Where a safari ends
The coasts are not interchangeable
Tide, seaweed and aspect vary enormously over twenty miles, and none of it appears in a brochure photograph.
Zanzibar, coast by coast
| Coast | Character | The honest caveat |
|---|---|---|
| North — Nungwi, Kendwa | Swimmable at every tide, the best sunsets, the liveliest | Busiest part of the island |
| East — Paje, Jambiani | Long white sand, kitesurfing, a young feel | Big tidal range — at low tide the sea walks out several hundred metres |
| South-east — Michamvi | Quieter, good villas, calmer water | Few places to eat outside your hotel |
| West — Stone Town | The old city, dhows, spice markets, history | Not a swimming beach; stay one or two nights, not a week |
The two things nobody mentions
Tide. On much of the east coast the difference between high and low is dramatic. At low tide you can walk out several hundred metres over sand flats, which is beautiful and is not swimming. If you want to get in the sea whenever you feel like it, go north.
Seaweed. Certain coasts collect it seasonally, roughly with the monsoon shift. Hotels rake their frontage and it is a non-issue at some and a real one at others. It varies by coast and month, and it is a fair question to ask before you book rather than after.
The Kenyan coast
| Where | Character |
|---|---|
| Diani | The most straightforward: wide white sand, good hotels, easy flights from the safari areas |
| Watamu | Quieter, a marine park, good for snorkelling and turtles |
| Lamu | An old Swahili town with no cars, dhows instead of roads, and the most distinctive week on this page |
Lamu is the one we suggest to people who think they do not want a beach week. It is not a beach week — it is a place.
Getting there from a safari
| From | To | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Serengeti | Zanzibar | Forty minutes by light aircraft. The easiest join on this page. |
| Masai Mara | Diani or Watamu | One flight via Nairobi, two to three hours door to door |
| Masai Mara | Lamu | One flight via Nairobi; slightly longer and worth it |
| Rwanda | Zanzibar | A flight via Kigali or Nairobi; usually most of a day |
| Botswana | No coast in reach | Victoria Falls or Cape Town instead |
How many nights
Four. Three feels like arriving and leaving; five starts to feel long unless doing nothing is the actual plan — which for some people, after a safari, it genuinely is.
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