2633+ Reviews on TripAdvisor

Zanzibar for Couples

You do not need a honeymoon to want Zanzibar at its quietest. This is the couples' version: where to stay, when to go, and how to have the island feel like it is yours.

A couple walking hand in hand watching giraffe and zebra
Guide
Honeymoon
Reading time
11minutes
In this guide
4sections
  • Quietest coves
  • Sunset sailing
  • Best value months

Written and maintained by the Safari Soles planning team in Arusha, Tanzania.

Plan a trip for two

For couples the quietest good beaches are Matemwe, Michamvi, Pongwe and Kizimkazi:

  1. Small hotels beat big resorts for two people, at every price level.
  2. Two bases: one quiet, one lively, beats one for a week-long trip.
  3. Book the sunset dhow privately; the shared version is a different evening.
  4. Michamvi is the only east-side spot with a proper sunset.
  5. Avoid the festive fortnight unless you actively want a party.
Ask us to plan this

01 / 04

The beaches that suit two people

Honeymoon shape planner

Privacy, swimming and dinner options pull in different directions. Choose your priorities.

  1. What matters most?
  2. Nights available
  3. Safari before the beach?

0 of 3 answered

Answer all 3 questions and your result appears here.

AreaFeelSwimmingWhy couples like it
Matemwe Very quiet, working village coastAround high tideSmall villa hotels, Mnemba on the doorstep
Michamvi Secluded peninsulaGood on the west sideThe east coast's only sunset, almost no crowds
Pongwe Tiny sheltered bayGood, protected reefTwo or three hotels and nothing else
Kizimkazi Remote southVariableComplete privacy, good value villas
Kendwa Wide sand, sociableAll tidesSwimming plus sunsets if you want some life

Matemwe

Feel
Very quiet, working village coast
Swimming
Around high tide
Why couples like it
Small villa hotels, Mnemba on the doorstep

Michamvi

Feel
Secluded peninsula
Swimming
Good on the west side
Why couples like it
The east coast's only sunset, almost no crowds

Pongwe

Feel
Tiny sheltered bay
Swimming
Good, protected reef
Why couples like it
Two or three hotels and nothing else

Kizimkazi

Feel
Remote south
Swimming
Variable
Why couples like it
Complete privacy, good value villas

Kendwa

Feel
Wide sand, sociable
Swimming
All tides
Why couples like it
Swimming plus sunsets if you want some life

The pattern is simple: the north-west coast gives you swimming and sunsets but comes with people, and the east and south give you privacy but tie your swimming to the tide. There is no single beach that gives you everything, which is why we usually split a week across two.

The split most couples enjoy is three nights somewhere quiet (Matemwe or Michamvi) followed by three on the north-west coast at Kendwa for the swimming and sunset scene, with a final night in Stone Town before flying. Transfers between them are short and inexpensive.

If you would rather compare all the coasts side by side first, the Zanzibar beach comparison sets them out, and the complete Zanzibar guide links the rest of the planning together.

  • Two bases beat one: quiet first, sociable second.
  • Keep the last night near the airport or in Stone Town.
  • Check tide times against your swimming expectations.
  • Tell us your pace and we can build the route privately.

02 / 04

Things worth booking as a couple

  • Private sunset dhow sail. A boat to yourselves for ninety minutes costs surprisingly little and is nothing like the shared version.
  • Dinner at The Rock on the Michamvi coast: book well ahead and go at high tide, when the restaurant is genuinely on an island.
  • A rooftop dinner in Stone Town: the old town's rooftops at dusk, with the call to prayer over the harbour, is the island's best evening.
  • A sandbank picnic for two. A boat drops you on a bar of sand that will be underwater in three hours.
  • Forodhani night market: messy, cheap and much more fun than another hotel buffet.
  • A spice farm morning followed by a Swahili cooking lesson; see the spice tour guide.
On private dinners

Almost every hotel offers a 'private beach dinner'. They vary enormously. Some are a beautiful lantern-lit table on the sand, some are a table moved twenty metres from the restaurant. Ask for photographs of a previous setup before you pay the supplement. We do this for every couple we book.

03 / 04

The months when the island feels quiet

  1. Jun

    Dry, fresh, breezy

    Crowds: Low · Verdict for couples: Excellent value, very quiet

  2. Jul – Aug

    Dry and reliable

    Crowds: High · Verdict for couples: Great weather, book early

  3. Sep – Oct

    Dry, hot, calm sea

    Crowds: Moderate · Verdict for couples: The sweet spot

  4. Nov

    Short rains, brief showers

    Crowds: Low · Verdict for couples: Quiet and cheap, some risk

  5. Dec 20 – Jan 3

    Hot and calm

    Crowds: Peak · Verdict for couples: Avoid unless you want the party

  6. Jan – Feb

    Hot, calm, clear sea

    Crowds: Moderate · Verdict for couples: Best water clarity of the year

  7. Mar – May

    Long rains

    Crowds: Very low · Verdict for couples: Cheap, but properties close

September and October are our standing recommendation for couples: dry-season weather, calm water, and shoulder-season pricing that buys you a noticeably better room than the same budget would in August. The full seasonal breakdown, including sea conditions month by month, is in the best time to visit guide.

04 / 04

Pairing the island with a safari

The classic Tanzanian trip for two is a safari followed by the coast, and it works because the two halves are so different in rhythm. Safari days start at 5.30am and involve a lot of vehicle; island days start whenever you like. Doing them in that order means you arrive on the beach genuinely ready to stop.

For couples we usually suggest four to five island nights after a safari rather than three. The first day on the beach is largely spent sleeping, and that is fine, but you want three good days afterwards. See safari and beach for the flight logistics and how many days for night counts.

Common mistakes to avoid

The planning slips we see most often. Each one is easy to avoid once you know it.

  1. Booking a big all-inclusive resort when two small-hotel stays would suit you better.
  2. Choosing one beach for a whole week and getting bored of it.
  3. Paying for a private beach dinner without seeing what it actually looks like.
  4. Travelling over the festive fortnight expecting peace.
  5. Booking an east-coast hotel expecting a sunset over the sea.
Safari Soles planning note

Couples almost always over-index on the hotel and under-index on the location. A modest room on a quiet bay beats a beautiful room on a busy strip, every time. Tell us how you want your evenings to feel and we will work backwards from that.

Questions worth asking any operator

Copy these questions into your enquiry: to us or to any operator you are comparing. The answers tell you more about a Zanzibar trip than any brochure.

  1. How many rooms does the hotel have?
  2. Is the beach in front private or shared with the village?
  3. What does the private dinner actually involve, with photos?
  4. Can the sunset dhow be booked privately, and what does it cost?
  5. Are there adults-only areas, or will there be children?

What Safari Soles puts in writing

Nothing important about your trip should be discovered at check-in. Each of these is put in writing for your itinerary before you pay a deposit.

  • Which beach area, and why that one for our dates?

    Tide, wind and atmosphere vary hugely by coast; the reason should match how you want to spend your days.

  • What exactly is included in the board basis?

    Half board, full board and all-inclusive mean different things island to island: drinks and excursions are often outside.

  • How are transfers and internal flights handled?

    Baggage limits, drive times and connection buffers decide whether a safari-to-beach day is calm or stressful.

  • Which excursions are booked, and at what price?

    Pre-booked trips at fixed prices avoid beach-side selling and surprise costs mid-holiday.

  • What is the payment, change and cancellation policy?

    Island hotels have their own terms; you should see them in writing before you pay a deposit.

How we run a Zanzibar trip

Safari Soles is a Tanzania-based team. This is what we do for every traveller who books an island stay with us, in plain language.

  • One planner, start to finish

    The person who plans your route is the person who answers on the day you travel. No handover to an unnamed inbox.

  • Itemised quotes

    Accommodation, transfers, flights, excursions and fees are listed separately so you can see exactly what you are paying for.

  • Safari and beach as one trip

    We plan the parks, the internal flight and the island days together, which is where most Zanzibar itineraries go wrong.

  • Honest seasonal advice

    If your dates fall in the long rains or a tide window that will not suit you, we say so and suggest an alternative.

Planned by people who live the route

This hub exists because the same Zanzibar questions come up on every safari enquiry we answer.

  • Locally based in Tanzania
  • Safari and island specialists
  • Licensed and insured operator
  • Fast, direct answers
Where these facts come from (2)

Related Safari Soles guides

Continue with the guides travellers usually read next.

Zanzibar Travel Guide Best beaches in Zanzibar Safari and beach Zanzibar honeymoon Stone Town Contact a local Safari Soles planner

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Matemwe, Michamvi, Pongwe and Kizimkazi are the quietest good areas. Kendwa suits couples who want all-tide swimming and sunsets with a little more life.

A week that actually feels like yours

Tell us how you want the evenings to feel and we will pick the bay, the hotel and the two or three things genuinely worth booking.

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