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.

I came to Kipepeo in February expecting a holiday in paradise, and Kipepeo Lodge gave me that and so much more! The local staff were extremely friendly and helpful, making me feel most welcome and at ease. The food was great, authentically Zanzibarian, and the surrounding location was spectacular. A great aspect about it's location, Jambiani, is it is situated in an area that does not see an overboard amount of tourists, which gave me a much closer connection to the Zanzibarian culture and gave me the feeling of owning my own private beach some days as I took peaceful evening strolls down it's beautiful shores. I highly recommend Kipepeo Lodge to anyone keen on experiencing a holiday in heaven!

What a fantastic spot, the best of all that we saw including all the fancy 5 star lodges. Staff are friendly & helpfull & go out of there way to assist. Their cooking skills are nothing short of amazing, & they turn anything into a magical meal. Kipepeo is a perfect place from where you can do it all, Stone Town, Spice Tours, Jozini Forest, Kizimkazi Dolphins, Fishing, Blue Safari, all an easy drive from the Lodge. Locals are all incredibly friendly & Jambiani Town is charming - do some shopping there you'll be surprised how much is there. You must try Kims Restaurant, every thing on the menu is amazing, after 3 visits, we could still go back for more. Lodge is clean & comfortable - beds are huge & comfy & bathrooms are 5 star. Very high thatch roof helps in keeping the place cool. Beach is stunning & great for swimming. I would recommend this to anyone for a fantastic holiday.

A wonderful retreat away from it all. Great relaxing atmosphere and wonderful local flavour make this one of the best African lodges on the beach I have ever stayed at. The view from the terrace in the morning and the good food make this an enchanting place where to wake-up and have breakfast, set a wedding event or just relax and soak it all up.