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Last checked: October 2026

Kendwa, Zanzibar: beach, hotels, diving and getting there

Sunset over the sea with a hotel and palms on the left and a lone silhouette in the surf

Island hopping

Zanzibar: Prison Island and Nakupenda Boat Trip with Lunch

fromUS$18

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See dates on GetYourGuide

North-west Unguja

The beach and the village

3 km from Nungwi along the beach2

The village sits on the north-west3 coast of Unguja (Zanzibar Island) and exists mainly for tourism2. Come for the sand and the sea rather than for sightseeing.

What to expect when you arrive:

  • The sand: fine white sand or ground shells2, with the resorts set back behind it.
  • The pace: a good spot for reading on the beach or scuba diving1, not for a busy town.
  • The location: about 1.5 km west of the main road to Nungwi2.
  • The sunset: Kendwa Rocks lights a bonfire on its beach every evening at sunset4.

Tides and the sea

Is Kendwa Beach good for swimming?

Yes. The beach has only a few metres’ difference between high and low tide2, so you can get in the sea whenever you like.

Zuri Zanzibar, one of the resorts on this stretch, says the beach has safe swimming all year5.

Sunset over the sea off Zanzibar with swimmers in silhouette
Sunset over the sea off Zanzibar with swimmers in silhouette

On and under the water

Diving, snorkelling and the full moon party

Most of what you’ll do here happens on or under the water. These are the options the facts back up:

Mnemba boat day US$17–202

  • Scuba diving: One Ocean has dive schools here, in Matemwe and in Stone Town6.
  • Snorkelling at Mnemba: Wikivoyage suggests a full-day boat trip round the northern tip to Mnemba atoll instead of snorkelling locally, at US$17–202.
  • Watersports: Zanzibar Watersports offers various watersport activities2 in the village.
  • Full Moon Party: Kendwa Rocks hosts the parties on the Saturdays before and after a full moon2.
  • Nungwi Mnarani Aquarium: just up the coast in Nungwi, entry is TSh 7,000 or US$5 per person (checked October 2026), though another Zanzibar travel site says about US$107.

For an island day further afield, a day trip to Nakupenda sandbank makes a different kind of outing. The Prison Island and Nakupenda boat trip with lunch covers both in one go.

Seahorse on the sandy seabed of the reef at Mnemba Atoll

Snorkelling · 4 hours · GetYourGuide

From Kendwa: Mnemba Boat Trip and Dolphin Snorkel Adventure

4.7 (1,465 reviews) on GetYourGuide, checked October 2026

Free cancellation · Pickup included

fromUS$55

See dates on GetYourGuide
Sandy village road under coconut palms in northern Zanzibar with a jeep and people walking

Tour · 4 hours · GetYourGuide

Zanzibar: Quad Biking Adventure from Kendwa or Nungwi (Free Transfer)

4.9 (1,808 reviews) on GetYourGuide, checked October 2026

Free cancellation · Pickup included

fromUS$95

See dates on GetYourGuide
Sea turtles and fish in a pool at Nungwi, seen from above
Sea turtles and fish in a pool at Nungwi, seen from above

Where to sleep

Hotels and beach resorts

Stays here run from budget garden bungalows to a self-described 5-star resort8. The table shows the prices seen on booking sites and what each rate includes.

Book ahead July–August, December–January2

Hotels in Kendwa compared
StayKindPrice seenMealsSource
Kendwa Rocks Beach Hotel
3 Star Hotel on Priceline
US$187–252 a night for two, late Oct to early Nov 2026
Breakfast included
Priceline (booking agent); halalbooking.com (booking agent); Kendwa Rocks (resort)
Zuri Zanzibar
Self-described 5-star resort, 56 bungalows, suites and villas
US$395–705 per person sharing; from US$929 on HalalBooking
Breakfast and dinner included
go2africa.com (tour company); halalbooking.com (booking agent); Zuri Zanzibar (resort)
Sansi Kendwa Beach Resort
4-star hotel
From US$110 for two
–
Priceline (booking agent); Sansi Hotels (resort)
Sunset Bungalows
Mid-range
US$85 a double
–
Wikivoyage
Amaan Kendwa
Budget, clean bungalows in a garden
–
–
Wikivoyage
La Gemma de l'est
Italian resort
–
All-inclusive
Wikivoyage

Priceline (booking agent); halalbooking.com (booking agent); go2africa.com (tour company); Kendwa Rocks (resort); Zuri Zanzibar (resort); Sansi Hotels (resort); Wikivoyage

What the table doesn’t tell you:

  • Kendwa Rocks Beach Hotel: the Beach Houses are suites by the beach and pool, which the hotel says suit families and groups4. HalalBooking adds a city tax of USD 4.00 per person per night9.
  • Zuri Zanzibar: the resort says it has dedicated accommodation for families5.
  • Sansi Kendwa Beach Resort: the beach is just a few steps10 away, and Itaka puts the hotel about 5 km from the centre of Nungwi11.
  • La Gemma de l’est: it has its own tarred road to the main road2.
Aerial view of a thatched beach hotel with a pool among palm trees on the Zanzibar coast
Aerial view of a thatched beach hotel with a pool among palm trees on the Zanzibar coast

For more beachfront choices around the island, compare beach apartments and villas in Zanzibar. If you’re after a bigger splurge, see Zanzibar beach resort options and prices.

Beach restaurants

Eating out on the beach

Most meals here are at the beach restaurants, where a plate costs US$5–122.

Meals US$5–122

Wikivoyage praises the restaurant at Kendwa Breezes for its prawns pili pili and lobster thermidor2.

Transfers and transport

How do you get there from Stone Town?

A taxi or private car from Stone Town is the simplest way, costing at least TSh 70,0002 (checked October 2026). The shared shuttle takes the same time for far less.

Shuttle US$10 per person2

Ways to reach the village
RouteTimeCostSource
Taxi or private car from Stone Town
About 1½ hours
At least TSh 70,000
Wikivoyage
Shared shuttle from Stone Town
1½ hours
US$10 per person
Wikivoyage
Daladala from Stone Town's main bus station towards Nungwi
–
About TSh 2,000 per person
Wikivoyage
Beach walk from Nungwi at low tide
About 30 minutes (3 km)
–
Wikivoyage
Private boat from Nungwi
10 minutes
From TSh 20,000
Wikivoyage

Wikivoyage

Flying in? Destinology puts Zuri Zanzibar 50 km from the airport3.

Getting around is easy on foot: Nungwi village next door is a beach walk at low tide. To see how this stretch of sand fits with the rest of the coast, there’s more on areas across Zanzibar.

Questions people ask

Is Zanzibar warm all year round?

Yes. Being near the equator, the islands are warm all year, with monthly averages in Zanzibar City of 25.1–28.8 °C.

What currency is used on Zanzibar?

The local currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TSh).

Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Pexels. Authors and licences: image credits

Checked against 18 sources · last checked October 2026
  1. Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
  2. Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
  3. destinology.co.uk (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  4. Kendwa Rocks (resort) · checked October 2026
  5. Zuri Zanzibar (resort) · checked October 2026
  6. One Ocean (dive centre) · checked October 2026
  7. Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
  8. Zuri Zanzibar (resort) · checked October 2026
  9. halalbooking.com (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  10. Priceline (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  11. Itaka (tour company) · checked October 2026
  12. Priceline (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  13. Kendwa Rocks (resort) · checked October 2026
  14. go2africa.com (tour company) · checked October 2026
  15. halalbooking.com (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  16. Sansi Hotels (resort) · checked October 2026
  17. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  18. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 21 October 2026