We spent six nights at the Old Boma, a beautifully restored German (and later British) colonial centre in Mikindani.

Mikindani is a beatuful and unspoiled coastal fishing/farming town, largely comprising thatched mud houses and a few old colonial buildings (some of which are now ruins). A short stroll through the centre will elicit dozens of greetings from the local people, so I'd recommend practicing a few Swahili words if you don't speak the language. It is extremely rare to see a white face around, apart from the odd NGO worker.

The Boma is a charming and delightful place. It tends to change managers fairly frequently but when we visited (June 07) it was being run by a Portugese who ensures the buildings and gardens are kept in an immaculate condition, despite needing constant maintenance. There is even a full-time employee who does nothing but repaint walls, so paint and plaster are no longer in a state of decay (as mentioned in another review).

Apart from the manager, the hotel is staffed almost entirely by local people. Food and service are good, but don't come expecting five-star treatment. Most of the staff have barely been outside the village and have little idea what a Western-style hotel or restauant is like, but they all try incredibly hard and the result is charming if a little idiosyncratic. The menu is fairly Western and features plenty of local fish and seafood (as well as bread and butter pudding!).

Rooms are spacious and pleasant with comfortable beds and simple concrete floors. There are lots of balconies and terraces where you can have afternoon tea (watch out for the doughnuts) and watch the sun set over the bay. Budget around £15 per day for lunch and dinner.

There are some lovely walks direct from the Boma but take a pair of stout boots if you want to explore as there are a few snakes around. You can swim in Mikindani bay but there isn't a beach as such - the best option is to take the Boma's excursion to Msimbati where there is miles of deserted sand. We didn't dive, but went out for some superb snorkelling with eco2 who are based five minutes' walk from the Boma.

Profits from the Boma go to local educational and micro-finance projects in the village and the management of this charitable work seemed to us to be excellent.

Creating and running a place like this in such a challenging environment (in every possible sense) is a great achievement, both by the Trade Aid charity and the local people. We felt quite conscious of the slightly colonial-style ethics of living a comfortable existence in the midst of a fairly poor area, but there is consolation in the fact that the place provides employment for around 35 local people and profits go straight back into the local community.

We spent 3 nights in Mikindani at the Old Boma and loved it. The place has been amazingly restored and is now a charity run hotel through Trade Aid UK with the local community. It promotes creating educational and employment opportunities for the local community and assisting in the development of a sustainable tourist industry . The rooms are very spacious and clean with huge big beds. The food, all cooked from scratch, is also to die for and the accomodation is exceptional value. The staff are also great and they went out of there way to make us feel more than welcome. We even played a great game of cricket at the Mikindani Cricket Club that was unforgettable. The swimming and snorkelling is excellent and also very close by and there are a couple of places you get a cold drink or tasty meal close by. The best thing is the location is still relatively untouched by tourists by the busloads so its a great place to visit now.

We stayed at the Old Boma in summer 2005. Its run by a British NGO to a good standard. The hotel is set within a 19 thcentury German Administration Post. The rooms have very high ceiling and you have a pool to keep cool in. Some of the plaster is coming away here and there so don't expect a sterile 5 star experience.

The best thing is that you are situated in the middle of the local village which makes the experience so unique. You can see and hear people going about their daily lives, you can wonder around the village without hassle and sit on the key side and watch the sun set.

I'd recommend going diving or snorkling with ECO2, run by an English guy in the same village. Stunning reefs and islands to visit.

I lived in Tanzani for over two years and this was one of our favourite places.