No visit to Zanzibar is
complete without some chill-out time on the beach, and one of Zanzibar’s
best beaches is at the mellow resort of Nungwi on the northern tip
of the island.
Nungwi’s beach is small but it has no infuriating seaweed. As
it is one of the few areas without a coral reef, you can swim at all
tides and don’t have to walk out for miles to reach the sea,
as on the east coast.
The resort is little more than a collection of beach cottages, a short
line of lively outdoor bars and restaurants and a couple of dive
schools, surrounded by banana palms, mangroves and coconut trees.
It’s a great place to relax, park off in a hammock with a good
book and a cocktail, and enjoy the sun, sea and sand.
The diving and snorkelling is excellent and the local villagers have
built a turtle sanctuary where injured turtles and other marine animals
are nursed back to health before being released into the warm
waters of the Indian Ocean.
Nungwe is also the dhow-building capital of Zanzibar. It's a good
place to see traditional craftsmen at work on their boats and watch
the dhow fleets heading out for fishing during mid afternoon. To get
there, it’s simple enough to arrange an inexpensive shuttle
from Stone Town, or you can drive yourself in a hire car or motorbike.
Be warned though - the road is rough.
Once there, check out any of the number of beach cottages until you
find something that suits. Preferably choose one away from the beachside 'Zanzibar
strip', where the bars can be quite loud. Most of Nungwi’s
cottages are built in a traditional African style with makuti thatched
roofs to blend in with the natural surroundings. The bars are
fantastically rustic and you’ll find beautifully carved Zanzibar
furniture sitting right on the beach.
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