Destination guide · Coast & islands
Nungwi & Kendwa
4.7· 440 traveller reviews
Why come
What Nungwi & Kendwa is known for
Swimmable at any tide
The one stretch of Zanzibar where the sea does not retreat a kilometre.
Dhow builders
Still working the beach at Nungwi, by hand, as they have for generations.
Sunsets
The northern tip faces west, which is the whole reason this coast is busy.
The northern tip, and the one stretch of Zanzibar that swims at every state of the tide — which is why it carries most of the island's resorts and all of its sunsets. Busier and livelier than the east, with dhow builders still working the beach at Nungwi.
Best time: June to October for dry, breezy days; November to March for the calmest water. How long: three or four nights as a safari finish.
Where it fits
Journeys that visit Nungwi & Kendwa
Zanzibar Beach Unwind
The exhale after the adventure — white sand, warm water, and the scent of cloves.
Bush & Beach: Northern Circuit and Zanzibar
Ten days — the northern parks first, then the coast, because game drives start before dawn and you should fly home rested.
Shape a journey around Nungwi & Kendwa
Tell us roughly when you can travel and what you most want to see. A real person in Arusha will reply, usually within a day.