If my title was not clear enough, let me say it again: do not even think renting this property no matter how inviting the pictures or the owner's descriptions are.
We stayed here in July 2022 for a little under 10hrs (out of a 4 days booking) and did not know how to get out faster (we arrived late and could not find anything that evening).
Where do I start (bullet points follow)?
- there is no glass in the windows, which means if it rains or wild life wants to get in, there is nothing to stop it
- speaking of wild life, there were lizards inside the house at all times we were there. Now, I do not mind lizards in an environment like this, but for the price the owner charges I do not want them everywhere in the house
- speaking of rain, the walls look like the have mold on them. With no windows and a lot of rain I would not be surprised that mold grows on the walls.
- although it was advertised as access to the entire "villa", the "villa" was not finished! The ground floor was used as storage room for different building materials and there were no banisters on the stairs. Imagine walking on those stairs 2 floors up, in the rain (slippery) with no banisters and exposure to the outside court...I am sure no one would enjoy a fall from that height.
- furniture and the overall room furnishings look old and overused
- the location is awful! It is right behind a village (the bedroom window faces the village and not the ocean as advertised) and all the burning and noise that they make seeps into the whole "villa". It takes a lot of time to arrive from the airport and the trip is just not worth it.
- there is no privacy! There are 3 villas extremely close to each other (can see in each others rooms) and another 3 "living quarters" in front of those villas. There is nowhere to go!
- you cannot swim in the water. With very few exceptions the beaches in Zanzibar are not for swimming or just playing in the water and this one is no exception. This is not the owner's fault (as opposed to everything else about this "villa"), but is a fair warning if you think you will swim there.
Oh, if you still think you can book this and if you do not like it (i.e. it is still exactly as I have described) VRBO will refund your money under their so called "guarantee", think again and use another platform!!! I had to take them to court and win and it took 6 months to get my money back.
Just find another platform and place to spend your hard earned money.
