Where to stay in Zanzibar: the 7 areas to know in 2026
On Zanzibar, the tide picks your beach. On the east coast and at Paje, the sea pulls back so far at low tide that you walk hundreds of metres across sand and seaweed. At Kendwa, in the north-west, you can swim at any hour and the sun sets into the water. And from any beach, Stone Town can be reached in under ninety minutes by road.
Expect $57* a night for a simple room a few steps from the sand. A good beach hotel costs between $135 and $290*, and the villas of Kendwa, Paje or Kizimkazi go past $450*. Seven areas follow, starting in the alleys of Stone Town and ending on Pemba.
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After a safari on the mainland that was a bit hectic and tiring, I found it really nice to be able to take a relaxing break on the island of Zanzibar.
One base or several?
Two bases are almost always enough: Stone Town to understand the island, a coast to rest on it. A third is only worth it for a long stay.
- Three or four nights, after a safari: A single base, on the coast: Kendwa if you want to swim at any hour, Paje or Kiwengwa for the lagoons. Stone Town is a day trip, an hour away by road.
- One week: Two bases: two nights in Stone Town on arrival, then five on a single coast. The old town first, because it explains what you see afterwards.
- Ten days: Three bases: two nights in Stone Town, three in the north for the sunsets, four in the south-east for the lagoons. The north and the south-east are a good two hours apart by car: you do not drive back and forth.
- Two weeks: Add Pemba, three or four nights, for the diving. Or stretch your stay on a single coast, without adding any road.
How much driving between two bases?
Times given for a taxi, in dry weather. Every road starts from Stone Town and the airport, ten kilometres apart. Villages are crossed slowly: allow extra time.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Airport → Stone Town | 20 min | 10 km |
| Stone Town → Nungwi | 1 hr 30 | 57 km on the north road |
| Stone Town → Kiwengwa | 1 hr | 40 km |
| Stone Town → Paje | 1 hr 15 | 50 km, past Jozani Forest |
| Stone Town → Kizimkazi | 1 hr 15 | 58 km |
| Stone Town → Fumba | 40 min | 24 km |
| Nungwi → Kendwa | 10 min | 5 km |
| Nungwi → Paje | 2 hr 15 | 90 km, the island from north to south |
| Paje → Jambiani | 15 min | 9 km along the coast |
| Zanzibar → Pemba | 30 min | flight, roughly |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in Zanzibar
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Stone Town, the old town The old town of Zanzibar City, its waterfront and the islets offshore
to understand the island before its beaches, and for arrival
Coral-stone alleys too narrow for cars, carved doors, the grills of the Forodhani gardens at dusk, and ten minutes away by boat Prison Island, home to giant tortoises. It is the only area of the island where you get by without a taxi, and the closest to the airport. The downside: the town beach is not a beach for a whole day, and the midday heat empties the alleys.
It is a powerful mix: Arab, African, Indian. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes run-down, but always alive.
The towns in this area
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Zanzibar Serena Hotel Luxury
On the Shangani point, facing the ocean: the terrace for watching the dhows sail back into port, a few minutes' walk from Forodhani.
Tembo House Hotel Mid-range
Right on the town beach, with two pools: you can swim without leaving the hotel, which no other house in the quarter offers.
Shaba Boutique Hotel Mid-range
A Swahili house deep in the alleys, near Darajani market: for those who would rather sleep in the maze than by the water.
Pros
- Everything is on foot, and the airport is twenty minutes away
- The islets and the dhow trips leave from the waterfront
Cons
- No beach to spend the day on
- Taxis stop where the alleys begin: luggage ends up being carried
The north: Nungwi and Kendwa The northern tip of the island, its two beaches and the fishing village of Nungwi
to swim at any hour and watch the sun set into the sea
The northern tip turns its back on the eastern tide. At Kendwa, the sea stays in front of the sun loungers all day, and in the evening everyone looks west. Nungwi, five kilometres away, keeps its dhow yard, its beach bars and the natural aquarium of Mnarani. The downside is the crowd: this is the busiest area of the island, and it takes two and a quarter hours to reach the south-east.
Where to stay in this area
Zuri Zanzibar Luxury
Bungalows in a tropical garden on Kendwa beach, and water you can swim in at low tide as well as high tide.
Essque Zalu Zanzibar Luxury
A large estate on the east coast of the Nungwi tip. No swimming beach in front of the hotel: it takes a ten-minute walk to find somewhere to swim.
Kendwa Rocks Hotel Mid-range
The best-known address in Kendwa, on the beach, with a bar that hosts the full moon party every month: pick it if that is what you are after, avoid it that night otherwise.
Mnarani Beach Cottages Mid-range
Cottages with hammocks in the quiet corner of Nungwi, near the Mnarani aquarium. Swimming here is at high tide.
Langi Langi Beach Bungalows city.oudormir_tier_economique
Simple rooms with terraces open to the sea, in the heart of Nungwi: restaurants and boats are a few steps away.
Pros
- At Kendwa, swimming does not depend on the tide
- Sunsets over the sea, every evening
Cons
- The busiest area of the island
- On the east side of the tip, you swim at high tide
The east coast: Matemwe, Kiwengwa and Pongwe The villages of the north-east coast, facing Mnemba Atoll
for Mnemba, the big beach hotels and the quiet
A long coast of fishing villages, coconut palms and large hotels, the closest to Stone Town by road. Off Matemwe, Mnemba Atoll is the most popular diving and snorkelling trip on the island. Towards Kiwengwa and Pongwe, the sand is white and the hotels stretch out. The downside is the tide: when the water drops, the lagoon empties out to the reef and swimming waits for it to come back.
On the island, there are corners of nature that have remained mostly wild, and it is very nice to relax there, go hiking, or go diving.
Where to stay in this area
Meliá Zanzibar Luxury
A vast estate on Kiwengwa beach, with three hundred metres of sand in front of it: a village in itself.
Matemwe Lodge Luxury
A lodge facing Mnemba, next to the fishing village of Matemwe, with a pool and a spa. The quietest of the three villages.
Pongwe Beach Hotel Mid-range
A small address on a peaceful beach at Pongwe, south of Kiwengwa: people come here for the silence.
Shooting Star Boutique Hotel Mid-range
On Kiwengwa beach, an infinity pool facing the ocean and tropical gardens.
Sunshine Marine Lodge Mid-range
In Matemwe, a pool looking out to Mnemba and a dive centre inside the hotel. No beach in front: a shuttle takes you to the one at the neighbouring hotels.
Pros
- Mnemba a few minutes by boat from Matemwe
- An hour by road from Stone Town
Cons
- Swimming follows the tide
- Isolated hotels: in the evening, you eat where you stay
The south-east: Paje, Jambiani, Bwejuu and Michamvi The lagoons of the south-east coast, from the villages of Jambiani to the Michamvi peninsula
for kitesurfing, the lagoons and gentler prices
Here the tide shapes the landscape: at low tide, the Paje lagoon is laid bare and the women of Jambiani go out to tend their seaweed farms; at high tide, the turquoise water comes back up to the sun loungers. Paje is the kitesurfing beach, Jambiani a long village, Bwejuu the quietest, and the Michamvi peninsula faces the sunset across Chwaka Bay. Jozani Forest is on the road to Stone Town. The downside: you only swim at high tide, and seaweed washes up on some beaches.
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa Luxury
Relais & Châteaux villas a few steps from Paje beach.
Baraza Resort and Spa Zanzibar Luxury
Villas spread out along Bwejuu beach, and a spa. The drive from the airport is long, but once there you do not leave.
Dhow Inn Boutique Hotel Mid-range
On the edge of Paje beach, with its pools and dinners served on the sand.
Red Monkey Beach Lodge city.oudormir_tier_economique
A small lodge on Jambiani beach, in the village. Seaweed sometimes piles up in front.
Paje by Night city.oudormir_tier_economique
A garden and a pool set back from Paje beach, three minutes away on foot: the base for kitesurfers on a tight budget.
Pros
- Every price range, from a simple room to a villa
- Jozani and its colobus monkeys half an hour away by road
Cons
- Swimming follows the tide
- Seaweed washed up on some beaches
Fumba, the south-west peninsula The Fumba peninsula and Menai Bay
for dhow trips to Kwale, close to the airport
A quiet peninsula half an hour from Stone Town, where the dhows leave for sea trips to Kwale Island, its sandbank and its lagoon. You sleep far from the bustle, with the sun setting over the sea. The downside: a single address selected, and nothing to do in the evening outside the hotel.
However, in high season, it is very crowded and the island loses a bit of its charm.
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Fumba Beach Lodge Mid-range
Houses in a large garden on the private beach at Fumba, a pool and a bar facing the sunset.
Pros
- The departure point for dhow trips to Kwale
- The airport about twenty minutes away
Cons
- A single address selected
- No lively village nearby
Kizimkazi, the southern tip The village of Kizimkazi and the south coast of the island
for the dolphins and big secluded villas
A fishing village at the far south, where boats leave in the morning to look for dolphins. The large villas of Kizimkazi are the most isolated on the island, and Jambiani beach is half an hour away. The downside: at low tide, the sea pulls back here too.
Where to stay in this area
The Residence Zanzibar Luxury
Villas with private pools in a large park by the ocean, at Kizimkazi, and a kids' club.
Unguja Lodge Mid-range
Ocean views, a pool and a large garden; Kizimkazi beach is a ten-minute walk away.
Pros
- Boat trips to see the dolphins
- The most complete quiet on the island
Cons
- No swimming at low tide
- Far from everything else, except the south-east
Pemba, the neighbouring island The island of Pemba, north of Zanzibar
for diving and an island without crowds
The archipelago's other island, greener, hillier and far less visited. People come for the underwater world and for Misali island, where you snorkel. Hotels are few and far apart. The downside: you need a flight or a boat from Zanzibar, and once there, you stay where you sleep.
Where to stay in this area
Fundu Lagoon Luxury
An isolated beach hotel on the west coast of Pemba, with a bar facing the sunset and trips out to Misali.
Pros
- An island with almost no visitors
- Diving around Misali
Cons
- A flight or a boat to get there
- Very few hotels
Our tips for booking the right place
- Check the tide before you book: It is the choice that matters most, and hotel photos, always taken at high tide, hide it. All along the east coast and in the south-east, the sea pulls back twice a day, sometimes for hundreds of metres: you swim around high tide and walk in the lagoon the rest of the time. If swimming whenever you like matters more than anything else, choose Kendwa.
- Stone Town at the start, not at the end: The island makes sense in its alleys: the clove trade, the palace of the sultans of Oman, the slave market. Sleeping there for the first two nights also saves you driving back at the end. For walking, aim for the early hours and the end of the day, as our member advises: “it gets very hot quickly, so I recommend going early or in the late afternoon”.
- An island to unwind after the savannah: Many people arrive here straight from a safari on the Tanzanian mainland, and it is a good idea: a single base on the coast is then enough, with no repacking. Keep an afternoon for Jozani Forest, on the road to the south-east: “a nature break in the heart of Zanzibar, far from the sand and the beaches”, writes one member.
- The rainy seasons: Two rainy seasons split the year. The longer one, from March to May, brings heavy but short downpours, empties the hotels and brings prices down; some places on the coast use it to close. The second, lighter one arrives in November. June to October remains the dry, windy period, and the one in highest demand.
- Booking on the east coast or in the south-east hoping to swim at any hour: swimming there follows the tide.
- Staying in the north and the south-east on the same trip planning to shuttle between them: two and a quarter hours of road each way.
- Heading to Kwale in the middle of high season hoping for a deserted island: our member found it very crowded at that time of year.
- Choosing the Stone Town beach for a week by the sea: it works as a harbour, not as a beach for a stay.
FAQ: where to stay in Zanzibar
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