Rating8.4
Rating8.0
Rating8.1Adults OnlyVery Good
Based on 4.2k reviews
Exceptional Staff & Service
Guests consistently laud the friendly, attentive, and excellent service provided by the hotel staff, making their stay highly enjoyable.
Stunning Beachfront Location
The resort's direct access to Nungwi Beach with its beautiful white sands and clear, year-round swimmable waters is a major highlight and deeply cherished by visitors.
High Cleanliness Standards
The cleanliness of the entire resort, from rooms to common areas, receives strong positive remarks, contributing to a comfortable stay.
Diverse Food & Beverage
The variety and quality of food, particularly the main buffet, and the abundance of drinks included in the 24-hour all-inclusive package are frequently praised.
Included Activities & Entertainment
Guests appreciate the wide array of complimentary activities, water sports, and the vibrant daily and nightly entertainment programs catering to all ages.
Dining Consistency in Specialty Restaurants
While the main buffet is excellent, some guests found the food quality in specialty restaurants, especially the Italian one, to be inconsistent and not always meet 4-star expectations.
Presence of Cats
The occasional presence of cats in dining areas is a recurring concern for some guests, who view it as unhygienic or bothersome.
Minor Operational Glitches
Guests have reported occasional issues like slow WiFi and sluggish elevators, and minor hassles at check-in regarding specific room requests not being guaranteed.
Aggregate score derived from public review platforms. Category scores reflect our editorial assessment based on analysis of guest reviews. ResortFlock is not affiliated with or endorsed by any review platform.
TUI Top 100 Hotels
2024
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HolidayCheck Recommended
2023
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Booking Traveller Review Awards
2023
Booking.com
TUI Top Quality
2022
TUI
Nungwi's position at the northern tip of Zanzibar is the single most important factor in choosing this resort. Most of Zanzibar's eastern beaches experience tidal exposure that renders the water shallow and non-swimmable for hours twice a day. Nungwi's northern location avoids this — the water is swimmable and stays swimmable, which makes a concrete practical difference in what you can do with each day. Riu Jambo is the main Riu property in this area, and the location is its primary selling point over Riu's other East African properties.
Opened in June 2022, this is one of the newer properties in Riu's portfolio. The construction is relatively fresh, the rooms reflect current standards, and there's no accumulated wear to concern guests. The Maisha restaurant's Swahili-influenced menu is the most locally distinctive dining option — a sensible choice for a first or second night when guests want some sense of the destination rather than Italian or Asian fare.
The honest issues: cats are a recurring and consistent complaint in guest reviews. They appear in dining areas — the outdoor Rafiki restaurant in particular — and are not a rumor or isolated incident. If dining with cats nearby is a problem, choose indoor restaurants. The over-water Italian restaurant Il Panzotto gets mixed food quality reviews despite its striking location. The setting is the point of Il Panzotto more than the food — good for the experience, not necessarily for the best meal of the trip.
Practically: 461 rooms, about 60–66 km from Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) — roughly a 75-minute transfer. Tanzanian law requires inbound travel insurance to be paid on arrival; this is a genuine practical point, not a hotel policy. The 24-hour all-inclusive covers all nine dining and bar options. Five pool areas including an adults-only swim-up bar pool.
