Nungwi vs Kendwa: Zanzibar's north coast, honestly compared
The north coast has something no other part of Zanzibar can offer: water you can swim in whenever you want.
Everywhere on the east and southeast, the sea retreats hundreds of metres twice a day. Up here the seabed shelves away more steeply, there is less lagoon to drain, and the tide is an inconvenience rather than a schedule.
That single fact is why the north is the busiest and most developed coast on the island, and it is why most first-time visitors should probably spend at least part of a trip here.
The mechanism behind it: Zanzibar tides
Nungwi or Kendwa in one paragraph
They are about twenty minutes apart and they are not the same holiday.
Nungwi is a working village that grew into a resort town. Busier, louder, more to do, more restaurants and bars within walking distance, and more people trying to sell you something on the beach.
Kendwa is quieter, has the better swimming of the two, and is essentially a strip of hotels rather than a village. Fewer options outside your accommodation, and famous for its full moon parties.
If you want to walk to dinner and have choices, Nungwi. If you want the best water on the island and less noise, Kendwa.
Getting there
From the airport: around 1 hour 45 in dry conditions. From Stone Town: around 90 minutes.
Surfaced road the whole way, and the best driving on the island. Expect traffic in the first stretch out of town, then villages every few kilometres with speed bumps at both ends.
Parking at hotels is generally straightforward, and the roads within both areas are firm. This is one part of the coast where access is rarely the problem.
Route detail: driving in Zanzibar
Nungwi
The beach
Wide in places, narrower in others, and busier than anywhere else on the island. The water is good at most states of the tide, though not quite as consistently deep as Kendwa.
The dhow builders
The thing most people walk past. Traditional wooden boats are still built by hand on the beach at Nungwi, using techniques that have changed remarkably little.
Nobody charges you to watch. Ask before photographing the men working, and expect to be asked for a tip if someone explains what they are doing, which is fair.
The turtle sanctuary
Nungwi has enclosures where sea turtles are kept and visitors can feed and in some cases swim with them.
Worth being straightforward about: these operations describe themselves as conservation projects, and there has been ongoing discussion among visitors and welfare organisations about keeping turtles in enclosed pools for tourist interaction. If that matters to you, look into how the specific operation you are considering works before you go rather than after.
Eating and evenings
The most choice on the island outside Stone Town. Seafood restaurants along the beach, cheaper local places back in the village, and bars that stay open late.
Prices on the beachfront are tourist prices. Walk two streets inland and they halve.
Kendwa
The beach
The best swimming on Zanzibar. Wide sand, deep water at nearly any hour, and a gentle slope rather than a drop.
This is the one place on the island where a family or a group of confident swimmers can simply use the sea without consulting a tide table.
The sunsets
Kendwa faces west, so the sun goes down over the water. This sounds obvious until you realise that most of Zanzibar's beach accommodation faces east.
The full moon parties
Long established, well known, and held monthly. Depending on who you are, this is a reason to go or a reason to check the lunar calendar before booking.
They are concentrated at specific venues rather than spread along the beach, so it is possible to be nearby and unaffected.
What Kendwa lacks
Choice. There is no real village, so you are largely eating where you sleep or walking to a neighbouring hotel. With a car this is a non-issue, since Nungwi is twenty minutes away. Without one it is a genuine limitation.
What to do from the north coast
Snorkelling at Mnemba. The best accessible reef on the island. Trips run from the north and northeast, and the crossing is longer from Nungwi than from Matemwe.
Diving. Several established operators, with sites suiting beginners through to experienced divers.
Sunset dhow cruises. Short, cheap and genuinely lovely, and they launch from both areas.
A day south. Stone Town is 90 minutes away and makes a comfortable day trip with your own vehicle, which is not true in reverse for most other coasts.
How the week fits together: 7 days in Zanzibar
What nobody mentions
Beach sellers are more persistent here than anywhere else on the island. This follows directly from it being the busiest coast. A clear, friendly hapana asante without breaking stride works. Engaging in conversation to be polite extends the interaction considerably.
It is the most developed coast, and it looks it. If your image of Zanzibar is an empty palm-fringed beach, that is the southeast, not here. The north is beautiful and it is busy.
Prices are higher. Accommodation, food and drinks all cost more than on the southeast coast for comparable quality.
Erosion has changed some beaches. Sand movement and seawalls at certain properties mean the beach at your specific hotel may be narrower than the photographs suggest, particularly at high tide. Recent guest photographs are more reliable than the hotel's own gallery.
When to go
The dry months from June to October and January to February are the most reliable.
The north is also the coast that copes best with the shoulder seasons, because the swimming does not depend on the tide and the access roads are mostly surfaced. If you are travelling in November or March, this is the safer choice.
Seasonal detail: driving in the rainy season
Frequently asked questions
Is Nungwi or Kendwa better? Kendwa for swimming and quiet, Nungwi for restaurants, nightlife and having things within walking distance. They are twenty minutes apart, so with a car you can use both.
Why is the north coast of Zanzibar better for swimming? The seabed shelves away more steeply and there is less shallow lagoon to drain at low tide, so the water stays close to shore throughout the day.
How far is Nungwi from Stone Town? Around 90 minutes on surfaced road, or roughly an hour and three quarters from the airport.
Is Kendwa good for families? For confident swimmers and older children, yes, because the water is usable at any hour. For toddlers, the shallow lagoon of the southeast coast is often easier.
Do I need a car if I stay in Nungwi? Not to survive, since Nungwi has enough within walking distance. But it makes Kendwa, Stone Town and the rest of the island available rather than theoretical.
The north coast is the one part of Zanzibar where you could reasonably stay put for a week. It is also twenty minutes from a completely different beach and ninety from a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our guide to Zanzibar by car covers what else is within reach.
Beaches, operators and prices change. If something here no longer matches what you found, tell us.