Nungwi is the northernmost and in my opinion one of the best resorts in the whole of Zanzibar.

The town offers the greatest shopping opportunities, great resorts, but also cheap small hotels. You'll experience truly local life in the slums (but safe), several animal farms and a huge range of excursions or water sports.

What I liked about Nungwi:

• Beautiful beaches where you can swim even at low tide
• lively town with shops and street food
• natural aquariums with turtles
• cheap and good quality hotels

Nungwi is adjacent to Kendwa, Zanzibar's most luxurious resort.

Great beaches in Nungwi

Nungwi's clear advantage is its diverse beaches, which are also not as affected by the tides as they are in east coast resorts such as Jambiani, Paje and Kiwengwa.

Like everywhere else in Zanzibar, the beaches are covered with very fine white sand, which is great to walk on.

At the northern end of Nungwi near the lighthouse is the spacious Maisha Beach.

Towards the south, the beaches are a bit narrower, but more photogenic, as they are sometimes lined with low, about 5m high cliffs.

Although the beaches are surrounded by hotel resorts, they are all free and open to all.

In the evenings, Nungwi's beaches come alive with locals playing football and tourists going for walks.

Beach facilities and services

There are no public beach chairs and umbrella rentals in Nungwi (or almost anywhere else in Zanzibar).

However, there are plenty of excursions, boat trips and jet ski rides on offer, and Nungwi is one of the best resorts in Zanzibar in this respect.

Sunsets and sunrises

Because Nungwi is located at the northernmost point of Zanzibar, it is the only place where you can watch breathtaking sunrises and sunsets on the beaches.

The resort is therefore a great place for early birds and night owls.

Natural aquariums with turtles and a zoo

Aside from the beaches, the natural aquariums with giant tortoises and a small zoo with monkeys are also big draws in Nungwi. You can find these elsewhere in Zanzibar (for example, in the very south in Kizimkazi).

Both aquariums and zoo are located right next to each other in the eastern part of Nungwi:

• Mnarani Marine Turtles Conservation - the largest natural aquarium with turtles
• Baraka Natural Aquarium - a smaller pond with turtles
• Kilosa Zoo - a small zoo with monkeys and other animals

It will take you around 30 minutes to visit each attraction.

The turtle sanctuary prides itself on helping the giant tortoises, but they also allow tourists to swim with the turtles, which I don't find entirely ethical, especially when large crowds pile into the pond.

Prices for entry are around 25 000 tzs and can only be paid in cash in Tanzanian shillings or the equivalent in US dollars or euros.

Expect the guide to always ask for a small tip.

Get to know local life in the centre of Nungwi

While Nungwi's coastline is surrounded by tourist hotels, the rest of the town looks very poor and, in places, run-down.

The low concrete houses are a bit slum-like, but of all the towns in Zanzibar, Nungwi is one of the more affluent and very safe.

The main street contains dozens of souvenir shops, as well as local minimarkets and stalls selling cheap street food.

Holidays with a tour operator - the best hotels

Nungwi has several hotels that are mainly used by tour operators and travel agencies from Europe.

Nungwi holidays are great for those who love nice beaches accessible all day and at low tide, a lively resort and a wide range of excursions.

We recommend checking out tours to these hotels:

• Smiles Beach **** - average hotel with frequent discount promotions ideal for those looking for a good price
  • Tip: I stayed in this hotel and wrote an honest review with a photo gallery
• Nungwi Beach Resort By Turaco **** - great compromise between good price and quality right by the beach
• Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort ***** - the most luxurious resort in the south of Nungwi where you can enjoy your holiday without compromise

Even better and more luxurious resorts can be found in the neighbouring resort of Kendwa.

The best hotels on booking.com

Nungwi is also a good choice if you're travelling around Zanzibar on your own.

You'll find several cheap apartments here with prices starting from 40 usd per night.

We would recommend these cheap hotels:

• Jawda - one of the cheapest well rated guesthouses near the turtle aquariums and about 250 meters from the beach
• Papaya Guest House - a very cheap and clean hotel in the tourist area of Nungwi about 300 metres from the beach

If you are looking for classic hotels right by the beach, then we recommend these accommodations:

• Zenobia Beach Resort **** - a good hotel with an absolutely great location right on the beach with a restaurant on wooden stilts above the sea
• Aluna Beach Apartments **** - well rated apartments right by Maisha beach

How to get there

If you are travelling to Nungwi as part of a package holiday through a travel agent, you will be taken directly to the hotel from the airport by free bus. The journey usually takes between 1.5 and 2 hours depending on traffic.

If you will be travelling around Zanzibar by public transport (dala-dala buses), you will use this line to get to Nungwi:

• 116 - direction Stone Town, Kendwa (only main road about 1,5 km from the beach), Mkokotoni, Bububu

Line 116 runs very frequently, on average once every 5-15 minutes, but the buses are often extremely crowded!

Taxis or tuk-tuks are also commonly available in the centre of Nungwi. Take inspiration from our experiences travelling around Zanzibar:

• All about renting a car
• How to travel by taxis and public transport

What to see around

Discover all the places to see in Zanzibar.