What a lovely place to stay! We were 3 couples ending our 9 day safari with a 6 night stay in Zanzibar to rest and refresh, and had an absolutely wonderful experience. Let me start by saying that the owner, Raphael, answered all of my many questions promptly and had good advice for our arrival. Our plane in to Zanzibar was delayed by several hours and although communication was difficult, he was able to respond to a late e-mail. A couple of minor issues within the facility were resolved by the staff within a few hours. As an owner on VRBO also, I can truly appreciate his responsiveness and communication skills.
Mwendawima Villa is a beautiful place to stay, but what is most exceptional about it is the staff. Hatibu, the manager, greeted us at the airport, and even though we had a car rental, he conveyed one couple and some baggage to the villa promptly. I would not have wanted to negotiate it myself after dark. He had many good pieces of advice for us and met frequently throughout our stay to make sure that everything was perfect for us. Next came Chef Mohammed and his crew. Chef has to be the best on the island as his meals were just outstanding. One would be silly to drive out to an expensive restaurant and miss any of Mohammed's creations. We had lobster two nights by request. Two of our group grew up in Maine and one went every summer as a child and all three agreed his lobster was sweeter than Maine lobster. Every other creation was merely fabulous. One other thing about Mohammed...he is well-known on the beach. When you are being bothered by "Captain" Louis or whomever...just mention that you will check with Mohammed and they tend to disappear. And if you are encouraged to do so, you can bet Mohammed will vouch for that person. Then there were Saidi, Nasra, and Nihifadhi who waited on us, cleaned up after us, and were always smiling, pleasant, and patient. They all are indelibly pressed into our memory banks. We would hope to return someday, just to be with them again!
One last thing...tips are important to these folks. They earned every shilling that we gave them. If you can go to Mwendawima Villa, and I recommend it highly, be generous.