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Muyuni is Zanzibar’s most unusual beach destination. Because it lies opposite the Mnemba Atoll, a popular diving and snorkeling site, it is one of the few Zanzibari beaches to receive more day visitors than overnight guests.
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The main beach here is wide, sandy and very beautiful, and a great spot for swimming or sunbathing, especially at high tide. However, for most visitors, Muyuni is of interest primarily as the launch site for boat trips to Mnemba.-
Size
- ± 2km / 1.2mi long
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Best Time To Go
- January, February and June to October
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Crowds
- Busy in the middle of the day but not overnight
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Sleeping
- A few upmarket hotels line the beach
Pros & Cons
- Beautiful sandy beach
- Good swimming at high tide
- Directly opposite Mnemba Atoll, Zanzibar’s top dive and snorkel site
- Quiet in the early morning and late afternoon
- Good for diving and snorkeling excursions
- Lots of touts and vendors
- Swimming not always possible at low tide
- Very busy with day-trippers in the middle of the day
The Beach
Muyuni’s main beach is an alluring stretch of white sand and turquoise water lined with umbrella-shaded sun loungers and young palm trees. Like most beaches on Zanzibar, it is quite tidal and best for swimming when
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the water is high. A striking feature of this beach is the view across to forested Mnemba Island, less than 3km/2mi offshore. Because Muyuni mostly attracts day-trippers, it tends to be busy from midmorning to midafternoon, but is much quieter at other times.Where most other beach resorts on Zanzibar grew organically around existing fishing villages, Muyuni was practically uninhabited prior to 2020, when the opening of a nippy new road transformed it into the main springboard for boat trips to Mnemba. Consequently, what used to be a quiet and little-visited seaside haven has now exploded into a rather commercialized and artificial-feeling (but also very lively) modern resort village. This is most noticeable on the main road down to the beach, which bustles with stalls and kiosks offering everything from handicrafts, fabrics and local food to henna painting, hair braiding and massages.Sleeping
Until a few years back, there was nowhere to stay at Muyuni, and even today it is most often visited as part of a day excursion to Mnemba. However, there are now several hotels at Muyuni,
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most notably the Mora Zanzibar, a modern five-star package resort that has 250 suites and dominates the main beach. Muyuni is also the crossing point to &Beyond Mnemba Island, a prestigious and exclusive barefoot luxury lodge that accommodates a maximum of 26 guests. There are no budget lodgings at Muyuni.Eating & Drinking
If you’re staying at one of the lodges mentioned above, it will most likely be on an all-inclusive basis, and you will eat all your meals there. If you visit Muyuni on an organized diving or
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snorkeling trip to Mnemba, it will probably include a lunchtime seafood barbecue on the beach. For other day-trippers, plenty of small local restaurants and food stalls line the last 500m/1,640ft of the main road to Muyuni, and most are very affordable. Local beers such as Kilimanjaro and Safari are widely available, as are South African wines.Things To Do at Muyuni
There’s a wonderful swimming beach at Muyuni, and because it’s hemmed in by the Mnemba Atoll, the water is usually very warm and calm. Swimming is best at high tide. For sunbathers, the beach here is
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lined with deck chairs and sun loungers that can be hired for the day.For most visitors to Muyuni, however, the main objective is a boat trip to snorkel or dive on the Mnemba Atoll, which is renowned for its stunning coral formations and diverse marine life. These excursions can be arranged in advance inclusive of transport from your hotel, but if you opt to self-drive or catch public transport to Muyuni, they can also be organized on the spot.Nearby Things To Do
Plenty of worthwhile day excursions are available to people staying at Muyuni. The most popular activity is diving or snorkeling on the nearby Mnemba Atoll, which is also a good place to look for large marine
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creatures such as dolphins, turtles and (seasonally) .Another recommended outing is a guided Stone Town tour. Here, you will explore a labyrinth of alleys lined with architectural relics of a time when Zanzibar was the hub of an international trade network that connected the facing African mainland to Arabia, Asia and Europe.Other worthwhile destinations for day trips out of Muyuni include Jozani Forest and its monkeys, the old spice plantations around the village of Kizimbani, and the underrated Kiwengwa Caves near the coastal settlement of the same name.How To Get to Muyuni
Muyuni is situated on Zanzibar’s northeastern coast, directly opposite Mnemba Island. It is usually visited on an all-inclusive Mnemba diving or snorkeling day tour from a hotel or resort elsewhere on the island. Coming from Stone