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Simba Pride Safaris

Stone Town · Nungwi · Mnemba · 7 days

zanzibar beachWeek

A night among the carved doors of Stone Town, three days on the north tip with a morning on the Mnemba reef and a dhow at sunset, then two slow days on the quieter east coast. Two beaches, half board, and very little to organise.

  • 7days
  • 6nights
  • 2beaches
  • Halfboard
01 · Overview

Two coasts, and why you need both

Zanzibar’s north and east coasts feel like different islands. The north swims at any tide and has the sunsets; the east has wide tidal flats, village life and more space. This week gives you both, with the two trips worth doing already booked.

You start with a night in Stone Town, the old Swahili city, and drive north to Nungwi the next morning. From there a boat takes you out to Mnemba atoll for turtles and reef fish, and a dhow takes you out past the reef at sunset. On day five you cross the island to a small lodge on the east coast near Paje, where the tide goes out a long way and the pace drops further, before a one-hour transfer to the airport on day seven.

Starts

Zanzibar airport, day 1

We meet you in arrivals, from the mainland or from overseas.

Ends

Zanzibar airport, day 7

About an hour from the east coast, timed to your flight.

Style

Private transfers, half board

Breakfast and dinner at the beach hotels, your own driver between them.

Pace

Slow, with two fixed trips

Mnemba on day 3 and the dhow on day 4. Everything else is up to you.

01

Arrival · Dinner

Karibu to Stone Town

Your driver meets you in arrivals and takes you into Stone Town, to a hotel in one of the old merchant houses. Land early and the afternoon is yours to wander the alleys, with shoulders and knees covered.

Towards sunset, find a rooftop for the view over the harbour. Dinner is at the hotel, or swap it for grilled fish and Zanzibar pizza at Forodhani night market on the seafront if you would rather eat outside.

Meals
Dinner
Highlight
Sunset over the harbour
Sleep
Boutique hotel, Stone Town named when you book
02

Transfer · beach · B D

North to the tip of the island

A slow breakfast, then a morning in town if you want it: the old fort, the spice market and the carved doors are all a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. Your driver collects you around midday for the drive north through villages and coconut plantations.

Nungwi sits at the northern point, where the reef is close and the water stays deep enough to swim at every tide. You arrive in time for the first swim and the sunset, which here goes down over the sea.

Meals
Breakfast, dinner
Highlight
Sunset over the sea
Sleep
Beach hotel, Nungwi named when you book
03

Snorkelling trip · B D

A morning on the Mnemba reef

The boat leaves after an early breakfast and takes about forty minutes down the coast to Mnemba atoll, sometimes with dolphins on the way. The water here is the clearest around Zanzibar.

You make two reef stops for turtles and shoals of reef fish, with fruit on the boat in between, and are back on the beach in time for lunch. The afternoon is free.

Meals
Breakfast, dinner
Highlight
Turtles on the atoll
Sleep
Beach hotel, Nungwi named when you book
04

Free day · dhow cruise · B D

Nothing until five o'clock

A free day on the north coast. Walk to the lighthouse at the point, watch the dhow builders at work in the village, or spend it between the sea and a sunbed.

At about five you board a wooden dhow on the beach with a crew of three and drinks in the cool box. You sail out past the reef under the lateen sail, watch the sun go down over the water and are back on the sand at dusk.

Meals
Breakfast, dinner
Highlight
Dhow sunset cruise
Sleep
Beach hotel, Nungwi named when you book
05

Transfer · beach · B D

Across to the quiet side

A last morning swim in the north, then your driver takes you down the island to the east coast. The lodge is small and quiet, on a stretch of sand near Paje where the villages still run on fishing and seaweed farming.

The east coast has big tides: at low water the sea draws back across the flats, and swimming is best a few hours either side of high tide. The lodge gives you the times each day.

Meals
Breakfast, dinner
Highlight
A smaller, quieter lodge
Sleep
Beach lodge, east coast named when you book
06

Free beach day · B D

Tides, flats and a long walk

At low tide you can walk far out over the sand and rock pools, past the seaweed farms and the dhows left resting on the flats. When the water comes back in, so do the swimmers.

Jozani forest and its red colobus monkeys are about half an hour away if you want an outing, and Paje’s lagoon is one of the best places in Africa to try kitesurfing. Or stay put: this is the day for doing nothing.

Meals
Breakfast, dinner
Highlight
Walking the flats at low tide
Add-on
Kitesurfing lesson in Paje
07

Departure · B

One more tide, then home

Breakfast and a last walk on the beach. Your driver collects you at a time that suits your flight and takes you the hour across the island to the airport.

Heading to the mainland instead? Flights to Arusha take about an hour, and a safari can start the same afternoon.

Meals
Breakfast
Ends
Zanzibar airport
Next
Arusha is an hour’s flight away

When to go

Sun, sea and the seasons

The islands are warm all year. What changes is the rain, the wind and the sea. Choose a season to see what the coast is like.

  • Best for this trip
  • Good
  • Green season, fewer vehicles

Beach choice matters by season: the east coast is breezier and tidal, the north swims at all tides.

What it costs

Fill the vehicle, pay less each

Six nights on half board, one in Stone Town and five at the beach, with private transfers, the Mnemba snorkelling trip and the dhow cruise, priced per person sharing. No booking fees.

Mid-range fromUS$1,290per person sharing

Important information

All prices are per person and exclude international flights. Final rates depend on your travel dates, seasonal park fees and availability; we confirm them in writing with your quote.

Your selection · click a group size2 guests · Mid-range1 double

Get the exact price

Travelling with children

Children are welcome. The Mnemba boats take children from 6, and the north coast is the easier beach for young swimmers. Ask us for child rates and family rooms for your dates; they depend on each hotel’s own policy.

in the price

  • Six nights as described
  • Half board: breakfast and dinner daily
  • Snorkelling trip to Mnemba atoll, with equipment
  • Dhow sunset cruise from Nungwi
  • All private transfers on the island
  • Our WhatsApp support throughout the week

not in the price

  • International and domestic flights
  • Zanzibar’s mandatory visitor insurance fee
  • Travel and medical insurance
  • Lunches and drinks
  • Optional trips such as kitesurfing or Jozani
  • Tips

Make it yours

Add to the week

Tick anything you like the sound of. It goes straight into your enquiry, and we will price it with the trip.

Send my enquiry →

Before you go

The practical part

Questions

Because they are so different. The north swims at every tide and faces the sunset; the east is quieter, with wide tidal flats and village life. A week is long enough to enjoy both without feeling rushed.

Yes. We can keep you in Nungwi or Kendwa all week, or move the second half to a quiet lodge at Matemwe or Jambiani instead of Paje.

No, but you should be comfortable floating in open water. Life jackets are on the boat and a guide is in the water with you.

Breakfast and dinner every day at the hotels, from the evening of day 1 to breakfast on day 7. Lunches and drinks you pay locally.

Yes. Flights from Arusha and the Serengeti airstrips take about an hour, and we arrange the connection so your guide hands you straight on.

ready when you are

A week, two coasts, your dates

Tell us when you would like to come and what sort of beach you like. We reply with a day-by-day plan and an exact price for the hotels that suit you.

Plan this trip
Ask on WhatsApp
Admit
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guests
SPS · 07
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