The Cristal Resort has got a nice beach and the overall setting is beautiful. I stayed in two different ECO lodges during my week there. ECO lodge no. 8 (very nice sea view) was ok for the low season price of USD 40 (single, B&B) but I don't think it is good value for money in the high season. The other lodge was a bit run down and I would have not wanted to stay there for another night. I strongly recommend to check out the lodge you are given before moving in. The main problem though and the reason why I would not recommend the Cristal Resort was the food. It was well below average and definitely not worth the money. Maybe I just picked a bad week with the regular chef being on leave but it was really rather disappointing.

My husband and I stayed 5 nights at Cristal Resort and enjoyed it very much. We enjoyed the long walks on the beach, and the swims in the sea and the swimming pool. The Beach Rooms with AC are really nice, and very pleasant to rest after a walk in the heath. We had Half Board (HB), which we would really recommend, and especially loved the 3 course dinners. If you are looking for a place where you can rest, relax, recreate and reflect Cristal Resort is the place to be!

Zanzibar was great there was a few things you may be interested to know.

First 2 days no water or electricity then it became an intermittent problem but we survived.

Personally i loved the stretch of beach and the tours.

We wouldnt recommend the "cristal resort" this was due to water issues and ellectricity plus the fact the the advertised the sea food platter every day and we tried ordering it 4 nights in a row and they never had it available. Was always missing Crab and lobster. they made no effort to get these to items.

Coctails were served in beer glassed and I needed to tell the staff which glass to put red and white wine...

We have just returned from a 12 night stay at the Cristal.
We stayed in one of the Eco bungalows which are situated right on the beach and definitely made the right decision as opposed to the deluxe.
The place has a very casual, pole-pole (slowly-slowly) atmosphere.
The staff were very friendly & accommodating.
Paje beach which the resort is situated on is beautiful and goes on for miles, so ideal for long walks and stumbling on village life & the beautiful Masai's who sell there wares along the beach. Be sure to buy from them and support these natives of Tanzania.
If you are looking for a glitzy resort with non-stop entertainment this is not the place for you.
If you want peace and quiet in a comfortable and idyllic environment and to experience the real Zanzibar this will be the perfect place.
We recommend going out on the wooden boats to the reef for snorkelling, this also helps support the locals.
A highly recommended retreat that is quiet and simple.