Are The Beaches In Zanzibar Worth The Hype?

Absolutely, and I will go further than that, If you travel to Tanzania and skip Zanzibar, I’m not certain you can say you have truly done it justice.

My Tanzania trip was already one for the books, safaris, national parks, the whole thing. But towards the end of it, a few locals made a strong case for Zanzibar, said it was where you go to decompress. I took their word for it.
What I walked into was turquoise water as far as the eye could see, powdery white sand, and no real plan. Luckily, Ijoba Travels had already handled that part. They had booked me into Tembo Palace Hotel, great spot with direct access to the beachfront in Stone Town and had an itinerary ready for the week, all I just had to do was, show up.

First morning, I was on a glass-bottom boat heading to Mnemba Island. That alone was worth waking up early for, watching the sea life move beneath you, and then spotting dolphins along the way. Mnemba itself is secluded, quiet, nothing like the livelier beaches I would visit later in the week. I went snorkelling there and it was one of those experiences that’s hard to put into words without sounding dramatic. The atoll around the island is considered one of the best dive sites in East Africa, and after seeing it firsthand, I could understand why.

Nakupenda Beach was a different kind of experience entirely, It’s essentially a sandbank in the middle of the ocean, locals will tell you it disappears depending on the tide and the season, which I found oddly fascinating. I went jet skiing for the first time there. I won’t pretend I had any idea what I was doing at first, but once I found my footing, there is a particular feeling of controlling that kind of power on open water that’s genuinely hard to replicate. I also swam, sunbathed, ended up in an impromptu swimming race with some people I met on the sandbank. Great afternoon I must say. Simple, but great.

Nungwi and Kendwa sit close enough together that they almost blur into one long stretch of coastline. In Nungwi, I spent time at the turtle sanctuary, and I will be honest, I didn’t expect that to hit the way it did. You’re standing right in their habitat, watching how they move, what they eat, how they’re cared for. It’s quieter than you would expect. More grounding than exciting, if that makes sense. After that I went swimming, rode a horse along the shoreline, did a bit of fishing, and tried kitesurfing, which was very humbling in the best way.

I didn’t get to every beach Zanzibar has to offer, the archipelago is bigger than most people realise, and there is more coastline than one week can cover. But what I did see? Ten out of ten, no hesitation. I will be back, and next time I will come with more time on my hands.