Zanzibar Sunrise at Bandas
Hotel in Matemwe
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
Featuring 2 outdoor swimming pools, Zanzibar Sunrise at Bandas is located in Matemwe, 6 km from Dive Spot. This hotel offers room service, luggage storage space and free WiFi. Guests can try African and seafood dishes at the in-house restaurant.
Amenities
Pool
Air conditioner
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Smoking allowed
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Hot tub or spa
TV
Beachfront or waterfront
Gym or Fitness Center
Garden
Map of Matemwe
Available Rooms
1 King • 430 ft²
Sleeps 2
You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing
1 King • 516 ft²
Sleeps 2
You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing
1 King • 592 ft²
Sleeps 2
You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing
1 King • 753 ft²
Sleeps 3
You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing
1 King • 1 Sofa • 2368 ft²
Sleeps 2
You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing
$$$$
Ratings and reviews
100% verified reviews
4.5 / 5.0
Nous avons séjourné 4 nuits dans cet hôtel, en couple, en Février 2024. L'hôtel est situé dans le village de Matemwe, qui est une zone (pour l'instant) encore assez peu touristique. Il y a quelques petits restaurants locaux sur la plage et dans le village mais l'endroit est très calme, un véritable havre de paix.
L'hôtel est un petit paradis.
Il y a 2 piscines communes, dont l'une très agréable avec beaucoup de place et transats. L'autre est juste devant le restaurant.
Ce dernier était très agréable et la nourriture excellente à tous les repas. Le petit déjeuner est à la carte, on peut toutefois choisir à volonté. Ambiance lounge et cosy . Personnel très sympathique, souriant et serviable. Le prix de la nourriture et des boissons est toutefois élevé, bien que de qualité. Il est possible de se faire servir en chambre. Live music certains soirs.
Nous avions pris une chambre avec piscine privée. Il y a deux types de chambres avec piscine privée, celles juste en bord de plage avec une belle terrasse, et les deux autres un peu en retrait mais tout aussi agréables. Malheureusement, sur Booking, il est impossible de réserver les premières. Elles sont aménagées de façon à ce que l'on ne soit pas visible lorsque nous sommes dans la piscine. En outre, différents chemins permettent (lorsque les clients les respectent) d'éviter le passage devant afin de garantir une intimité à chacune des chambres. De style bungalows, très confortables, spacieuses et bien décorées, elles sont un petit havre de paix.
Chaque chambre a deux transats et un parasol sur la plage, laquelle est d'un sable blanc et d'un calme absolu.
Des vélos et kayaks sont à disposition si besoin.
Possibilité de faire du yoga et des massages, mais plus chers que sur la plage.
Bien que les tarifs soient un peu élevés, nous recommandons cet hôtel pour des couples à la recherche de tranquillité.
Le village, assez pauvre, n'est pourvu que de quelques petites boutiques locales (uniquement 1 de souvenirs touristiques). Normalement c'est un hôtel adults only, malheureusement, il y a parfois des familles avec enfants qui viennent de l'extérieur. Attention, pas de climatisation. Vu la chaleur, le personnel nous avait mis à disposition des ventilateurs. Certains clients ne respectent pas les chemins privés et la tranquilité du lieu.
5.0 / 5.0
On booking.com
Our room in front of the water
5.0 / 5.0
the hotel is really beautiful and calm. we rested very well. the rooms are very comfortable and clean. the staff is really friendly. the restaurant is really good too and there is a big selection of things in their menu. we stayed 9 days and we ate more in the restaurant than we planned and still we were not able to try everything in the menu! :) there is live music 2 nights in a week and the band is playing really good. we had a guided reef tour and a village tour both were amazing. we get to know the lives of local people and meet wonderful kids!
5.0 / 5.0
Everything is absolute perfect houses, beach, food, drinks. Speacial thanks for staff, they really care, and fix everything you need very fast. Huge thanks for gardener Haji (i do not know exact speling), he was our guide to the reef, i glad we choose to go with him, it was so interesting! We loved it very much, he is amazing!
Also in the photos it not looks like that but the pool is quite big! And the garden is paradise.
We had amazing 5 days in your little paradise, big thanks for owners for that!!!
3.5 / 5.0
The breakfast and food in general was great. The room was near the water frontage and loved it especially in the night when waves are at the best
The access to the ocean frontage by anyone from the surrounding community was uncomfortable even if there were Masai security men almost through out the night :) . Their presence was a bit too much especially if one needed an Evening quiet time with their partners.
The room 16 where we were accommodated is near a construction site which apparently houses a family or they come in the night . There was noise of the babies and children playing from the same site and really defeated the all purpose of coming to the hotel to rest and have little or no noise from people but the ocean.
These few issues we had but great place, excellent food , warm staff members and helpful management.
5.0 / 5.0
The beach hut was a fantastic location right on the beach with the waves at night lapping on the fence. The staff were all wonderful and helpful
Could have just had more choice of food and drinks but wasn’t a problem.
4.5 / 5.0
very friendly staff, breakfast timing was very good no pressure with timings - breakfast anytime, location and view from room was amazing. activities offered, bike rental, reef walking etc. the style and decor of the property is very nice. very happy with our stay!
a little bit dark inside rooms the lightbulbs turned off and on & no AC in the room you get 1 fan but 2 fans would have been great,
5.0 / 5.0
We were impressed with everything.
The staff was super friendly and professional.
The breakfast was absolutely amazing!
It is a clean, beautiful and incredible place to stay at for your best vacation!
Absolutely recommend it!
There is nothing that we didn’t like!
4.5 / 5.0
Absolute everything
Nothing
5.0 / 5.0
customer care
none
5.0 / 5.0
Zanzibar sunrise is located at the Matemwe beach, which is in the North side of the island. If you and your partner are looking for a quiet, chill and relax beach mood then this is the place to be! There are other resorts at a short walk that host music nights every night of the week, including this one where they hosted a live music night and that was fun too, the beach was safe to walk on during all times of the day as well.
The hotel had an all day breakfast so if your room rent includes breakfast then you’d be set. The breakfast was actually very tasty and limited so that they don’t have any wastage. One plus thing was that they have a water dispenser there so you don’t need to buy any water, bring your reusable water bottle and keep refilling as much as you want.
Honestly, there wasn’t much to not like, do note one thing that the bartenders are not world class mixers in making cocktails so make sure you order the mixers as sometimes they can miss the mark. However, they were super receptive to feedback and would try but overall, cocktails, not the best.
5.0 / 5.0
Sunrise is a true oasis in Matemwe! The beach of the front is well taken care of by the staff, the staff is very polite and sweet, the bungalows are lovely cozy nests! We loved it there!
I would recommend it to my friends and family 100%!!!!
If you are light sleepers, you may find it challenging to relax and sleep. Every day, we had to wake up at 5.30- 6am due to screams and laughters of the locals by the bungalow. At first, we were patient as it is their village and we are just visitors but we found pretty annoying after it continously happened for our whole 5 night stay.
5.0 / 5.0
The place is amazing, true to the pictures disclosed from the website. All the staff very nice and available they receive us nicely since our arrival to our departure. We love that the spot makes you feel like home with cozy atmosphere you can chill at different spot in the property.
The room gives you the chance to fall asleep with the waves air and to wake up just in front of a beautiful sunrise on a quiet beach.
And the last vu not least, the food. Delicious! it was really nice to be able to order anything from your menu it came great every time. The breakfast is perfect. Many thanks for make it this way.
5.0 / 5.0
For this place i am ready come back to Zanzibar.
Trendy, stylish place with gorgeous restaurant!
Guys- very big compliment!
5.0 / 5.0
Amazing decor and facilities. Was very tranquil
and zen. Food was fantastic, which is good as it is quite remote from other choices (they can organise you a taxi to Kiwengwa for other options). A few nice touches such as welcome drinks, use of beach shoes, canoe etc and a great choice of breakfast. Rosie and Janet were great and looked after us well. Live music was fanatastic. Would stay again
A bit remote but that was fine for us for 5 days. The beach has a lot of urchins but the guided reef walk was still awesome and the use of beach shoes is great.
3.5 / 5.0
peace.
5.0 / 5.0
you are actually on the beach
staff fantastic
one of the best places I have stayed
5.0 / 5.0
Amazing small boutique hotel with the best people ! Book with no hesitation if you are looking for a piece of heaven in a very quite area of the island. All of the staff were simply incredible, there are no words to describe their hospitality, kindness and service.Rosie, Janeth, Mini, Abdu, Bonge, the Managers and all the gardeners and cleaners simply great people. Two beautiful very quite swimming pools to take some time off and relax. The food simply exceptional! And every night with live music there was a different menu prepared specifically for the day. Great quality bands playing african music. The beach stretches kilometers both sides. Beautiful white fine sands. Like in many parts of Zanzibar, very big tides making it difficult to swim all day long. Plus the sea is full of sea urchins ( hotel provides shoes if needed ) and a few many algaes around. Again, pretty common situation in Zanzibar. If in need of easy swims and beach life, Famous Nungwy and Kendwa on the north west coast ( very small tides ) are a 30mins drive away. Rooms are absolutely stunning, seating on the beach. It is a dream. We booked both the car for our entire stay (Rav4. 4x4 is absolutely a must in Zanzibar) and Safari through the recommendations of the hotel. Both went simply great, organized on whatsapp using the numbers provided on the guide of the hotel. Fast replies and excellent service! Trust them! Both me and my girlfriend definitely recommend this gem. We will definitely go back!!!
Nothing!
5.0 / 5.0
This place is an oasis of peace and comfort. we booked an extra night.
4.5 / 5.0
Staff was excellent. Polite and always happy. Rooms are right on the beach. Food at the restaurant is really really good. We tried maybe 12 different dishes and every single one was great. Master chef in kitchen.
I know it is an endless job and would concern all the hotels on the beach but it would be supernice if the beach was raked from the seagrass. It would look SO much nicer pure white…
4.5 / 5.0
It's breathtakingly beautiful, the 'rooms' or bungalows are lovely and ours was perfectly positioned between the (second) pool and the beach which was perfect.
Each bungalow has their own chairs on the beach and even though the hotel was fully booked, it is very peaceful - the common areas are never crowded and every room has a reserved dinner table if they'd like it without having to ask.
Music nights were lovely, good atmosphere.
Breakfast is nice, we ate in the mornings but you can have it any time (although I don't think I saw anyone doing this).
Staff are just absolutely wonderful - we did the reef walk with one of the staff and he was so great, we had the best time.
We left very early on our last day and someone got up at 4am to see us off and give us a packed breakfast which was so above and beyond and so appreciated.
Beach is beautiful and peaceful, with pristine white sand. The tide didn't particularly bother us and the hotel has security for their beach area which keeps hawkers away which is really appreciated
Housekeeping come every evening and spray down the room and turndown the bed which is really nice
The sun rises opposite the property and we loved opening our door in the morning and watching the sunrise from bed
The restaurant is pretty expensive... the food and drinks are very good, big portions and nicely prepared but a little inconsistent perhaps and things like local beer probably could come down closer to other places on the island without needing to compromise on the price of the imported cocktails or food.
WiFi is throughout but a little patchy. Didn't affect us really as we were on holiday and enjoying the island but I wouldn't want to work off of it.
Not relevant to the hotel but the beach is on a reef and tidal - we liked that we could wade out and paddle in the shallows (you need shoes, the hotel provides them) and we loved the reef walk but it isn't like Kendwa, with all-day swimming available
4.5 / 5.0
The rooms are basic but spotless and cleaned every day, great views of the sea. The food was excellent, the breakfast is included and you can order whatever you like from a menu with lots of choice. Lunch and dinner menus were also great and we really enjoyed all the food there. There was live music on Tuesday and Friday which was fantastic. A very relaxed and cool vibe to the whole place. Would recommend!
While I can’t really fault the hotel at all, my only small dislike was that generally I like to go to some other restaurants/bars outside where I’m staying during the trip and never choose all inclusive type stays because I like to try other places. We had every meal for 1 week at the hotel because the options in the surrounding area are very limited. So on that front the location is a little more remote and I got the sense the north west side of the island maybe has more options for this. Having said that it seems that area is much more expensive is considering the price we paid it possibly balances out.
5.0 / 5.0
Absolutely amazing. Such a beautiful location. Our accommodation looked out to the beach so every morning we were able to view a stunning sunrise from our room.. The food menu was fantastic with lots of options and variety. Staff also really friendly and helpful
Nothing
3.5 / 5.0
the bungalows location in front of the sea was great
you can not swim in the sea because of the tide and sea urchin. every day when we arrived to room, there is a sand on the surface of the bed. gps koordination is not truly shows the location. the villagers help us to find the facilities and the road of hotel after main road was terrible.
5.0 / 5.0
the room was great with a heated pool, right on the beachfront, the food was delicious and the staff are friendly.
you get hassled by people selling three items on the beach.
5.0 / 5.0
Both the hotel and staff were fantastic, very relaxing vibe. The pictures of the hotel online don't really do it justice.
All staff down to the cleaners were very kind and helpful, they could not do enough for you.
Mussa is an absolute asset to the hotel, what a lovely lovely guy.
The food was very good, however vegan options would be great (and clear labelling of food containing milk, cheese etc).
4.0 / 5.0
The hotel is beautifully put together, comfortable and very welcoming. The bungalows directly on the beach provide great views of the ocean, and it was particularly nice to sit on the deck and watch both the sunrise and sunset. Stepping out of the bungalow directly onto the beach was also lovely, however, it should be noted that the beach vendors are relentless and very much ruin the experience during the day. Walking the beach in the evening is much nicer as the vendors have gone for the day and it was apparent that many tourists, not seen during the day, take advantage of this opportunity. The staff at Sunrise are great, very welcoming, friendly and make you feel at home straight away.
There wasn't much we didn't like, the only thing to flag is that if staying in the beach front bungalows, given that they are built with wood and palm leaves, they are not insulated to sound. This is great when going to sleep listening to the ocean but not great when the neighbouring guests are loud. We unfortunately had neighbours playing music on one side and others staying up late speaking/laughing very loudly. The hotel did ask the couple with the speaker to stop using it which helped, but a suggestion would be to inform guests at checkin that noise after a certain time should be limited.
5.0 / 5.0
Super friendly staff - always a smile on their face and working as a team; relaxed atmosphere; free drinking water; all-day breakfast; best food in a hotel restaurant ever; reef-walk with the highly knowledgeable deaf gardener; stunning first-row view of the sunrise and many many more things. If we visit Zanzibar again this hotel will definitely be on our route
nothing to complain at all
3.0 / 5.0
Location directly to the beach is really nice and as described. Breakfast all day is convenient. Food is tasty. Nice reef walk.
In comparison to other hotels in Zanzibar, we were not completely satisfied.
We didn´t feel welcome. Although we´ve spent a week at Bandas, we were asked every single time, if we would stay at the hotel. I understand that there´s a lot of coming and going. But at a hotel with 16 rooms, I expect the staff and the owners to know who´s staying and who´s not. The staff was all right, no outstanding friendliness. We always had the impression we would bother them.
Live music is on 2 days a week, food was tasty, but not any better than in any other local restaurant, where ypu would pay a third of the price. Service on that days is a desaster, we waited 4 hours for a 3 course meal without any information. I´d stay somewhere else next time.
FAQs
How much does this hotel cost compared to others in Matemwe?
The average price for a rental in Matemwe is $165 per night. This rental is $0 above the average.
Is parking included with this hotel?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Zanzibar Sunrise at Bandas. 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 Zanzibar Sunrise at Bandas. Enjoy the water!
Is Zanzibar Sunrise at Bandas pet friendly?
Unfortunately, this hotel is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"
What amenities are available at Zanzibar Sunrise at Bandas?
We found 14 amenities for this rental. This includes pool, air conditioner, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, and fireplace.
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