbelievably long and rough road. So there is nowhere else to eat or buy food for a beach picnic except the hotel's restaurant. The food was pretty good and fresh and local. The managers were very nice but their billing was confusing, indicating the amount you were credited was the amount they billed hotels. Com which was less than we paid. They just need to make that clearer. The snorkeling folks were great. They have SCUBA too.
2.5 / 5.0
The road to the hotel really is difficult... Our taxi driver first took us to the Sunshine Lodge and then needed 'extra' to take us to the correct place. This was a poor start to the holiday - be VERY explicit when explaining your destination. However, once we arrived the horrors of the journey were quickly forgotten. The environment of the hotel is amazing - beautiful setting and very calm (apart from the noises of nature). The infinity pool next to the Indian Ocean is every bit as beautiful as it looks in the pictures, the rooms are large and well designed to be airy and comfortable. The restaurant sells a limited - but excellent - selection of different meals. This is proof enough that food is fresh as it changes daily. I went with the fish option every day and wasn't disappointed once. I spent 2 days diving with the dive school which shares the same location. Both beautiful days with a very caring dive team that really gave me the impression that nothing was too much and acted as excitedly as the tourists when we spotted a pod of dolphins. Overall, this was an increadible holiday and one I would recommend highly. The minor niggle on the 'room comfort' feedback doesn't reflect the fact that the manager had to come and remove a large crab from the bathroom (although he did!) but the fact the ceiling fan only had 2 speeds - off or turbo - so it was hard to make a balance between noise and temperature at night. Although I would still go back in a flash!
2.5 / 5.0
The road to the hotel really is difficult... Our taxi driver first took us to the Sunshine Lodge and then needed extra to take us to the correct place. This was a poor start to the holiday - be VERY explicit when explaining your destination. However, once we arrived the horrors of the journey were quickly forgotten. The environment of the hotel is amazing - beautiful setting and very calm (apart from the noises of nature). The infinity pool next to the Indian Ocean is every bit as beautiful as it looks in the pictures, the rooms are large and well designed to be airy and comfortable. The restaurant sells a limited - but excellent - selection of different meals. This is proof enough that food is fresh as it changes daily. I went with the fish option every day and wasnt disappointed once. I spent 2 days diving with the dive school which shares the same location. Both beautiful days with a very caring dive team that really gave me the impression that nothing was too much and acted as excitedly as the tourists when we spotted a pod of dolphins. Overall, this was an increadible holiday and one I would recommend highly. The minor niggle on the room comfort feedback doesnt reflect the fact that the manager had to come and remove a large crab from the bathroom (although he did!) but the fact the ceiling fan only had 2 speeds - off or turbo - so it was hard to make a balance between noise and temperature at night. Although I would still go back in a flash!
1.3 / 5.0
This hotel is truly a resort in the truest sense. The room, views, and food are perfect. The service was great. We loved biking on the free bikes to the local white sand beach, which you can also reach easily at low tide by walking. The only challenge is the bumpy road to get to this isolated, quiet spot. Also, the only food choice really is the restaurant, which serves delicious food but at USA prices. There is no air conditioning, but there is a ceiling fan and a little fan over the bed--an additional fan would have been helpful. We loved it. It was a perfect place to read, swim and sunbathe.
FAQs
How much does this hotel cost compared to others in Unguja North Region?
The average price for a rental in Unguja North Region is $176 per night. This rental is $279 above the average.
Is parking included with this hotel?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Sunshine Marine Lodge. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this hotel?
Yes, a swimming pool is available for use at Sunshine Marine Lodge. Enjoy the water!
Is Sunshine Marine Lodge pet friendly?
Unfortunately, this hotel is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"
What amenities are available at Sunshine Marine Lodge?
We found 9 amenities for this rental. This includes pool, air conditioner, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, and parking.
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