SPECIAL THANKS TO EXPERT AFRICA.
Popular as a post-safari choice, a Zanzibar holiday can also be a great stand-alone escape. The island offers an exceptional diversity of accommodation, from simple beach lodges and small boutique hotels to all-inclusive beach resorts and even the odd luxury hotel.
For those in search of a remote island getaway, Tanzania has two other gems: Mafia Island, a long-time favourite of diving aficionados, and the newly accessible hideaway of Fanjove.
For a brief summary of Zanzibar’s regions and the differences between them, see our page on the different areas of Zanzibar.
Although Zanzibar receives a trickle of holiday visitors all year round, most come between June and February, outside of the main rainy season, when Zanzibar’s weather is at its best. This can link in perfectly with a safari in Tanzania, which shares the same weather pattern.
Zanzibar beach holidays
Two or three hours’ drive from Stone Town, the village of Nungwi marks the northernmost tip of Zanzibar. Surrounded on three sides by turquoise-blue ocean, Nungwi has long been a magnet for visitors seeking paradise. Come for some good diving and beaches, and proximity to a lively village where there's always a lot going on.
Zanzibar’s east coast is lined with long, powder-white beaches. To the north, numerous small resorts boast similar beaches, yet all are quite different. Offshore you're find the magical Mnemba Island – the ultimate island lodge for those who can afford it!
Continuing along Zanzibar’s south-east coast, the beaches remain stunning: powder-white sand with a barrier reef, lots of palm trees and a significant tidal range. The villages become a little sleepier and more relaxed as you head south, and Jambiani, in particular, is very relaxed indeed: for an authentic visit to a friendly village, you can't beat it.
In south-west Zanzibar, the Fumba Peninsula is a very laid-back and friendly corner of the island, with two good lodges, while offshore is the award-winning eco-resort on Chumbe Island.
A 30-minute flight north-east of Zanzibar Island, Pemba Island is comparable in size, but far more traditional in outlook, and tourist numbers here are tiny. Apart from a handful of honeymooners, most come for the diving, which can be excellent – although it’s really best suited to advanced divers.
Equally magical, although not part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, is the Mafia Archipelago. More remote, and quieter, than many places on Zanzibar, Mafia Island offers some superb diving and snorkelling in its own marine park, served by just a few small lodges. And new on the Tanzania beach holiday scene is Fanjove Island, an ideal spot to wind down after a safari in southern Tanzania.
What to expect on a Zanzibar beach holiday
Sun, sea and sand: a Zanzibar beach holiday offers these in abundance. Zanzibar’s beaches differ, but almost all feature crystal-clear waters lapping at the edge of powdery-white sand that trickles through the toes. Be aware, though, that many beaches have large tidal ranges; at many, especially on Zanzibar’s east coast, swimming is possible only when the tide is in.
Zanzibar offers some excellent snorkelling, and world-class diving – which is centred around Mnemba Atoll to the north-west, and the Menai Bay Conservation Area, to the island’s south-west. But even if you’re not a water baby, the chance to view the coastline from a traditional wooden dhow is not to be missed.
The team at Expert Africa has visited almost every one of the 250 or so places to stay in Zanzibar to bring you a selection of the best. Some offer exclusivity – at a price; others are all-inclusive beach resorts; still others are big international beach hotels. Most of Zanzibar’s best places to stay, however, are beach lodges.
International-style beach hotels are far from the norm in Zanzibar, and those that there are often miss the point: lacking any sense of place, they could be anywhere. And, to be rather blunt, service standards on Zanzibar can be good in a laid-back way, but they don’t currently get near to the levels of service that most people would expect from a top international resort in, say, the south of France or the Caribbean.
While a beach holiday in Zanzibar is the ultimate appeal for many travellers, many are attracted by the island’s rich culture – and for them Stone Town usually becomes a big attraction. A labyrinth of narrow alleys complete with palaces, mosques, and tiny shops, Stone Town is noisy, busy and not very clean, but it has a vibrant, exotic atmosphere that can be enticing. Spend a night or two at one of the beautiful converted merchant's houses, and look forward to eating out – perhaps at the end of a trip, before your return morning flight from Dar es Salaam to London.
Zanzibar offers some excellent snorkelling, and world-class diving – which is centred around Mnemba Atoll to the north-west, and the Menai Bay Conservation Area, to the island’s south-west. But even if you’re not a water baby, the chance to view the coastline from a traditional wooden dhow is not to be missed.
The team at Expert Africa has visited almost every one of the 250 or so places to stay in Zanzibar to bring you a selection of the best. Some offer exclusivity – at a price; others are all-inclusive beach resorts; still others are big international beach hotels. Most of Zanzibar’s best places to stay, however, are beach lodges.
Zanzibar beach hotels
Beach lodges on Zanzibar
Far from the super-slick style of international hotels found all over the Caribbean, many Zanzibar beach lodges have more in common with a good African safari lodge. Typically you can expect attractive beaches and a laid-back atmosphere, while at the top of the range are some smaller and more intimate beach lodges that have a boutique feel. Most of our suggestions in Zanzibar are along these lines, and to find them start looking along the east coast, on theMichamvi Peninsula and in south-west Zanzibar.Zanzibar beach resorts
Good-quality, larger beach ‘resorts’ which suit our travellers in Zanzibar are few, notably including Breezes and Blue Bay Beach Resort – both of which can offer very good value to families and often honeymooners on a budget.Other holidays on Zanzibar
Zanzibar in context
Visitors to Zanzibar's beaches are nothing new; they've been coming for over 2,000 years. The monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean enabled trade between Zanzibar, Arabia, Persia, mainland Africa and India, leaving the archipelago with a long history and a rich cultural mix. Today, the majority of Zanzibaris are Muslims, the evocative cry of the muezzin calling people to prayer bound up with the daily cacophony of sounds in Zanzibar Stone Town.
While Zanzibar Island’s traditional callings of fishing and farming are now heavily supplemented by tourism, Pemba’s economy remains largely rural and agricultural, with a people who are generally more conservative in their approach. And to the south, on Mafia Island, most of the islanders still depend on fishing for their livelihood.
While Zanzibar Island’s traditional callings of fishing and farming are now heavily supplemented by tourism, Pemba’s economy remains largely rural and agricultural, with a people who are generally more conservative in their approach. And to the south, on Mafia Island, most of the islanders still depend on fishing for their livelihood.