“Avoid OceanView Bungalows - there are MANY better options for a Zanzibar beach vacation”
My wife and I stayed in one of the bungalow rooms on the OceanView villa property. We went to Zanzibar seeking relaxation and rest following a trek and safari in late December. We decided to stay at OceanView Villa and Bungalows primarily because of the positive reviews posted here.
My primary advice: take the other reviews with a grain of salt and spend a few more minutes searching for another resort/hotel/bungalow. There are many, many better options in this same price range. We spent most of our days using the amenities and beaches of other resorts nearby. We also ate most of our meals at other resorts.
Pros -
Clean, large rooms.
Friendly local staff
Wholesome homemade food. Futari's food is wholesome, if not especially flavorful. We only ate 2 meals at OceanView because the atmosphere was not especially inviting and there was only 1 vegetarian option for my wife.
Cons -
Amenities are blatantly misrepresented - no AirCon, soap and shampoo were not provided, no real ocean views from the bungalow.
The bungalow rooms are absolutely stifling. There is no cross-ventilation and we had only one small circulating fan to complement the weak overhead fan. While the owner, Lilia, clearly lists "Air Conditioning" on the amenities list, this is simply not true. She is misrepresenting the amenities in the bungalow.
It is not possible to swim in front of villa. The local villagers cultivate seaweed and there is a very large (200 feet) tide. You would have to wade through knee-deep seaweed for 10 minutes to walk out to the ocean during the day.
You cannot see the ocean from the bungalow. There are two large gates and many trees blocking the view of the ocean.
There are only 2 beach chairs, shared between 4-5 people staying the villa and the 3-4 people staying in the bungalow rooms. We were never able to use a beach chair during our stay.
There are many other options nearby. We spent much of our time at the Waikiki Beach resort, about a 15 minute walk from OceanView. They have good food, friendly staff and an inviting atmosphere.
It is dangerous to walk along beach at night. Children from the village blatantly tried to pick our pockets and attempted to surround us while we were walking at dusk. In addition, the beach in front of the village is COVERED with human excrement and garbage.
The friendly dog referenced in the other reviews barked loudly and for extended times 4 out of 5 nights we were there. We found it very difficult to sleep at night given the loud dog and stifling heat.
It is very expensive to take taxis from here. This is more of a fact of life in Zanzibar, but the standard price is $45-50 to go to Stonetown, which is the only place with ATMs and the only place to buy most provisions.
The owner, Lillia, lives in the US and I had to speak with her once to clear up a misunderstanding about payment. She was aggressive to the point of being rude.
Liked best:
Friendly local staff
Liked least:
Lack of swimming beach, no beach chairs, loud dog barking at night
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
6 Jan 2013
Dear Kevin
You didn’t have to stay with us if there were “many better options in this same price range”, you only paid $55 per person for your holiday stay. You were free to walk out and stay wherever you are happy. On the opposite you cannot find as low rate as ours in the area for a bungalow on the beach. Our food prices are also competitively the lowest.
The dog is guard dog to keep our guests save and I know that he doesn’t bark for no reason or often.
We have one of the most spectacular beaches with a choice to swim at low or high tide which you have obviously failed to notice. Instead, you used all the untrue stories in your review as an excuse to sneak out on your departure day without paying gratuities to our very accommodating staff, well, to you, they are just African slaves aren’t they?!
You really tried your best to ruin our livelihood. Your mission is ruining other people’s lives?! How utterly selfish, inconsiderate and down right low life!
Lilia
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC