Zanzibar may look small on the map, but choosing where to stay can make or break your holiday. On one side of the island, you can swim in turquoise water all day. On the other, the ocean disappears for hours at low tide, leaving you with a very long walk to the water on your white sand beach. Not quite what you had in mind when booking that beachfront hotel! So, finding the best place to stay in Zanzibar starts with choosing the right coast. For more inspiration, check out my Zanzibar travel guide.

I’ve stayed on both sides of the island, explored all the beautiful beaches, and the differences are bigger than you might expect. In this guide, I’ll compare 6 of the best areas to stay in Zanzibar, share my favourite boutique hotels and tell you exactly where I’d book on my next trip. Because a lovely hotel is one thing, but being able to swim in the sea is rather nice too.

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Restaurant The Rock | Michamvi Pingwe

Best place to stay in Zanzibar: 6 areas at a glance

Zanzibar’s main island, Unguja, has 6 areas worth basing yourself in, and each one answers a different question. This is where to stay in Zanzibar depending on what you want from your days:

• Stone Town: history, food markets and streets so narrow you turn sideways. Best for 1 or 2 nights at the start or end of your trip.
• Kendwa and Nungwi: the northwest tip. Swimming at any tide, sunsets and the most beach bars.
• Jambiani: the southeast coast. Boutique hotels with fewer than 20 rooms, a beach ruled by the tide and village life.
• Paje: right next to Jambiani. Kitesurf schools, beach cafés and the most social atmosphere on the east coast.
• Kizimkazi: the far south. Dolphin territory, a rocky shoreline and very few hotels.
• Matemwe: the northeast coast. Mnemba Atoll offshore, the best snorkeling and empty mornings.

The tide is the deciding factor. On the northwest coast the sea stays close all day. On the east coast, from Matemwe down to Jambiani, low tide pulls the water back hundreds of meters and leaves tidal pools full of sea urchins and starfish. Lovely for a morning walk, less ideal if you came for laps in the ocean. That’s why the best accommodation in Zanzibar on the east coast almost always comes with a pool.

Distances are bigger than they look. Stone Town to Nungwi is about 57 km, roughly an hour by car, and the drive to Paje takes about the same. Pick 1 or 2 bases, not 4. Accommodation options run from guesthouses in Stone Town to top hotels and pool villas in Kendwa; for each area I list the best hotels I’d book for my next Zanzibar holiday!

Stone Town: 1 or 2 nights of history

Stone Town is the most practical base for your first or last night on Zanzibar, close to the airport and the ferry from Dar es Salaam. Expect carved wooden doors, spice shops, Darajani Market and the former slave market. Omani sultans held power here for centuries; I recently traveled through their homeland on my Oman road trip.

Locals approach tourists constantly and I didn’t like walking around alone, so a guided Stone Town tour makes it a lot more relaxed. I skipped the famously strong Zanzibari coffee, since I get overly energetic after 2 cups. For everyone’s safety. Most travelers combine a few nights in Stone Town with one of the beach areas. Stay here if you land late or fly out early; skip it if you came for the beach.

The Neela Boutique Hotel Stone Town

The Neela Boutique Hotel Stone Town is where I’d book a night in town. 14 rooms in a restored historic building in Shangani, opened in 2023, with interiors by designer Nelly Levin that mix vintage furniture with African, Arab and Indian details. The superior rooms have a standalone bath right in the room. Breakfast is served at Breadfruit in the courtyard, and the menu even has a Lobster Brekkie Bun. At night the Views Rooftop Bar is the spot for a cocktail above the alleys. The Neela is part of the MICHELIN Guide hotel selection as well. Perfect location!

Stone Town | Best place to stay in Zanzibar for 1 or 2 nights

Kendwa and Nungwi: the best place to stay in Zanzibar for swimming

Kendwa and Nungwi, on the northwest tip, are where you go if you want the sea at any hour. The north coast has much less tidal variation than the east, so you can swim at all times. The sunsets are right in front of you and the beach hotels sit on soft white sand. This is the beach holiday most people picture. Between them they cover most bases: plenty of hotels, beach bars, calm water for swimming and snorkeling, and enough going on at night that you won’t be in bed by 9 unless you want to be.

Nungwi beach is the busier of the 2, with more bars and restaurants. Kendwa beach is calmer and wider. For swimming, these white sandy beaches are the best beaches on the island. Nungwi and Kendwa are both about an hour’s drive from Stone Town and the airport.

Zuri Zanzibar

Zuri Zanzibar is the address in Kendwa if your budget stretches. 55 bungalows, suites and villas designed by the London architects Jestico + Whiles are spread through a tropical garden, with around 300 meters of beach that the tide leaves alone. There’s also a gorgeous pool. The detail I like most: a spice garden of more than 2 acres where the cooking classes take place. Good food is guaranteed.

The beachfront villas come with a private pool or Jacuzzi, and the rooms are cooled by an “Evening Breeze” system that uses about a quarter of the energy of regular air conditioning. Children are welcome too, handy if this is a family holiday. Zuri is also part of the MICHELIN Guide hotel selection.

Jambiani: the best boutique hotels in Zanzibar

Jambiani, on the southeast coast, has the best boutique hotels in Zanzibar on one stretch of sand. It’s a fishing village where local life carries on around the design hotels, with a beach that follows the tide and a pace that makes Nungwi feel like a city. At low tide you walk far out across the lagoon; at high tide the water turns the milky turquoise you’ve seen on Instagram. Expect sunrise, not sunset.

Be Zanzibar Boutique Hotel

Be Zanzibar Boutique Hotel will be my pick when I return. It sits on the beach within walking distance of Jambiani village. Great location! 19 rooms, polished concrete, beds and ceiling fans made from dhow wood and a zero single-use plastic policy. The room to ask for is the Ocean Room with Twisted Palm View; that bent palm over the Indian Ocean is also on the hotel’s logo.

Rates include breakfast and the in-house activities, and the restaurant Casa Coco cooks seafood and plant-based dishes with a Mediterranean touch. Planning a special occasion? There’s a bungalow with an outdoor bathtub and a suite with its own private plunge pool. Be Zanzibar is part of the MICHELIN Guide hotel selection too.

Passion Boutique Hotel Zanzibar

Passion Boutique Hotel Zanzibar is adults only and has just 8 rooms. Bali beds stand under the coconut palms facing the ocean, the interior uses wood salvaged from old dhow boats and there’s a yoga class if you feel virtuous. Guest scores hover around 9.9 out of 10, and reviewers keep mentioning the food, local dishes with island spices, and the manager by name. Fun fact: the team speaks English, Swahili and Estonian. Not a combination you hear every day.

Casa Paradis Boutique Hotel

Casa Paradis Boutique Hotel sits at the Paje end of Jambiani, a few steps from the beach and about 800 meters from Paje. 7 rooms, adults only, and a restaurant called NŌBĪS that serves French, Italian and Mediterranean food, a welcome change after a week of grilled fish. Think barefoot luxury: lush gardens, a lovely pool and a rooftop terrace where you want to be with a drink at the end of the day. Guests mostly rave about the owners and the breakfast. Practical detail: the hotel doesn’t accept cash.

Jozani Forest | A short drive from Jambiani and Paje

Paje: best place to stay in Zanzibar if you kitesurf

Paje is the best place to stay in Zanzibar for kitesurfers and for anyone who likes a bit of company. The wind blows from mid December to February and again from roughly June to October, and the shallow lagoon is one of the easiest spots on the island to learn kite surfing. Kite schools, beach cafés and digital nomads with laptops line the sand; the vibe is relaxed without being sleepy.

Paje is also the closest base for the famous Rock restaurant, a tiny building on a rock in the sea at Michamvi Pingwe, about 20 minutes up the coast. You walk there at low tide; at high tide a boat takes you across in a few minutes. It works with fixed sittings, so reserve a table ahead. No table? Have a cold drink on the beach at The View and admire it from there.

Casa Ananda Boutique Hotel

Casa Ananda Boutique Hotel is the most affordable pick in this guide, at the time of writing from about 100 US dollars a night. Easy beach access, around 50 meters from Paje beach, and spacious rooms of 28 to 34 m² with a terrace facing the pool. It scores 9.6 from more than 300 guest reviews; guests mention clean rooms and great service, and the staff get the highest score. A tip: there’s an Ananda Beach Hotel nearby, and guests regularly book the wrong one. Check the name twice.

Kizimkazi: dolphins and a rocky coast

Kizimkazi, at the southern tip of Zanzibar, is for people who don’t need a sandy beach. The coastline is rocky, the bay is known for its dolphins and there are only a handful of hotels. It’s 60 to 90 minutes by road from Stone Town, so you come here to stay put.

Kizikula

Kizikula is the design pick of the island. 2 friends from Dubai, one with roots on Zanzibar, built it with a Mumbai architecture studio and a landscape architect from Auckland, using coral limestone from the island and raw concrete. There’s no beach, so a wooden stairway leads from the property straight into the sea, and the infinity pool takes care of the rest. Guests need to be 16 or older. Expect roughly 200 to 300 US dollars a night. It’s listed in the MICHELIN Guide as well.

Matemwe: best place to stay in Zanzibar for snorkeling

Matemwe, on the northeast coast, is the best place to stay in Zanzibar for snorkeling and for slow, peaceful mornings. Mnemba Atoll, often called Mnemba Island, lies just offshore with the best-known coral reefs around Zanzibar. The village itself stays low-key, with sunrise over the water and very little nightlife. This is where I’d go back first.

The dolphin trip with The Mermaid Experience, an absolute highlight of my trip, leaves from a dive center in Matemwe. They never chase or disturb the dolphins, the fruit platter on board is ridiculously photogenic and the underwater videos are on my Instagram. Expect around 90 US dollars per person; you book by sending a message to their Instagram account.

Palumbo Mnemba View: my favorite hotel on Zanzibar

Palumbo Mnemba View in Matemwe was my favorite of the 2 hotels I stayed in, and I absolutely loved it. Right by the sea, it’s even more beautiful than the photos. I wish I could’ve stayed longer! The breakfast buffet was a treat every morning and the dinners were delicious. With 2 pools, one with a pool bar, you can enjoy expertly shaken Margaritas in style. It’s a larger mid range resort with around 150 rooms, so it suits travelers who want a full hotel with the beach right outside rather than a 7 room hideaway. Excellent value.

Infinity Beach Boutique Hotel & Spa

Infinity Beach Boutique Hotel & Spa is the boutique alternative in Matemwe: adults only, right on the beach with a private beach area, a large pool with a pool bar, water sports on site and a balcony for every room. The spa does couples massages and yoga, and the menu mixes African grill dishes with Polish ones, which is not something I expected to type about Zanzibar. Guests score it 9.9.

Best things to do in Zanzibar from your hotel

Most tours pick you up at your hotel, so where you stay mainly decides how long you sit in the car. These are the 4 I’d book:

• A guided Jozani Forest tour to see the Zanzibar red colobus monkey, which lives nowhere else in the world. Closest from Jambiani, Paje and Kizimkazi.
• A Stone Town walking tour with a guide, especially if you’re traveling solo.
• A sunset dhow cruise with snacks, a cold beer or a glass of African wine, sometimes with live music on board.
• A safari package to Nyerere National Park, with daily flights from Zanzibar of under an hour.

Sunset dhow cruise | Things to do on Zanzibar

I combined Zanzibar with 3 days in Nyerere National Park, formerly Selous. We stayed at Selous Kinga Lodge: no aircon, but spacious huts, delicious food and a pool. Safari first, beach after, is the order I’d recommend. A boat safari on the Rufiji River gives you a different angle on the hippos and elephants.

For a bucket list moment, book a helicopter flight with State Aviation: 20 to 30 minutes over turquoise lagoons and palm plantations. I had never been in a helicopter before and was nervous, but the ride was smooth and not scary at all.

What I’d skip: Prison Island and Nakupenda sandbank. Tourists treat the giant tortoises on Prison Island with little respect and the guards don’t enforce any rules. Nakupenda was overrun with lunch crowds and the snorkeling was underwhelming during my visit.

Safari in Nyerere National Park | Tanzania

Best place to stay in Zanzibar as a solo traveler

The best place to stay in Zanzibar as a solo traveler is a small boutique hotel on the east coast, or Paje if you want people around you. I’ll be straight about it: as a female solo traveler I’m not sure I’d feel completely at ease on Zanzibar, because you do get approached quite a bit. Beach boys are part of the experience. Friendly, persistent and everywhere. A firm but polite “no thank you” works fine.

What helps: a hotel with only a handful of rooms, an airport transfer arranged before you land and guided tours instead of wandering alone. Adults-only places like Passion, Casa Paradis and Infinity Beach are quiet without feeling empty. Paje has the kite schools and beach cafés, so it’s the easiest place to meet other travelers. Zanzibar follows Muslim norms and values, so cover your shoulders and knees in public, away from the beach.

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Practical tips before you book

A few things change how and where you book on Zanzibar.

Insurance: Zanzibar requires every foreign visitor to buy a 44 dollar inbound insurance policy from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation before arrival, also if you already have travel insurance. It only covers the basics, so add proper travel insurance for medical care and evacuation. Adding a safari? Since 1 October 2026 the mainland has the same 44 dollar rule. You buy the policy for your first point of entry, and according to the Tanzania tourism association ATTA one policy covers a combined safari and beach trip. Double-check before you fly.

Getting there: the drive from the airport to the north or east coast takes about an hour. A pre-booked airport transfer with a fixed price beats haggling with taxi drivers after your flight.

Getting around: renting a car gives you the most freedom to switch coasts. Dala-dala minibuses are cheap but slow; taxis and tuk-tuks work for short hops.

Staying connected: I always travel with Saily, which lets you download an eSIM in minutes and stay connected as soon as you land. No roaming fees, no SIM card stress.

Meal plans: Zanzibar has everything from all-inclusive resorts to self-catering villas. The big resorts in Kendwa and Matemwe often sell all-inclusive packages, while most boutique hotels include breakfast only.

Money: the Tanzanian Shilling is the official currency, but US dollars are widely accepted. Payment rules differ per hotel, so check before you arrive.

My helicopter flight with State Aviation

Best Place to Stay in Zanzibar: Frequently asked questions

What is the best place to stay in Zanzibar for a first trip?

Split your stay between Kendwa on the northwest coast and Jambiani or Matemwe on the east coast. You get swimming at any tide and sunsets on one side, boutique hotels and sunrise on the other. Add 1 night in Stone Town if you land late or want to see the old town properly.

Where is the best place to stay in Zanzibar on a budget?

Paje is the best place to stay in Zanzibar on a budget, with plenty of guesthouses, hostels and cheaper boutique hotels close to the beach. In this guide, Casa Ananda is the most affordable pick, from about 100 US dollars a night at the time of writing. Prices rise from June to October and around Christmas.

When is the best time to visit Zanzibar?

The best time to visit Zanzibar is during the 2 dry seasons: June to October and December to February. In the June to October dry season average temperatures hover around 25°C; February is the warmest month at about 28°C. June gets around 70 mm of rain and July around 50 mm. Avoid the long rains from March to May. July to September is the classic window to combine the beach with a safari on the mainland.

Do I need travel insurance for Zanzibar?

Yes. Since October 2024 every foreign visitor needs the mandatory inbound insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, 44 US dollars per adult, bought online before you fly. It doesn’t replace regular travel insurance, so most travelers take both. Adding a safari? Since October 2026 the mainland has the same rule.

Is Zanzibar good for solo female travelers?

Zanzibar is generally safe, but as a solo female traveler you will get approached regularly, particularly in Stone Town. I didn’t like walking around alone. Booking a guided tour, staying at an intimate boutique hotel and arranging your transfer in advance makes it much easier.