The island
The northwest corner of Zanzibar has the one thing much of the island's coastline does not: a beach you can actually swim from, whatever the tide is doing.
Why here
On much of Zanzibar's east coast the ocean retreats several hundred metres twice a day and swimming becomes a matter of timing. Kendwa, on the northwest tip, barely moves — the water stays deep enough to swim in from morning to night.
The beach faces west, which is the other reason people come. The sun goes down straight out in front of the sand, and by six o'clock the whole bay turns the colour of the inside of a shell.
Kendwa sits about three kilometres down the coast from Nungwi — close enough to walk along the beach at low tide, far enough that the evenings here stay calm. Our lane is a few minutes back from the shore, which keeps the music at a distance without putting the sand out of reach.
Worth doing
The wooden dhows that have worked this coast for centuries now take visitors out in the late afternoon. You sail out, the sail goes copper, and Kendwa turns into a thin white line behind you. Ask at reception and we will arrange a boat for you.
Zanzibar's best-known night out has been running on this beach for more than two decades — DJs, fire dancers and acrobats on the sand, held on the Saturday closest to each full moon. It is a ten-minute walk from our gate, and — crucially — a ten-minute walk back to a quiet room afterwards.
Dive centres along the beach run trips to the reefs off the north coast and out to Mnemba Atoll, the best-known site on the island. Boats leave in the morning; beginners can do a first dive the same week.
A working fishing village where dhows are still built by hand on the sand, plus a turtle sanctuary in a natural tidal lagoon. Go in the morning, before the day boats arrive.
The UNESCO-listed old city: carved doors, a fish market, the old fort, and the Forodhani night food stalls along the seafront. Easy as a long day trip from here, and worth staying for the evening.
Zanzibar's spice tour is the classic island half-day — clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla, tasted straight off the plant. Combine it with the Mangapwani coral cave, about 40 km down the west coast.
A perfectly respectable option. The pool is quiet most mornings, there is shade under the thatch, a bar two steps away, and yoga if you want to feel virtuous about it.
Eating
Breakfast is served every morning under the thatch and is included in your rate. We do not run a full restaurant in the evenings — but the kitchen will happily bring food to your table or your room, and some of the best eating in Kendwa is a short walk away.
Ask at the bar and we will tell you which of them is on form this week — and call you a taxi if you would rather not walk back in the dark.
Practical
The long dry season runs roughly June to October — clear skies, manageable humidity, and daytime temperatures around 28–30 °C. December to February is hot and bright; the heaviest rains fall around April and May.
Because Kendwa is not tide-dependent, swimming is good all year. High season fills up early — book well ahead if your dates are fixed.
Fly into Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ), about 60 km away. The drive north takes roughly an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half depending on traffic through Zanzibar City.
We run an airport shuttle — tell us your flight number when you book and someone will be waiting for you. There is free private parking on site if you are driving yourself.
The currency is the Tanzanian shilling, though US dollars and euros are widely accepted along the coast. We take cash at the property.
Zanzibar is a predominantly Muslim island: swimwear is for the beach and the pool, and covering shoulders and knees in villages and in Stone Town is appreciated. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and something for mosquitoes at dusk.
Come and see
Quiet room, courtyard pool, and the whole north of the island within an hour.
