The choice in one minute
| You want | Area to look at |
|---|---|
| To swim at any hour, evening outings | Nungwi, Kendwa |
| Kitesurfing, sporty atmosphere, varied budget | Paje |
| Calm, wide beach, villages | Jambiani, Bwejuu |
| All-inclusive resorts | Kiwengwa |
| Quiet and snorkelling at Mnemba | Matemwe |
| Visiting the town, markets and history | Stone Town |
Nungwi and Kendwa: the north for swimming all the time
The north is the simplest choice if you want to swim without watching the tide: swimming stays possible at almost any hour, which makes it the favourite area of families and couples. It also offers restaurants, diving and sunsets over the water. The downside: it is the busiest and most visited area, with many hotels and beach vendors. Allow about 1 h 10 to 1 h 15 by road from the airport. Read the Nungwi and Kendwa guide, and the page on Nungwi beach or Kendwa beach.
Paje, Jambiani and Bwejuu: the east coast, between wind and tide
The east coast belongs to kitesurfers and long white-sand beaches. But the sea goes out very far at low tide: you walk on sand and seaweed, and swimming is mostly at high tide. If you want to swim every day, check the tide times for your stay before booking. Paje is the liveliest (kitesurf schools, bars, restaurants); Jambiani and Bwejuu are calmer, with small hotels and villages. Allow about 1 hour from the airport for Paje. See Paje beach, Jambiani beach, kitesurfing in Paje and the Paje and Jambiani guide.
Kiwengwa and Matemwe: resorts or quiet
Kiwengwa, on the east coast, is known for its big all-inclusive resorts on a turquoise beach: practical if you want everything on site, less so if you want to go out. Matemwe, further north on the same coast, is quieter and is the starting point for snorkelling trips to Mnemba atoll. Both are also affected by tides. See Kiwengwa beach and Matemwe beach.
Stone Town: for the town, not the beach
Sleeping in Stone Town suits one to three nights: old houses turned into hotels, markets, restaurants and the Forodhani Gardens night market, all on foot. There is no real beach in town; trips to Prison Island and spice farms leave from here. Many travellers begin or end their stay with one or two nights in town, before or after the beaches. See Stone Town and Stone Town in one day.
How many nights in each area
For a week, a common split is two nights in Stone Town then five on a beach. For 10 days you can split north and east, but each change costs half a day on the road: do not multiply hotels. Road times from the airport found in October 2026: Stone Town 10 to 30 minutes, Paje about 1 hour, Nungwi about 1 h 10 to 1 h 15; between Stone Town and Nungwi, about 1 h 30. Details in from Zanzibar airport to your hotel. For full itineraries, see Zanzibar in 4 days and Zanzibar in 7 days.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Booking without checking the tide: on the east coast, a "beachfront" hotel can have the sea hundreds of metres away at low tide.
- Underestimating the road: a hotel "near Stone Town" is not always so, and Mnemba trips leave from Nungwi or Matemwe.
- Forgetting the season: in the rainy season some hotels close; see when to go to Zanzibar.
Going further
For your budget, read the Zanzibar travel budget. For the road from the airport, see from Zanzibar airport to your hotel, and for trips between areas, getting around Zanzibar.
