Beach destination · Zanzibar North

Zanzibar — North

On Zanzibar's northern tip, the Indian Ocean keeps its promise all day long.

Recommended nights

4 nights

Best months

Jan, Feb, Jun +5

Access

Drive access only

About

About Zanzibar — North.

On Zanzibar's northern tip, the Indian Ocean keeps its promise all day long. Unlike the tidal east, the water at Nungwi and Kendwa stays deep and swimmable whatever the moon is doing — you walk off powder-soft sand straight into warm, glass-clear turquoise, morning or afternoon, no timetable required. It is the most forgiving stretch of coast on the island, and the easiest to fall for. Nungwi still moves to an older rhythm: master builders shape ocean-going dhows by hand on the beach, fishermen mend their nets in the shade of the palms, and a turtle sanctuary set in a natural tidal lagoon lets you swim alongside rescued green turtles. A few minutes south, Kendwa is quieter and more polished — a crescent of white sand famous for the way the sun sinks straight into the sea, turning the whole bay copper and rose. This is the coast we send first-time visitors, honeymooners who simply want to swim, and families who want the children safe in the shallows. Calm, generous and unhurried, it is Zanzibar at its most effortless.

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