About the destination
The Spice Island's beaches — Nungwi and Kendwa in the north, Paje and Jambiani in the east — combine powder-soft sand, swaying palms, warm Indian Ocean swimming and coral reefs an hour's snorkel from shore.
Why visit
The perfect 'bush-to-beach' recovery after safari or Kilimanjaro. Boutique B&Bs from $50 to luxury resorts at $1,000+ a night. Direct daily flights from Arusha (1 hour).
Wildlife & landscape
- Bottlenose & humpback dolphins (Kizimkazi)
- Green & hawksbill turtles (Mnemba reef)
- Whale shark (Sep–Feb)
- Red colobus monkey in Jozani Forest
Things to do here
Safari Blue Dhow Day
Snorkelling, sandbank seafood lunch, mangrove lagoon — Zanzibar's best day out.
Nungwi Sunset Dhow
Cocktails on a traditional Swahili sailing boat as the sun drops into the ocean.
Mnemba Atoll Snorkel
Some of the clearest reef water in East Africa.
Top highlights
Nungwi Beach
Safari Blue dhow
Kite surfing at Paje
Sunset sails
