Nungwi Holidays

Nungwi’s perched on the fence that separates old and new. It’s set at Zanzibar’s most northerly point, and cut its teeth as a fishing village before cottoning on to tourist demand. That said, it’s no urban metropolis. Traditional wooden boats still cast off from the waterfront to raid the Indian Ocean’s supply of fish, while swanky hotels watch on from prime plots along the shoreline. It’s also home to one of the island’s oldest buildings – the century-old Ras Nungwi Lighthouse – which rises up above the greenery.

This place is Zanzibar’s second biggest settlement after Stone Town, and has a beach that’s worthy of a podium finish, too. Lots of the island’s sandy sweeps have quickly changing tides, but Nungwi’s tip-of-the-island location means the crystal-clear waters are the calmest around. A belt of caster sugar-coloured sand’s ideal for sunbathing, and there’s a conservation place on the shorefront that rescues turtles and releases them back into the ocean. Look a little further along the coastline, and lively Kendwa Beach comes into focus. And daytrips along the east coast bring the powdery shorelines of Kiwengwa and Matembwe into play.

Fishing’s a way of life in Nungwi – some of the best wooden dhow boats in East Africa are built here, and you’ll see them resting on the sand between trips out to sea. And as you’re settling in for an evening drink, droves of local fisherman cast off into the night for deep sea fishing trips. If catching fish isn’t for you, there are dive schools along the waterfront that help you get close to them below the waves instead. Hop on a boat, and you can explore the underwater scenery at the Mnemba Atoll, off the east coast, or the sleepy island of Tumbatu on the west side.