Zanzibar Beach Resorts, Zanzibar & Islands, Tanzania

Turquoise waters and coral reefs

Think of Zanzibar and likely as not images of pristine, white sandy beaches lapped by warm turquoise waters will float across your mind. Add a few coconut palms, coral reefs close offshore, international standard cuisine and hospitality, and you have a pretty fair impression of a stay at one of the island’s top beach resorts. Zanzibar only really began welcoming overseas tourists in any numbers in the late 1980s. This means that alongside some larger hotels which cater for incoming southern Europeans on direct charters, there are also plenty of smaller hotels, lodges and guesthouses, often with local character and charm.

The east coast beach resorts are probably the best known and most closely reflect the classic Zanzibar beach paradigm. There are also some great lodges and resorts in the south-west of the island; the beaches here may lack the classic coconut palm adornment, but have their own charm and tranquillity. Dolphin encounters are also a strong possibility here: the pods often congregate off this coast. Up north are some superb beach resorts and this is probably the prime part of the island for experienced divers. However, diving is popular right across the island as are snorkelling, windsurfing and kayaking.

It’s worth mentioning that the shallow gradient of most of the beaches on Zanzibar means that at low tide the water is often a long way from your resort. You should also be aware that quite a few visitors report annoyance at the large populations of sea urchins. A slightly more complex and possibly contentious issue is that of seaweed farming. This started at Paje and Jambiani villages on the east coast in 1990. By 1997 nearly 25 villages or about two thirds of Zanzibar was involved in commercial seaweed farming. It generates a higher income than other forms of agriculture or handicrafts and it means that the people have a livelihood independent of tourism. This avoids the slightly Disney feel that you can get when visiting places where everyone is involved in tourism and some visitors feel it adds to the authenticity of their stay. However, others occasionally find sharing their paradise with seaweed farmers and the seaweed itself intrusive.