We stayed for over ten days in a large group and found this the perfect place. We did have the whole place to ourselves because of the size of us so this recommendation is based on that. The staff were very professional, extremely friendly, very flexible and quickly reflected the mood of the party and fitted the running of the house to our timetable and activities. The food was outstanding, local catch and produce, very fresh, cooked to order and plenty of it.
The rooms were large and airy with fans and comfortable beds and clean bathrooms, all opening onto a large open area that gave a cool place to sit when it was too hot outside. The site of Kipepeo is one of its best features, the gate opening onto a glorious beach but with a good sized garden and pool if you wanted to stay private. This was our third visit to Jambiani and Kipepeo Lodge and we are already booked in for next year!

We stayed at Kipepeo for 6 nights with 3 adults and 1 child (under 3). The Kipepeo staff were incredibly accomodating, arranging our meals and helping us plan day trips. The laid-back nature of the staff and the village gave us just the rest and relaxation we needed. Fans in the bedrooms, and the new balcony upstairs, kept us cool during afternoon naps. And the pool was oh-so-fantastic for a dip in the mid-afternoon sun. Food was amazing and all to our catering, suiting even the youngest of our group. We really appreciated the staff's flexibility with the menu and being punctual with the meal times. Bedrooms and baths were comfy and true to Zanzibar style. The common space in the center of the house is basic, but you're rarely inside the house anyway with all the breezy outdoor seating options available. Highly recommended for young families. You have the freedom to plan meals around your family's schedule, have quiet time as needed, and let the kids just be kids without the worry of bothering other guests. Can't say enough great things about our stay at Kipepeo. We were sad to leave and can't wait to go back. Thanks for an incredibly memorable vacation!!

we arrived here after spending our first week on safari in tanzania and sight seeing in stone town. The moment Mohamed, the house manager, and his wonderful team came out to greet us from the taxi I knew we were in safe hands. The house was perfect. A large circular house with a pyramid shaped roof made of palm leaves provided perfect ventilation from the heat of the sun. Our rooms were basic but again cool and inviting with western facilities blended with the exotic of the east african style. Mosquito nets hung carefully from the four poster style beds. Mohamed could not have been more helpful - very professional but with a great sense of humor too.
The chef produced the most delicious food and despite booking bed and breakfast only we chose to stay in for our meals every day - and night- except for two.
Mohamed is very happy to arrange any activities for his guests and we had two amazing dive trips and also a morning spent swimming with wild dolphins.One of us became addicted to a daily massage which was fab and of course all from Mahammed's excellent satff.
Jambiani is a lovely village and a lot of local activity takes place on the beach so its great for people watching and learning something of village life. Everyone is very friendly and helpful.
I think we all had a very safe and comfortable stay here - perfect after time in the bush and the bustle of Stonetown.

Zanzibar is a vibrant interesting island, the people welcoming, and the location of Kipepeo Lodge is stunning. Jambiani must have one of the most beautiful beaches, with its silvery sand, turquoise water and palm trees, and its peaceful unspoilt fishing village of thatched houses. Kipepeo Lodge was one of the most attractive with its wonderful high roof, pretty garden, swimming pool and perfect location overlooking the sea. It was all so very quiet, unspoilt and peaceful and a joy to go to sleep listening to the waves on the sand.

The staff were all charming, friendly and efficient; the garden and pool were always immaculate and well tended. The cleaners were thorough and unobtrusive. Mohammed and his chefs prepared and served us delicious food, and Hassan drove us whenever and wherever we needed on our trips around the island.

We appreciated having plenty of hot water every day, mosquito nets at night and the free computer with internet to keep in touch with the outside world.

But I regret to have to say it was not all perfect. When we were in Kenya we stayed in a tented camp, where the outside was a simple canvas tent, but the inside was unexpectedly comfortable. Sadly we all felt that Kipepeo Lodge was the opposite. The location, external appearance, pool and garden were truly wonderful, but apart from the architecture of the internal roof space, the rest of the interior was a bit of a disappointment.

The inside decoration was attractive in a simple beach house style, but did not seem to have then very well thought out and was not very practical to use. It was poorly lit, there were no lights by the beds and no drawers or cupboards in which to put clothes away.

The bed frames looked beautiful, but were actually very uncomfortable as the mattresses were cheap, unsupportive foam, with nylon covers, over which the very frayed and pilled sheets slipped and slid around all night. The pillows were also polyester and all very lumpy. Additionally although we had maid-service everyday, the sheets were not changed once during our week stay.

The website specifies bathrooms, but there were no baths, only showers, most of which had ill-fitted shower heads which only directed the water out of the shower, under an inadequately short curtain and onto the floor. The basins had no plugs, and some were badly cracked. We were not expecting luxury, but the shower rooms could not even be called practical.

We experienced power cuts almost every evening, which were of course beyond anyone’s control, and the generator was much appreciated, yet this had to be turned off every night at 10pm to save fuel, so we all had to go to bed early, with only one candle per room. And therefore we were hot and sticky without the ceiling fan to keep us cool.

While it was lovely to sit on the shady veranda to eat, or lounge on the sunbeds during the day, the house had no comfortable sofas or chairs anywhere. Yet the huge central hall space was empty apart the computer table and three large pots containing dead plants. It would have been the perfect location for some beautiful Zanzibari seating to enjoy during the heat of the day or in the evening.

My apologies if this sounds churlish and picky. We had a lovely stay and enjoyed the location enormously, and with a bit more attention to the comfort inside the house this would be a 5* accommodation. I would certainly recommend it, but with resrvations.