Marafiki Bungalows

We were at Marafiki Bungalows on 18 - 20th Dec, checking out on 21st. I paid for accommodation in advance, and since the quote was in dollars and I was paying in TZS, I paid extra to ensure there was no shortfall due exchange rate fluctuations. On checking out I had to argue and defend this decision as the extra payment was not taken into account and the manager insisted for me to pay our bill in fulk without deducting the extra cash paid, arguing that I had not paid local taxes. Given that we were rushing to the ferry, I paid. On the way out, I recalculated and confirmed that I was overcharged. I immediately communicated that, and by the end of the day, it was concluded that I was overcharged and would be refunded. A week later, I received communication that I was not overcharged. After a new back and forth, I suggested they add up expenses and payments using Excel. For the send time, they admitted overcharging and promised a refund. As I write this, I still don't have my refund. The feedback I keep receiving is that we will remind the owner to pay you. I believe if I had underpaid, they would have hounded me for it. This a sad ending to a wonderful stay. The place is beautiful with great views. The best things about the place are the staff in the restaurant and the food is top notch.

Just fantastic. We lived in bungalows on the beach. A restaurant on the opposite 10 meters. Lovely food. Lovely people serving us. A topnotch place. Just recommended for everybody. With or without children. Massage with a view over the ocean.

Marafiki Bungalows is a true gem with amazing value for the money! Great location on the beach with a lovely view. The hotel rooms are very spacious, and you have a small private terrace where you can relax. The garden surrounding the bungalows is very lush and beautiful, and gives a feeling of calmness. The team working at Marafiki is extremely friendly, and made us feel very welcome. We really enjoyed the food, both dinner and breakfast. The restaurant hosted a Swahili dinner with a live show on of the evenings during our stay, and it was great trying the local specialties. I can highly recommend staying at Marafiki Bungalows!

We arrived at Marafiki bungalows after a week of safari and we were in need of some rest and relaxation. Marafiki was perfect for that! We loved everything about it. The sofa on the balcony of our room was perfect for relaxing in the shade or in the evening before dinner. The room had everything we needed and was nice and spacious. The staff were amazing! The service was brilliant and they always made us feel so welcome. The breakfast was really good - fresh fruit and pastries followed by ordering off the menu (the avocado and egg on toast is excellent!), and juice, tea and coffee, all while looking out over the ocean. The dinner menu was great too and they keep it varied with daily specials. Around the pool there are plenty of beds with shade and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. The only downside for us was that we only booked 3 nights. We went from there to the Lux hotel up the coast and immediately regretted that and wished we had stayed the whole 6 nights at Marafiki. Next time we will! We would definitely recommend Marafiki to anyone looking for a relaxing break in a great setting.

A place where every detail of the accommodation and living areas is carefully put together. It’s beautiful. Pros - Incredibly friendly staff. They were great with our two young daughters. A lovely infinity pool. Stylish accommodation. Delicious breakfast. Cons - Expensive lunch and dinner options. Not much to do outside the hotel. The surrounding hotels serve similar food, similarly priced. You have to get up early to get a sunlounger. There aren’t enough to go round. There is not really beach in front of the hotel. It’s more rocks than beach and the steps down are quite tricky.

We had a lovely time here! It is quiet and in a secluded spot. The management and staff are all very friendly and very helpful. One initial drawback of the location would seem to be that there is no beach below, but we took a long walk up the coast at low tide, saw other resorts, and realized that we much preferred its more secluded location. (It is easy to walk to a better swimming beach at low tide.). We ate breakfast and dinner there during our stay and thought the food was delicious. Also, they have water for you to fill up, so no need to purchase water during your stay, which was much appreciated.