Pongwe Beach Hotel is a great little get away about an hours drive from the Zanzibar airport. Small, casual, and nicely priced, it's the perfect place to unwind after a busy safari schedule.

Located right on the Indian Ocean it features a pristine white sand beach and 13 simple, yet stylish, beach front rooms and 3 garden view rooms. The beach is long and wide at low tide and even at high tide you can enjoy lazing in a hammock or going for a swim in the temperate waters of the ocean or the newly constructed pool.

For an additional fee you can snorkel, sail on a ngalawa (local dhow), bike ride or kayak. If you are into game fishing do yourself a favor and book an outing with Captain Ali, the assistant manager and fishing impresario. When we were last there he shared photos of his largest catch - a 200 lb. marlin.