We had a fantastic stay in this villa – really cool interior, very comfy beds, beautiful pool and garden, which is larger than the photo suggests. The housekeeping team were very sensitive and hard-working. All the arrangements made with the House manager, Hatibu, were very slick, including multiple airport transfers and island tours, etc. Wonderful trip in the Dhow with the charismatic Captain Peter! Do try Bomwa, a short walk from the Villa, for drinks and dinner. Walking out from the villa you are straight into real Zanzibar, which is delightful.

We spend 10 days in this extraordinary villa. Everything was better than we expected and we had one of the most beautiful vacations there.Very special is the staff on site. Always helpful, supportive and sharp on time.The villa got cleaned every single day and we can strongly recommend the use of the chef service.She surprised us every day with fresh and homage local food. This just topped up our stay.I can highly recommend this amazing place if you are looking for and extraordinary and peaceful vacation with your family.Thank you Raphael and Team!

Mwendawima was the perfect stay for us to end our 3 week safari visit to Tanzania and Kenya. This was our first visit to Zanzibar so we weren’t completely sure which area we should stay…and this place didn’t disappoint! Step out of the gate onto beautiful, super fine white sand for long beach walks or a swim in warm water. There we many locals trying to sell you things but in the big picture they were not pushy or annoying (as we found in other ares on our trip). Khatib, our host, was there to greet us and was very responsive to any inquiries we had. The house was clean and comfortable with a great private yard to relax in. Breakfast was served every morning with fresh fruit, eggs, bread and crepes. Two of the evenings we had dinner made for us. Delicious 3 course meals. The other two nights we walked up the beach and found great options for dinners out. The area is not highly developed and very much grass roots small town local…everyone we encountered at Jambiani Beach was friendly and inviting. Be aware of “Crazy Mondays” live music venue nearby which went on until 3AM. You will likely know every song played :). Otherwise, the neighborhood felt safe and was quiet. We were visited by some red colobus monkeys which were very cool to watch up close. All in all, we were very happy with our stay.

What a wonderful, grounding beach vacation! This 4 bed/3bath house was exactly what we needed. With 2 teens and a grown up son home from Uni we were looking for something very lo-key and good value. While the house had wifi on the first floor, overall it was a lo tech vacation. The house is made of block with plaster over it, a style I quite like. The furnishings are local and simple wood and cushions/mattresses. There are fans and mosquito netting. No AC (didn't need it at all), no TV (really didn't need it!) but also no screens so your protection against bugs are old fashioned cleaning, netting, wind, and geckos. I am NOT a bug person, having barely survived Cicada-geddon 1987. So when I walked in I worried I would not be able to handle staying. I was surprised how effective the house and staff were at keeping the place bug free/ light. Speaking of the staff, they were a highlight! We took Mohammed up on his meals for dinner and they were spectacular. One night, over suggestions by our driver/wrangler/POC, we went to the Rock for our anniversary. Obviously we left the kids to eat at the Villa. They def had the better meal! The cleaners were sweet and did laundry for us. Hatibi (driver/wrangler) was prompt and helpful, arranging boat tours for us and being at our disposal for rides even after we left the Villa for the city. The ocean is very shallow at lower tides - you can walk more than a mile out at the lowest. The village has a few shops for bare necessity dry items and fruit. My suggestion would be to bring bug spray, sand toys, beach mats/blankets, and dried snacks (we could find Pringles and cookies at the larger markets). There is a market where we got loads of Ramen/Koka noodles to use as lunch. The restaurants on the beach are convenient but pricey and def not as good as Mohammed. I would use with them for cold beer but not much else. If you are looking for glorified Glamping (with a chef and cleaners) then this is the place! We loved our 11 days there!