Sandies Baobab Beach Zanzibar

10/10

Exceptional

06 Dec 2025

Yusuf

It's good to be home

Business Family

6/10

Pleasant

29 Nov 2025

Kalisha

Bottom line up front: this is a beautiful property with rooms and food that do not live up to the billing.

The good first: the property is absolutely gorgeous with old, majestic baobab trees throughout. The landscaping is top notch and the beach view is absolutely stunning. The pool is gorgeous with a beach view and the drinks at the poolside bar were great. The staff are also super friendly and a few are conversant in several languages.

The bad: the food is overpriced and poor quality. We did not do all-inclusive and ordered a la carte as the buffet food did not look appetizing. Unfortunately, the menu food was equally bland and uninspired. They charge $40 for 4 very modest sized prawns. I would not consider them jumbo prawns and they did not taste fresh.

The room was even worse. The attention to detail is clearly lacking. We had to ask 4 times to get the room arranged as requested in the reservation, with 2 twin beds. The A/C was completely nonfunctional, and the room remained hot and stuffy throughout the night. The screens on the windows were filled with holes so we could not open them for a breeze. As they changed the sheets, the mattresses were filthy. And the shower faucet was falling apart. Several of the spigots had fallen out and water fell unevenly. The refrigerator was completely non-functional and spoiled our food. The cheapness of the finishings in the room shocked me given the price point. The front desk was accommodating so adding 1 star for them.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2025

rebecca

Sandies has a beautiful location, lovely staff and all the amenities one needs to enjoy a vacation.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Oct 2025

NIKLAS

Nice staff

Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Oct 2025

Carlos

Great experience

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

10 Sep 2025

Zuzana

loved this hotel

10/10

Exceptional

03 Sep 2025

Shaun

Lovely peaceful beach hotel. Super friendly staff. Chef Halal was really helpful with our gluten free requirements

Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Aug 2025

Suzanne

Happy friendly staff, so obliging.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Aug 2025

Matthias

Loved everything about this resort. On the sandy white beach, adorable huts, excellent food & accommodating staff who smile all day long! It’s hard not to relax

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jul 2025

KRISTINE

Nice resort. Good food. Large rooms with nice showers and plenty of hot water and good water pressure. Security around the property made me feel safe. Beach is nice when the tide is out. Lots of lounge chairs available. Workers all over the property cleaning, raking, trimming the trees/bushes. Very well maintained public spaces.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2025

Darina

A Hotel Experience Like No Other

I have travelled to many places and stayed at wonderful, luxurious hotels, but I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a hotel as much as this one. It is truly amazing in so many ways.

The Soul of the Hotel – The Staff
The best thing about the hotel is the staff—they are the soul of the place and make your stay unforgettable. Everyone is genuinely kind and interested in you, from the gardeners tending to the grounds to the chef, reception staff, and waiters. Their warmth and care are what truly set this resort apart.

Specifically, I would like to thank the following staff for taking such wonderful care of us during our stay. All the staff members were incredibly kind, but we interacted the most with Osrida, Christina, Sarah, Odria, Ellen, Lydia, and Anna. They were kind, efficient, and made us feel like part of a family. Their attentiveness and friendliness added so much joy to our time at the resort.

Breathtaking Setting and Beautiful Grounds
The hotel is situated in a beautiful lagoon in Nungwi, with absolutely breathtaking beaches. A special touch: there’s a bench placed by the hotel for guests to sit and enjoy the staggeringly beautiful sunsets over the beach and pool area.

The grounds feel like an oasis unto themselves. I ventured outside and looked at other nearby hotels, but none had the same lush, manicured greenery. It felt like living in a botanical garden, surrounded by birdsong. Truly a paradise.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2025

carlos

Beautiful beach, good location, so so breakfast, ok dinner.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

08 Jun 2025

Alison

The beach out the front of the property was nice and the hotel itself is large. We stayed for 3 nights in a garden cottage room, the first room we were given had one lamp for lighting and was close to construction, after speaking to management about the less than average room, we were moved to another garden cottage room which was better. The rooms are a little outdated but fine for the time we were there. We paid for the all inclusive package as it was much easier, the food buffet’s had plenty of options and lots of food. Wine selection wasn’t great and no options to choose from different ones which was disappointing if you didn’t want spirits. 2-3 days is enough to spend up in the area. Finally, whilst there are security guards around, we did see a number of locals that sell things on the beach walking around the hotel grounds.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jun 2025

Chris

Staff friendliness, lovely beach. clean and tidy

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2025

Antonio

It is a peaceful setting, with a fantastic beach front. A piece of paradise! Staff are very friendly.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2025

Alessandra

Best beach water of the area. Beatifull new room. I got a free upgrade for a superior with balcony.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Feb 2025

Yvonne

A wonderful little gem with great staff

We had an absolutely amazing time here. The hotel and grounds are spotless. The staff are very friendly and it is situated in beautiful location with a stunning beach on site. I would highly recommend staying here!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2025

Verified traveler

Services could be improved

Our premium room was very nice, clean and fresh, if possible, try to get a room nearby the ocean. The services was actually not so good in the restaurant or at the bar. The cleaningness was not so good eighter and all this is probably due to lack of staff. Otherwise the hotel is located perfect just a couple of meters from the beach.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Dec 2024

Ahmad

Pros:
-Beautiful resort and beach location
-Comfortable rooms, safe property with lots of security around
-Diverse food options
-Friendly staff
-lots of activities to participate in

Cons:
-beach is not private. Many locals will approach you daily to try to sell you things
-no hot water in the shower
-occasional power outages, but only lasts a few minutes

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Dec 2024

Michael

I loved how the hotel provided guest activities for the whole week. Also, the all inclusive was amazing.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Nov 2024

Sharell

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and the staff was extremely helpful and polite. The food was exquisite! Will visit again.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2024

Mahroo

Loved the resort. We stayed in the Beach Junior Suite which was very close to the beach. The room is large and quite with a great bed and shower. The resorts grounds are well kept. The dining area is right on the water with fantastic views and accommodating staff. The food can be better, but that was our experience in all of Tanzania so can't fault this resort for it.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

03 Oct 2024

Yennhu

Mid at best

It was subpar. I was charged a deposit of $55 prior til arrival, and remaining balance to be paid at desk. Desk charged me for the total amount instead of remaining balance.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Aug 2024

Erin

Beautiful property and beach!

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jul 2024

Yadayra

Loved it here!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2024

Lisa

Perfect beach getaway. Staff were friendly. Easy walking distance to other venues.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

30 Jun 2024

Rachael

Nice hotel, reasonable price. Great rooms, air con great, kept very well. Nice pool and beach areas. Small beach on hotel with sea view so no sellers can approach. Can walk along beach to markets and great places like sexy fish. Had buffet one night - average. Much nicer eating out. Breakfast okay, not great. Wonderful beaches just gorgeous. Would defio go agai .

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

01 Jun 2024

Denine

Great resort, a little out dated but would definitely stay again.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

25 May 2024

Verified traveler

Amazing White Sand Beach Resort

Excellent property with private beach access to white sands at Nungwi. The rooms are also top notch, lot of greenery and baobab trees on the property. The in house restaurant offers delicious food with options from multiple international cuisines. Sandies Baobab is a perfect location for people looking for a quiet, relaxing vacation.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

26 Apr 2024

jonathan

Not bad but not great place to stay in Zanzibar

Hotel is nice and it has a beautiful beach but the maids are very rude . They ask you to come out of your room to clean and when I came back 1 1/2 hour late the room was not even touched, they forget about you . For the high price I paid I expect better customer service . The food wasn’t bad but it was good either , very average . I think there is better places you can find for your money .

Self

8/10

Excellent

17 Feb 2024

Michael

Beautiful beach. Great service. All staff helpful and have a big smile. Some wifi issues and power went out a few times but all manageable. Food is good, but not great buffet style.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

20 Jan 2024

Tyrone

Wonderful stay!

An amazing hotel with superb access to the beach. Staff is super kind and helpful.
It does however attract quite snobbish ppl from all over the world that didn’t seem to understand how I (as a black man) could stay at such a nice property. Didn’t allow it to bother me but it was very noticeable. Just be mindful of this if you are a person of color visiting this property!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2023

Nicholas

Well preserved property features with regulated air-conditioned rooms.
Friendly staff and highly motivated crews for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Only downside is absence of a discount when purchasing alcoholic beverages by the bottle.

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jul 2023

MARIO ANTONY

Amazing

Tne hospitality shown by Jefta was amazing!He helped us with finding a quad bike company and helped us with transport to and fro from the hotel. Loved our stay and we will return.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Jun 2023

Simeona

Everything was amazing, the staffs are really nice and friendly, just they have to do something about the mosquitoes. There were so many!

10/10

Exceptional

07 May 2023

Anna

Lovely friendly staff, nice location for daily sunset!

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Mar 2023

Alina

The location is amazing but the food was below my expectation. We've been to a few other places and it was so delicious but in the hotel it's tasteless.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

24 Feb 2023

Ravi

Unsafe they stole money from the safe. Management did not do anything in spite of reporting the theft.
Poor service takes 30 mins to get an order of fries at lunch time. Drinks are also watered down and not very good liquor is used
Water in the beach is very sharp rocks and has sea urchin
Barely 2 star property. Don’t trust their five star rating.
We stayed one night of a four night stay and checked out property did not refund for the nights we left property. Even this being the case it was the best decision we made to move out because we felt unsafe there. there are tons of other very nice properties in Zanzibar on east side of the island and I would not recommend this property to anyone even if you were on a budget.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

24 Feb 2023

Ravi

We had money stolen from the safe. When we arrived there were dead ants and live spiders in the room. The room wasn’t even cleaned properly fi remove dead insects. Service at the restraints is poor took me 30 mins to get an order of fries!!
When we wanted to move out because we felt unsafe property management did not refund us for the nights we did not stay there. This hotel has a high guest rating on Expedia but I would barely give it 2 stars.
Nungwi beach outside the property has tons of sea urchin and rocky. You should not walk on it without proper footwear.

The drinks at the property are not very good.

All in all we spent one day of a 4 day booking and moved out. Best decision we made !!!

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

11 Feb 2023

Anders

Rummet var fint och ganska nyligen renoverat men anläggningen i stort var sliten. Servicen var inget vidare och maten var riktigt dålig. Verkligen inte värt pengarna.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2023

Henrik

Good resort in a good location

Good resort in a very good location. The sun bed \"reservation' system is a nightmare. You need to place your towels early in the morning to have a chair and more than half of the beds are not used during the day. Must be changed.
The buffet is good (if you like that concept). Saturday night beach barbeque with fish and shellfish highly recommended. Good big rooms (stayed in a deluxe room).

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Oct 2022

Hassan

The beach is nice , one of the best beaches in Zanzibar .
The restaurant was well organized and Abbas the manager was very friendly. The hotel has a college campus vibe so if you’re looking for a romantic trip this might not be the ideal setting .noise can last up until 2am.
Last but not least if you are looking for diversity in demographic ..this might not be the ideal environment.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2022

Anna

Sandies is a great resort! From your first encounter with Joyce, one knows the stay will be a pleasure. Great Wi-Fi with booster. Manicured landscape. Very SAFE! AWESOME fees from the beach front dinning facility with friendly staff. We stay in a bungalow with no Neighbours around except for one side. Great rain shower. My wife and will definitely come back!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Aug 2022

Sigi

Very friendly staff, good food, beautiful beach and nice bedrooms! We had a pleasant stay at Sandies Baobab… highly recommended

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

05 Jun 2022

Hisham

Very slow check in process

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

09 May 2022

Andrew

We chose this property based on YouTube reviews and were happy our expectations were met. The food was better than expected and the grounds/wait staff was incredible. It was nice to have a few food staples at each meal like omelette station and pancake/crepes, or at dinner the pasta station and grill. Fresh fruits and salads at each meal also make us very happy. We would stay there again and would look forward to the specific beach the property has. The white powdery sand that leads to crystal clear water, swimmable in both low and high tide, was just wonderful. We opted to rent a car for the same price as a shuttle, and loved the freedom to do the spice tour and snorkel as we found the beach the boats launched from. Walking the length of the Nungwi beach, we were confirmed in our choice of property. It really was such a lovely escape.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Feb 2022

Verified traveler

Beautiful sunset

First time in Zanzibar, loved the place with some amazing scenery around. Specially the sunset.

The hotel was descent although it is disappointing to see that none of the rooms had see view and our room was lacking a simple fridge and an iron. Apart from that the staff we amazing and very friendly.

I would certainly recommend this place again to all our fiends and family.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Jan 2022

Muftah

h

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2022

cameron

Good Option for the Area

Overall, good stay. Great location with nice beach and walking distance to restaurants. Rooms are ok. Decent pool and grounds. If you are looking for a reasonably priced hotel in the area, I would recommend. Did not purchase all inclusive as breakfast was included and off property food options are pretty inexpensive in the area..

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Dec 2021

Jacobus

Rather come to Sandies Boabab

Absolutely lovely, pool-bar area is very good with entertainment ( not too much), beach area with sun chairs ( not many resorts have the same), restaurant serves good buffet. Rooms are really good and well maintained ( with no TVs, perfect). Plugs are 2 point plugs only.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

26 Oct 2021

jana

Nice location and nice beach

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Oct 2021

Kristin

Wonderful buffet for all meals! Breakfast is free and discounts were given for lunch ($13) and dinner ($20). Everyday was different spread and delicious options.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

28 Sep 2021

Safeera

This was a beautiful amazing resort, the sunsets are spectacular, the beach is amazing . I have two complaints, seems this resort accommodates mostly Europeans and the staff wasn’t very friendly to non white-Europeans. One staff in particular demeaned us twice in the eating area for no apparent reason. The food was not good and lacked taste, and again that might have to do with the fact that it’s made for European taste, it had no seasoning and very bland.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

29 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

It was just an avarage hotel with a pretty high night prices. Our stay was okayish but I think we could have found a better deal for the same price. We chose this one for a honeymoon hotel but it was more like a B&B with poor facilities

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

The ll inclusive aspect was a first for me, other than cruising.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

Best beach in whole island. Private beach secured by guards. Staff very friendly, food delicious, property clean. Amazing!!!

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

20 May 2021

Verified traveler

Escape covid

A relaxing and well needed holiday. Incredible food, variety daily, all super fresh! Room upgrade upon arrival. All staff were friendly and exceptionally helpful.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

20 May 2021

Ronan

Amazing place, staff so helpful and friendly. Highly recommend!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Mar 2021

Verified traveler

Wonderful place to stay for few days. Beach, pool, Nungwi on foot. Really nice location and place.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2021

Heather

Beautiful Hotel

We absolutely loved this resort. In my opinion the best hotel on Nugwi beach. The grounds are beautiful and the service was wonderful. They have a ton of group activities daily. We were able to meet great people from all over the world. We did not do the all inclusive but drinks were reasonably priced and strong. The local food was great and the beach is absolutely stunning. I wish we stayed longer!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2020

Verified traveler

Efficient check-in, super clean rooms, impeccably beautiful facility, fascinating and coherent design of property including access to the beach from facilities and sea view from restaurant.. great and diverse kids- friendly evening entertainments. My family and I love the place and will be back very soon. Brook and family

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

08 Dec 2020

Martin

Nice, small an calm safe place near to the ocean with beautiful white sandy beach.
Unfortunately AllIncl doesn’t includes all the liquid and besides beer and wines, you have to wait till 6pm.
Overall ok

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Oct 2020

Pamela

Traveller of 100+ Countries

Nothing bad to say about this property!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2020

Rachel

Recommended! For relaxing holiday

Highly recommended stay at Sandies. We were breakfast only deal which was great for us so we could try other restuarants closeby. We still ate dinner there 3 times in the end, and enjoyed drinks by the pool each sundown and late evening. Staff complied with COVID protection throughout, and were fantastic on all accounts anyway. Reception also arranged for a doctor to visit and take PCR test (and from the main approved lab Mnezi Mmoja).

Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Aug 2020

Verified traveler

-All-inclusive feels low value. No food available between meals and spirits only available from 6pm. Several drinks require additional payment.
-Free WiFi only available around the pool/bar.
-Staff is very nice and friendly.
-Rooms are clean and comfortable.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Aug 2020

James M

Sandies, a slice of pradise!

Chris is the GM and his wife Audrey is his assistant. Both have a great deal of hotel experience and it shows in every aspect of the operation. The staff are extremely pleasant, helpful and efficient.
I was on a bed and breakfast and occupied a “superior room”. The room was comfortable and somewhat “sheik” with a huge bathroom.
Although I did not opt for the all inclusive, I took all of my meals at the hotel and would definitely do all inclusive next time.. The restaurant overlooks the Indian Ocean and has great views. The food is not only very good, but there is an extensive menu. Each dinner has a different theme ie French night , Italian, Indian and also poolside bbq which was a treat.
The pool is large and well kept but the bonus is the ocean. The beach is available even at high tide and there are absolutely no rocks anywhere and the beach experience is a true pleasure.
I would also mention that each staff member wore their masks 100% of the time which made all feel comfortable
Simply put, Sandies is a wonderful place and the price is right. Although I was a single, there was a nice mix of families, couples and some in between.
I travel a great deal for both business and pleasure and read a lot of reviews. I become almost skeptical when I read a “too gleeful review”. In this case, take my word and give Sandies a chance.

Self

8/10

Excellent

22 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

Exceptional beach and food

Exceptional service on a beautiful beach however AC is typical of the area which means it's a bit lackluster at times however manageable nonetheless.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

07 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

A good stay

A very nice all-inclusive hotel on Nungwi beach, the superior room is great. It lacks amenities like a fridge. Overall the room is clean and comfy. Staff are good except for a few in the restaurant who want to sit you where they want rather than where you want. Glasses at the bar are worn out and food is not that good, very basic especially lunch and dinner.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jan 2020

Naomi

Paradise

What a fantastic hotel. From the second you arrive right up until the minute you leave everything is perfect. The staff are exceptionally friendly and the food served here is exceptional.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Excellent location.. staff superb and friendly.. great beach.. food great and relaxed environment

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Dec 2019

Alma

There are 9 Baobab trees on the property, and the food was delicious.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

This resort was everything we were looking for during our stay in Zanzibar. The beach was excellent with very professional and amazing staff. The facilities were aligned with nature. Rooms were clean and food was varied and fresh. Couldn’t have asked for a more perfect stay. Loved joining the yoga class as well as the many activities offered by the resort. The reception staff was outstanding and did everything to ensure a pleasant stay.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

14 Mar 2019

Allan

Local tavern noise a problem

Family rooms are at the back of the resort and noise from the tavern in the local town is a major problem - loud music goes on all night
This is a \"work in progress\" hotel and we didn't think it was 4*.
Having said that, the location is fantastic with lovely beach and sea. Food is delicious and varied - plenty of seafood and attentive Chef always on hand. Staff are still being trained but are keen to please and always happy and smiling

Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Jan 2019

Ashley

Enjoyable stay- room for improvement

This hotel is really well located at Nungwi beach. From the airport it does take over an hour to get there and there is some dirt roads but from doing tours this can’t be avoided.
From checkin to checkout and everything in between the staff were really friendly and helpful.
The rooms were simple with a lovely bathroom with a double shower. As the hotel has not yet been completed it is missing a few things like a fridge and hair dryer. My one complaint about the room would be the bed sheets. They were not very soft and actually felt like they were scratching your skin.
The buffet restaurant was great. Lots of options and really fresh. The ala crate portion is not yet open.
The bar, pool and beach sun beads were all wonderful. The only improvement I could suggest is maybe drink service to people poolside, not that it’s that far to go to the bar and they will bring them to you.
Also, coming from Australia where there are no smoking areas etc I would suggest this was implemented near the pool or on the sand beach chairs- whether it just be a small section or something.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay. There is still construction/renovation going on but I doubt that will be forever. The staff just need to make the effort to tell you and apologise.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Dec 2025

Reidun Iren

Beautiful location by the beach. Delicious Italian inspired food, and good drinks.

Friends_and_family Friends