Situated on the southeast shore of the Michamvi Peninsula, the fishing village of Dongwe boasts one of Zanzibar’s most alluring beaches. The combination of soft white sand, swaying coconut palms and brilliant aquamarine water is aRead more visual treat, and the beach is great for swimming, sunbathing and barefoot walks. Like Michamvi Pingwe and Bwejuu, a few kilometers farther north and south respectively, this relatively quiet beach is lined with upmarket package and boutique resorts that seldom detract from its natural charms.For divers and snorkelers, an attractive feature of Dongwe is the offshore coral reef nicknamed the Blue Lagoon. Rivaling Mnemba as the top underwater site off the east coast of Zanzibar, this reef possibly offers less variety in terms of marine wildlife but it is generally much less busy with visitors. Several dive schools at Dongwe offer diving and snorkeling trips to the reef.
Size
± 3.5km/2.2mi long
The Beach
Long with white sand and plenty of palm trees
Crowds
Very quiet
Eating
Most restaurants are affiliated with one of the resorts
Sleeping
Upmarket and mid-range package and boutique resorts
Activities
Swimming; long walks; sunbathing; snorkeling; diving
Chapwani Island is a tranquil sliver of sand and tropical vegetation situated within eyeshot of Stone Town, 3km/1.9mi to the south. The tiny island is currently leased out as a private beach lodge, whose 10 roomsRead more offer a chilled and uncrowded ‘barefoot luxury’ experience. The main beach is great for swimming at high tide, and you can retreat to an infinity pool when the water recedes.Chapwani is also known as Grave Island. This is because it houses a cemetery for a group of British sailors killed by Arab slave traders in 1881, as well as 24 naval officers who died in World War I. Wildlife includes the cute and fearsome giant , as well as and colonies. Chapwani is a good base for sunset cruises, as well as snorkeling and diving excursions to nearby reefs.
Fuji, situated in the historic town of Bububu, is the closest proper swimming beach to Stone Town. An agreeable enough strip of sand lined by the usual tall palms, it offers scope for swimming, sunbathing andRead more snorkeling, and a few budget resorts face west to catch the sunset. Despite this, the urbanized feel means that Fuji Beach has never caught on as a spot for day excursions or as an overnight destination.A day outing to Fuji Beach can be combined with visits to several historic sites along the 8km/5mi coastline running north from Stone Town to Bububu. Foremost among these are the multiple-arched ruins of Mtoni Palace, which was built for Sultan Said of Oman in 1828. Maruhubi Palace was constructed in 1882 as a harem where Sultan Barghash reputedly kept around 100 concubines. The more modern Kibweni Palace, at the south end of Fuji Beach, now houses a museum.
Remarkably, unspoiled Mangapwani Beach, on the northwest coast of Zanzibar, remains almost totally undeveloped for tourism. Named after a nearby village, the beach here comprises a series of gorgeous sandy coves separated by vegetated outcrops ofRead more coral rock. An upmarket hotel in Stone Town used to maintain a popular restaurant at one of these coves, but that closed some years back, and tourists are now a rarity.Despite this, Mangapwani makes a great spot for a day trip from Stone Town. A few thatch huts offer shade, and swimming is usually pleasant in all tidal conditions, although you should be alert to the currents. There are two interesting sites nearby. Mangapwani Cave is a large coral cavern with a freshwater pool at its base, while the artificial Mangapwani Slave Chamber was used to hold captives shipped across from the mainland after slavery was abolished in 1873.
Once an important slave-trading port, Chwaka today is a sprawling fishing village lined with run-down colonial-era holiday villas. It lies on Chwaka Bay, the natural indentation that divides the northeast coast of Zanzibar from its southeasternRead more counterpart. Much of this large, shallow bay is fringed by swamps, which are protected in Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park but unsuited to conventional beach holidays.The sandy beach running north from Chwaka village hosts a handful of small resorts. One reason for this limited development is that the water is often dense with seaweed. If that doesn’t worry you, however, resorts here tend to be reasonably priced, the atmosphere is very uncommercialized, and the beach is ideal for long walks. In addition, most lodges offer transfers across the bay to the stunning beach at Michamvi Kae, and the central location is convenient for day excursions.
Pretty west-facing beach 12km/7.5mi from Stone Town
Chuini is one of the closest beach destinations to Stone Town. Despite this, the presence of a mere handful of scattered upmarket and mid-range resorts gives it a relatively off-the-beaten-track and uncommercialized feel. The beach atRead more Chuini is not continuous, but rather consists of several short sandy bays separated by low coral cliffs. It is also interrupted by a -lined creek overlooked by the ruined Chuini Palace, which was built in the 1880s by Sultan Barghash.As a working beach, Chuini isn’t ideal for swimming or sunbathing, but the resorts all have attractive swimming pools. It is fascinating to watch local fishers launch their traditional wooden boats from the beach, and to visit the fish-drying market at its southern end. This west-facing beach is perfect for watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean, and it is easy to arrange snorkeling or diving excursions to nearby reefs.
Size
± 2km/1.2mi long
The Beach
Characterful working beach lined with low-key resorts
Crowds
Few visitors but a fair amount of local activity
Eating
Most resorts accept walk-in diners
Sleeping
Resorts are generally upmarket or mid-range
Activities
Beach walks; swimming at the pool; boat excursions
Zanzibar’s least resorty beach retains a sleepy charm
Makunduchi, a town of two distinct parts, lies on the far southeast coast of Zanzibar, a short drive from the resort villages of Paje and Jambiani. The businesslike center of New Makunduchi, situated a couple ofRead more kilometers inland, is a large town by Zanzibari standards and of limited interest to tourists. Tiny Old Makunduchi, by contrast, has an attractive beachfront location and the sleepy old-world charm typical of a traditional fishing village.Unlike Paje and Jambiani, Makunduchi has never caught on as a beach destination. Overnight options are limited to a handful of small mid-range and budget resorts, and other amenities are somewhat lacking. Having said that, the beach is very pretty and good for swimming at high tide, dolphins sometimes come past, and it’s enjoyable to stroll south toward the century-old Ras Makunduchi Lighthouse while watching locals go about their business.
