Mwendawima Villa - Zanzibar

I had the most incredible stay at this beachfront villa! The location is unbeatable, right on the beach. The villa was impeccably clean, and the decor was absolutely amazing. The best part was the chef's cooking – it was not only delicious but also exceeded all expectations. A truly memorable experience!

The villa so good,super clean,the food so delicious.
If you have plan to visit Zanzibar don't miss to stay.

Honestly, this was one of the best holidays we've ever had. We spent 9 days at the villa and will be back. Raphael the owner was in contact with is throughout our stay. He has an amazing staff. So friendly, genuine and professional. The house manager, Hatibu, was most helpful arranging day trips and tours with trusted guides, boat captain's and drivers and masseuse. Our Chef at the villanwas amazing. 3 course meal every night. Sitting on the 2nd floor patio watching the sunrise and drinks at sunset were amazing. The place is big enough for 8 people, as it has 4 rooms, 3 full bathrooms and queen size beds in each room.

African Paradise

We are so missing Mwendawima Villa! Back in the UK after 16 glorious days in Zanzibar and it's all beginning to feel like a dream.

Yes - a dream Holiday, the Villa is amazing the pictures do not do it justice, in the flesh it is even more spectacular. The rooms are well appointed and decorated, the roof terrace is delightful - we pretty much lived there for the holiday.

The staff are friendly and incredibly helpful, the star of the team is chef Mohammedi.
We weren't sure about having our meals catered for us and went with the intention of just having a couple of meals in the villa and spending the rest of the time sampling the delights of the local cuisine; however, after the first meal we were hooked - every single meal we had was epic! we ate out a couple of times in places that were well regarded, but nothing was as good as anything we ate at the villa.
We were tough customers, we never said, can you make us this, or we fancy that - we just said "surprise us" and Mohammedi constantly did. I have fond memories of the platter piled high with rock lobster (no extra charge), the octopus curry was amazing, the whole grouper could have eaten us rather than the other way round - we couldn't pick a favourite dish...

Quick word about Jambiani, we hired a jeep for four days, did the island from top to bottom - nowhere is better than Jambiani, other places have beaches nearly as good, but they're all hotel resorts. Jambiani is a village and you actually feel a part of it, lots of small scale accommodation, local shops and friendly laid back people.

Q. Would we go again?
A. In a heartbeat

I stayed in the villa in February for 10 days and had the most fantastic experience. It was my first time in Africa and I love the fact that I threw myself straight into African village life! You just won't be able to forget swimming with the local kids, exchanging greeting with the women as they rest in the shade and you are more than welcome to play football with teenagers before sunset.

The ocean is unbelievably beautiful. And the best thing about it is that is changes every day, throughout the day. Whether it's at high tide or low tide, you can swim in the crystal clear waters, enjoy breathtaking walks on the white sand and watch locals harvest seaweed and go fishing. The beach is all yours!

The house itself is a gem. It's decorated with amazing attention to detail and with respect to local architecture. The doors alone will tell you so much about history and local craftsmanship! The rooms are comfortable, the roof terrace gives the most incredible views over the ocean and complete privacy if you want to sunbathe. It's also perfect for watching the night sky, the moon and the stars. The garden is certainly worth mentioning as it is full of exotic plants and serves as another location for enjoying the sun but also for a romantic dinner underneath passion fruit trees.

And of course, as everyone else has mentioned.. the chef is a star! I still dream about the culinary journey he took us on. His cooking is of exceptional quality and his genuine care and interest in your satisfaction is very touching. Do not eat anywhere else.

I am planning my next trip;)

We spent 12 days in the villa with our kids. It is definitely a very good place for a journey in Zanzibar.
What we appreciated :
- The charm of the house, the garden and the view : the house and the view are more beautiful than the photos !
- The very helpful staff: Mohammed the Chef is just an incredible "cordon-bleu" (and my family is very demanding about food !) , Wakili and Kim who organised the tours for us and the kindness of the cleaners Na and Ni
- The beach so beautiful
- Jambiani which is still a typical village

We highly recommend the villa and we will definitely come again !

We spent a total of almost three weeks at Mwendawima Villa and absolutely loved our stay! The villa itself and the furnishings are beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed both the shady garden with its many plants and palm trees and the roof terrace with its wonderful view. The entire staff of the villa (kitchen team, cleaning ladies, security and house manager) is very friendly and unobtrusive. In the morning we were served a good breakfast with a fruit platter, egg dishes, pancakes, bread, butter and jam on the roof terrace with a breathtaking view of the sea with its colors. Breakfast is included in the price. At noon and/or in the evening you can have lunch or dinner prepared by Saidi and Nasra. We tried both options in rotation and were very satisfied with the preparation of the absolutely delicious and fresh dishes. We loved for example their fish curry, roasted chicken, chicken curry and samosas very much. We liked the stretch of beach right in front of the door the best in all of Jambiani. It was quiet, only a few beach boys and you could swim wonderfully, since the ground was sandy and not stony. At low tide we took very long walks along the water's edge. There is a kite surfing school right next door, which we used extensively. There are probably no better conditions to learn kitesurfing than here. We also found the proximity to the village very authentic. Within walking distance you can reach some very nice beach bars and restaurants. The communication with the owner was also very friendly and always very fast. With the Mwendawima Villa we have found a jewel away from the tourist crowds and can absolutely recommend the house (which is suitable for up to 8 people). We will definitely come back!

The Mwendawima Villa is a cosy, elegant, local stile villa which offered us all the comfort we desired and more... We could not stop to get impressed with the superb scenery in particular from the vast upper floor terrace, where wherever you turn you see beauty - of the sea, beach, palm trees, even houses of native Jambiani's who are near by and very friendly. We were stunned by the colors of the sea, constantly changing along with the tides, sun and a few clouds. Initially we thought of cooking some meals, going to the restaurants etc, but we immediately understood that this is not necessary. Every morning the house staff serves a superb breakfast with local fruit, juice, tea, ... You almost could skip a lunch, but cannot resist the offer of chef Mohammed who makes excellent lunches and surely unforgettable dinners, all cooked fresh in the kitchen and served with his utmost respectful and joyful staff. The lunches and evening meals were indeed first-class, prepared with passion and attention to details, ... a real treat, while at the same time we enjoyed watching from the dining table the light blue and green water slowly making its way towards the villa, or going away, with the tide. During our 16-day stay at the villa we never had a day where we ate the same meal twice.

Moreover, we found Mohammed's connection to local fishermen very valuable for organizing local snorkeling or fishing trips that are just steps away from the villa. We also enjoyed exploring other parts of the island by a small van with Hatibu - the house manager.

The atmosphere at Jambiani is very friendly and familiar, the beach is vast, and even that it was a high season there were not too many tourist. All over you feel the relaxed atmosphere and the joy of life, in particular from the local children and young men playing football or beach volleyball. As many other tourists, we spontaneously joined the locals almost every evening and played together with them on the beach. We felt completely safe, as well.

Overall it has been a unique experience of having enjoyed top comfort which you normally get only in a high class hotels, but being immersed whenever we wanted with the locals and getting to know their way of life.
We hope to one day come back to enjoy the people as well as the nature that makes Mwendawima Villa as well as Jambiani such a Paradise.

Excellent staff, best food in Zanzibar and very comfortable place to relax.

Home for us for 11 days.Nice place, beautiful people.

Wonderful Place to Relax! Great staff!

Nice place

Nous étions 5 et avons passé 5 nuits et 6 jours au paradis !
Le manager, Hatibu était super réactif, super utile pour nous aider et nous donner des bons plans et très sympa.
Le chef cuisinier nous a régalé de plats de poissons et langoustes divines , l’équipe était au top, ménage faut tous les jours et lessives comprise dans le prix.
Le jardin privatif super entretenu , la terrasse roof top géniale , les chambres avec Clim et ventilateur , sdb trop belles, bref, absolument fabuleux.
Nous avons adoré et franchement, c’était génial et inégalable pour zanzibar . Merci à toute l’équipe !
Le propriétaire,Raphaël aussi super réactif , bravo et merci

Wir waren im August für 14 Tage mit 7 Personen und einem kleinen Kind hier. Es war einfach ein Traum!
Das erste mal in Afrika, voller Sorgen wegen dem Essen und der Moskitos.. Alle Sorgen konnten wir sofort hinter uns lassen!
Wir fühlten uns alle sofort wie zu Hause und sehr willkommen!
Das Meer und der Strand sind einfach unbeschreiblich!
Zum Kitesurfen ist es das Paradies auf Erden!
Die Menschen in Jambiani sind sehr freundlich und offen. Die Kinder freuen sich, wenn man mit ihnen spielt.
Das Haus ist super ausgestattet, die Dachterasse ist traumhaft!
Aber das allerbeste an dem Haus ist die Crew!
Mohammed, der Koch, unbezahlbar! Er hat uns jeden Tag tolle Gerichte gezaubert, von Snapper über Hummer bis zum
Rinderfilet, es war alles sehr sehr köstlich!
Und auch das Frühstück war genial, Vitamine pur!
Tipp: esst nur bei mohammed! Wir waren ein Abend bei "the Rock" und wurden gnadenlos enttäuscht. Viel zu kleine Portionen für viel zu viel Geld..

Die Freundlichkeit von Mohamed, Said und den Damen, ist unübertreffbar! Uns wurde jeder Wunsch von den Lippen abgelesen!
Wir werden auf jeden Fall wiederkommen!
Danke für 2 traumhafte Wochen!

Excellentes vacances, les plages de Jambiani sont magnifiques, les couleurs sont incroyables, et différentes à chaque heure de la journée. Depuis la grande terrasse de la maison, on observe ce spectacle à couper le souffle.
La maison est spacieuse, avec des ambiances différentes à choisir selon l’envie du moment (apéro bar en terrasse, petit-déjeuner avec vue sur la mer, dîner barbecue dans le jardin entre palmier et bananier, séance de sport sous le bougainvillier, sieste dans le jardin sous le parasol exotique…). Les chambres sont très confortables, on dort bercé par le bruit des vagues, et on se réveille avec l’odeur du feu de bois signalant le début de l’activité du village voisin.
Le staff est hyper sympa, les décorations sur les lits des chambres sont chaque jour différentes. Le chef cuisinier prépare des repas dignes d’excellents restaurants (entrée, plat et désert) avec les poissons frais de la pêche du jour. Le manager vous emmène dans des lieux à ne pas manquer et négocie les prix pour vous (tour en pirogue à balanciers, nage avec les dauphins, balade dans le forêt de Jozani pour voir le singe Colobe rouge, visite de la ferme aux épices).
Un lieu à conseiller pour ceux qui recherchent de vraies vacances inoubliables, dès la première heure.

Nous avons passé un agréable séjour dans cette magnifique maison où tout est prévu pour votre bien-être.
On ne se lasse pas de la vue qu’offre la terrasse avec d’un coté la plage et la mer et de l’autre coté un authentique village de pêcheurs. La maison est très agréable avec ses patios et son jardin fleuri, les chambres
sont confortables, le service est parfait et le personnel gentil. Le chef nous cuisinait des plats typiques, différents tous les jours et nous avons beaucoup apprécié la cuisine locale
(poulpe, calamars… L’emplacement est idéal pour faire de grandes ballades sur la plage de sable blanc et se baigner dans le lagon à marée basse, ou près de la maison à marée haute dans une eau à 35°. Nous avons cotoyé les " jardinières de la mer" qui cultivent et ramassent les algues. La proximité du village nous a permis de découvrir des gens chaleureux et accueillants. Nous avons déguster des cigales de mer dans un restaurant typique.
Nous recommandons vivement cette villa et nous espérons y retourner dans un futur proche.

Nous avons passé un superbe séjour dans cette villa au bord de la mer. Le personnel de maison ainsi qu’Hatibu sont super pro et d’une gentillesse sincère. La maison était étincelante, le service impeccable et la nourriture au-dessus de nos espérances: un délice des papilles. Nous nous sommes régalés à tous les déjeuners à la maison! Le chef et ses cuisinières sont exceptionnelles. Quant au lieu, la plage de Jambiani visible depuis le rooftop est agréable. La maison est belle avec des chambres spacieuses, propres et de belles salles de bain en grande partie privatives. Les espaces pour se reposer, manger et passer du bon temps sont agréables. L’environnement de la maison est paisible, un gardien sécurise les lieux le soir pour s’y sentir bien. Je vous recommande de louer cette maison où vous vous y sentirez comme chez vous. Les prestations sont dignes d’un hôtel 5*.