Travel Guide Nungwi

Located 60 km from Stone Town, Nungwi is on the northern tip of Zanzibar, often criticized for its multitude of resorts and its built-up appearance. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most beautiful, with its breathtaking turquoise waters. It's true that the central beach is lined with restaurants on the water's edge, in some places on stilts clinging to the coral rocks, and above all it's overcrowded in high season. What's more, in 2022 the huge Riu Palace Hotel opened its doors. What's special here (as in nearby Kendwa) is that there's no coral, only sand, and the water is crystal-clear and transparent. At high or low tide, you can take a dip. You can sit for hours in the soft sand and warm water, just like in your own bath! The widest beaches are to be found to the south, north and center, where the coral rock sculpts different beaches, cut into each other at high tide, with different atmospheres and linked by paths more inland from the village. Nungwi center has nevertheless retained its authentic Zanzibari ambience. The traditional huts and small shops of this fishing village of 5,500 inhabitants, with its sandy lanes and palm trees, stand in stark contrast to the wealth of resorts that have sprung up here since the 1990s. Nungwi is also home to dhows, the famous local dhows. You'll see them bobbing along as the sun sets. They are moored by the lighthouse to the north, just opposite the village, a tourist-free sanctuary where women fish with nets at dusk among the dhows. We recommend visiting the village with a local guide. Few tourists do, yet it's fascinating and you can buy some of the beautiful basketry that the women weave on their doorsteps.Security, a word of warning. Robberies are possible as soon as you leave the last hotels, walking east along the beach at Ras Nungwi. Don't go any further than Warere Beach from the center. Everywhere else is safe. Make sure you keep your phone in a closed pocket when you're at the club - signs will remind you of this everywhere!