Nungwi
Nungwi is a charming little village at the northern tip of Zanzibar.
Get in
From Stone Town the journey on surface roads takes 1½-2 hours, depending on the delays of road obstacles and police checkpoints, and number of stops the driver makes en route. There are several options available:
- Hire a car and self-drive: US$50/day
- Shared taxi / Shuttle bus: US$10/person. This will collect you directly from your current accommodation and drop you anywhere in Nungwi - book tickets here: The Zanzibus
- Hotel-arranged transport in private car or 4WD: US$50-60 each way. call +255 7732 04323 email. vuai180@gmail.com
- Hire taxi from Stone Town ferry terminal: Tsh 70,000-100,000 each way (US$30-50)
- Ride dalladalla #116 from Darajani/Creek Road in Stone Town: Tsh 2500 (1 USD, 2024/02) per person is the regular price, but the operator may insist you pay a "tourist rate" of Tsh 5000.
Get around
The 'boat yard' in Nungwi, with its tapping and tamping and seemingly casual activity, calls for photographs. At sunset about 50 boats leave from Nungwi, all of them with white sails at a certain angle, to go deep sea fishing at night: another beautiful sight.
The aquarium on the north coast of Nungwi near the lighthouse, rears small turtles found on the beach until they are large enough and then released to survive in the sea. The aquarium is a natural pond with seawater that seeps through the cliff at high tide. There is also a python, monitor lizard, and tortoises that can be handled.
At low tide, wade far out into the ocean. Be careful not to step on sea urchins.
Do
- Scuba dive around Mnemba atoll. with East Africa Diving for double dive US$180.
- Scuba dive around Nungwi Tumbatu & Mnemba. with Divine Diving US$95-125 for double dive.
- Yoga. Divine Diving Yoga & Dive Center US$20 for 90-min class.
- Sunset cruise. Take a 2-hour cruise on a dhow down to Kendwa and back (US$15 per person). Alternatively, hire the whole dhow and enjoy a private cruise, lingering where you wish (US$40). Clever negotiation may get you free snorkeling equipment hire and a stop at Kendwa where you can leap over the side and snorkel on the reef.
- 1 Mnarani Aquarium. Sea Turtle Conservation area. Tsh 7000 or US$5 per person.
- Fish market. Come at 7AM and see the boat builders right beside fish market.
- Kitesurf. Kitesurf at the Ras Nungwi beach. Full equipment rental runs US$60 (half day) and US$90 (full day). Lessons can be booked (Group introduction of 3 hours at US$165 and private lessons (1 hr) at US$90). They also offer Kendwa beach and Matemwe kite beach.
- 2 Baraka Aquarium, Nungwi zanzibar, ☏ +255773204323, barakaquarium@gmail.com. At Baraka Aquarium you can see turtles, feed and swim with them. Looking and feeding US$7, swimming and feeding US$10.
Buy
Maasai crafts.
There is one brand new ATM on Nungwi Road at the Up petrol station that opened on July 23, 2019.
Eat
Budget
- 1 Murina Cafè. Local food, clean and cheap.
Mid-range
- Langi Langi Beach Bungalows Restaruant. Excellent food with a fine sea view. One of the better places to eat in Nungwi Tsh 13,000.
- Flame Tree Cottages Restaurant. This place has a shorter menu than most places, and the food is mediocre at best. If you're not a fan of seafood, ask before ordering anything not in the seafood section of the menu - even the "Chicken with coconut sauce" is mostly fish.
Drink
- Cholo's bar. The most chilled out bar ever. Hamocks above the bar, the urinal is a bath tub and the benches are halved dhows. The beer is Tsh 3,500 for Tusker Kili or others. The music they play is well selected and makes the beach, which the bar is directly on, even more pleasant to do nothing on.
Sleep
- 1 Amaan Bungalows, ☏ +255 245 501 152, +255 775 044 719, info@amaanbungalows.com. Very decent and clean hotel. Room prices depend on the type of view the room has, i.e. sea view is more expensive than garden view. With a new owner and a beautiful new pool things may change soon.
- 2 Baraka Beach Bungalows (On the beach), ☏ +255773204323. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:00. Also has a restaurant. US$60.
- 3 DoubleTree by Hilton Resort Zanzibar, ☏ +255 242240476. All-inclusive resort with a wide beach front, a swimming pool, 2 restaurants, bars, spa and fitness center, live music at night, and free wifi in public areas and rooms. This is the former site of Nungwi Village Beach Resort and is located immediately east of Flame Tree Cottages. US$120.
- 4 Jambo Brothers. Rents a bungalow right on the beach.
- 5 Langi Langi Beach Bungalows, ☏ +255 24 2240470, reservations@langilangizanzibar.com. A very well-maintained hotel with a nice Italian restaurant, located right after Amaan Bungalows.
- 6 Nungwi House (2 minutes walk from the beach), ☏ +255 777 777 708, booking@nungwihouse.com. Check-in: 12:30, check-out: 10:30. Rooms are fitted with a private bathroom with shower. There's a shared lounge at the property. A number of activities are offered in the area, such as snorkeling and diving. Free reliable WiFi $50.
- Nungwi Village Beach Resort is right next to Jambo Brothers.
- Plan Hotel (La Gemma Dell' Est), ☏ +255 242240087, info.gemma@planhotel.com. 5-star hotel with excellent view and a nice swimming pool.
- Tanzanite Beach Resort is one of the most beautiful resorts in town. The hotel is well maintained and smoothly run.
- 7 The Z Hotel, ☏ +255 774 266 266, reservations@theZhotel.com. Beautiful hotel with really nice views, it is a bit more luxurious compared to others located nearby. It also has a nice swimming pool.
- The Zanzibari (On the beach), ☏ +255 774-323318.
Stay safe
Although Nungwi is normally quite a friendly and safe place to be, there have been some thefts of guests' belongings. Some basic care should be taken whilst handling money. Most of the hotels do have a safe for guests' use, which should be used for storing hard cash and valuables.
Go next
- Kendwa, 3½ km to the south, can be quieter although its full-moon parties are gaining in popularity.