People tend to arrive in Kendwa after seeing a photograph of an east-coast beach at low tide and asking a sensible question: where can I actually swim? This guide starts with that answer and then covers the rest — how long to stay, what the paperwork is, what things cost and what catches visitors out.
Kendwa in one paragraph
Kendwa is a village and beach on the north-west coast of Unguja (the island most people simply call Zanzibar), in the Kaskazini A district, about three kilometres south of Nungwi and some 55–60 km north of the airport. A string of hotels lines a long, west-facing beach. The water is calm, the sunsets are a daily event, and once a month there is a very large party.
Why the tide matters — and why Kendwa is different
Zanzibar has two high and two low tides a day, and around full and new moon the difference between them can approach four metres. On the gently sloping east coast that vertical drop translates into the sea withdrawing for several hundred metres, sometimes more than a kilometre. At Kendwa the bottom falls away more steeply, so the same tide simply moves the waterline a short distance up and down the sand. You never have to plan your swim around a tide table here.
How long to stay
- Three or four nights — a beach break tacked on to a safari: one reef trip, one sunset cruise, plenty of horizontal time.
- A week — the ideal. Room for Mnemba, Tumbatu, a day in Stone Town and a visit to Nungwi without feeling scheduled.
- Ten days or more — consider a first or last night in Stone Town, or a few nights on the east coast for contrast.
What to see and do
Kendwa & the north coast Kendwa Beach
Zanzibar’s all-tide swimming beach
A broad, west-facing sweep of pale sand on the north-west coast of Unguja where the seabed drops away quickly enough that the water stays deep at low tide. That, the sunsets and the monthly Full Moon Party are why people choose Kendwa over anywhere else on the island.
Reefs, islands & lagoons Mnemba Atoll
The island’s best reef, about an hour by boat
A protected ring of coral around a tiny private island off the north-east coast. Boats from Kendwa round the tip of Zanzibar to reach clear water, dense fish life and, on many mornings, pods of dolphins.
Reefs, islands & lagoons Tumbatu Island
The quiet island on Kendwa’s horizon
The long, low island that lies off the coast opposite Kendwa. Its people keep largely to themselves, its reefs are lightly visited, and a short boat ride gets you snorkelling without the crowds of Mnemba.
Kendwa & the north coast All eleven places, with directions from Kendwa and the tours that cover them, are in the things to do guide.
Swim beaches and kitesurf beaches
Choosing the wrong coast is the most common Zanzibar mistake. In brief:
| Beach | Coast | Tide effect | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kendwa | North-west | Minimal | Swimming at any hour, sunsets, families |
| Nungwi | Northern tip | Small to moderate | Restaurants, nightlife, diving |
| Matemwe | North-east | Large | Quiet stays, shortest boat ride to Mnemba |
| Kiwengwa / Pongwe | East | Large | All-inclusive resorts, lagoon scenery |
| Paje / Jambiani | South-east | Very large | Kitesurfing, backpacker scene |
| Kizimkazi | South | Moderate | Dolphin trips, few visitors |
If kiting is your priority, read our page on Paje and the east coast. If swimming is, you are in the right place.
Entry rules: visa, insurance, health
- Visa. Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania and uses Tanzanian visas. Most nationalities can apply for an e-visa on the official Tanzania Immigration website before travelling, and many can still obtain one on arrival. The standard single-entry tourist visa has cost around US$50 (more for US citizens). Use only the official government portal — look-alike sites charge extra.
- Zanzibar inbound insurance. Since October 2024, foreign visitors must buy a government travel-insurance policy from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation before arrival, at around US$44 per person when it was introduced. It is checked at the airport and is required even if you already have your own cover — which you should keep, as the mandatory policy is basic.
- Yellow fever. Proof of vaccination is required only if you arrive from, or have spent a long transit in, a country with yellow fever risk.
- Malaria and health. Malaria risk on Zanzibar is low but not zero; take advice from a travel clinic on tablets, and use repellent from dusk. Drink bottled or filtered water. The nearest hospitals of any size are in Zanzibar City.
Fees and rules change at short notice. Verify them on official Tanzanian and Zanzibari government websites or with your airline shortly before departure.
Money
The currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS). US dollars have long been accepted for hotels, tours and transfers, but the authorities have been tightening the rules on pricing in foreign currency, so expect more bills in shillings and carry both. Dollar notes should be recent and undamaged; old or torn bills are regularly refused. Larger hotels take cards, often with a surcharge. Kendwa has very few cash machines and they are not dependable — withdraw at the airport or in Stone Town.
What things cost
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Sunset dhow cruise | from about US$14–20 |
| Mnemba snorkelling trip | about US$18–60, conservation fee sometimes extra |
| Tumbatu snorkelling trip | from about US$45 |
| Stone Town, spice farm & Prison Island day | from about US$55 |
| Taxi Kendwa–Nungwi | a few dollars each way — agree first |
| Private airport transfer | about US$45–60 per vehicle |
| Full Moon Party entry | roughly US$10–20; check current price |
| Simple room near the beach | from about US$85 |
| Four-star beachfront hotel | about US$115–250 |
| Five-star resort | US$800 and up in season |
Eating and drinking
Most meals in Kendwa are eaten at hotel restaurants and the beach bars between them. Seafood is the thing to order: grilled kingfish or tuna, prawns, calamari, octopus in coconut sauce (pweza wa nazi), lobster when it is in. For a wider choice of independent places, take a taxi to Nungwi. In the village, small local cafés serve rice, beans, chapati and chipsi mayai — a chip omelette — for a fraction of beach prices.
Alcohol is freely available in hotels and beach bars. Zanzibar is overwhelmingly Muslim, however, and you will not find it in village eateries.
Culture and etiquette
- Dress. Swimwear is for the beach and the pool. In the village, on the road and in Stone Town, cover shoulders and knees. Topless sunbathing is not acceptable anywhere.
- Greetings. A “jambo” or “mambo” and a smile open most doors. “Asante” is thank you; “pole pole” — slowly, slowly — is the island’s unofficial motto.
- Photos. Ask before photographing people, especially women and children.
- Ramadan. During the fasting month, avoid eating, drinking and smoking in public outside the hotels in daylight.
Safety
- Kendwa is a relaxed place and serious crime against visitors is uncommon. Petty theft from the beach happens: leave valuables in the room safe.
- Do not walk the beach between Kendwa and Nungwi after dark, and take a taxi at night.
- On full-moon nights, watch your drink and your phone as you would at any large party.
- The sea is calm, but boats come and go from the beach all day — swim inside marked areas where they exist.
- Sea urchins live on the rocky sections at either end of the beach. Reef shoes save a painful afternoon.
Practicalities
- Language: Swahili; English is spoken throughout the tourist trade and some Italian is common on the north coast.
- Electricity: 230 V, British-style three-pin (type G) sockets. Power cuts occur; larger hotels have generators.
- Internet: mobile data coverage is good. A local SIM or an eSIM is cheap and usually faster than hotel Wi-Fi.
- Time zone: East Africa Time, UTC+3, with no daylight saving.
- Plastic bags: Tanzania bans single-use plastic carrier bags; do not bring them in your luggage.
What to pack
- High-factor, reef-friendly sunscreen and a long-sleeved rash vest for boat trips.
- Reef shoes.
- A sarong or light shirt and trousers for the village and Stone Town.
- Insect repellent and any anti-malarials prescribed.
- A type G plug adapter and a power bank.
- A dry bag, and your own mask and snorkel if you are fussy about fit.
- Cash: small US dollar notes plus a card for withdrawing shillings.
Mistakes people make
- Booking Kendwa for a quiet honeymoon on a full-moon weekend, in a room next to the stage.
- Booking the east coast for swimming, then discovering the tide.
- Saving the Mnemba trip for the last day, when a rough sea means no second chance.
- Turning up without the Zanzibar insurance certificate.
- Relying on the village cash machine.
- Setting off to walk to Nungwi on a rising tide.
- Leaving for the airport two hours before the flight.
Nungwi and the rest of Zanzibar
Nungwi village lies a few kilometres north along the same coast — a beach walk at low tide, or a short taxi ride when the water is high. Our Nungwi travel guide covers its dhow yard, turtle lagoon, restaurants and the boat trips that leave from its beach.
To plan the rest of the island — Stone Town, the spice farms, Jozani Forest and the east coast — use our complete Zanzibar travel guide.
