Two or three hours drive from Stone Town, the village of Nungwi has traditionally been the centre of Zanzibar's dhow-building industry. However, over the last decade the coastline here has turned it into one of Zanzibar's busiest beach areas. What was a ramshackle fishing village has become an increasingly busy place as various guesthouses, bars, shops and restaurants appear. The setting is beautiful, but the number of people in Nungwi town, the noise and the constant stream of apparently uncontrolled development do take the exclusive air off its charm.

That said, a visit to the turtle sanctuary is very worthwhile here, and for our traveller who love night-life, we've included the immaculate Flame Tree Cottages. It's a particularly lovely small guest house a short walk from Nungwi's centre. It's near enough to take part, but far enough away for you to get a good night's sleep even when there are still revellers on the beach.

On the east side of the island's tip, the Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel has always been at the top end of Nungwi's lodges. It's a popular small hotel with high standards of service; really excellent food; compact, well-kept gardens, a swimming pool and a lovely small stretch of beach.


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