Is Zanzibar Worth Visiting? Our Honest Take After 17 Nights
By the end of our Zanzibar trip, I was on camera trying to sum up how much I had loved it. The people, the food, the beaches, the atmosphere. It was not just one amazing hotel or one perfect boat day that did it for me. It was the combination.
Daniel and I spent 17 nights in Zanzibar, with 13 around Paje and four in Nungwi, during July and the start of August. That gave us time for the outings, but also the ordinary bits I love when we travel: finding coffee, going back to a restaurant and having an afternoon with no big plan.
So, is Zanzibar worth visiting? For me, absolutely. But I would choose your coast carefully and arrive with a slightly fuller picture than a turquoise-water photo gives you. The tides are dramatic, the towns feel different, and an island holiday here does not have to mean staying inside a resort.
My verdict: who will love Zanzibar?
I think Zanzibar makes the most sense if you want beach time with other things happening around it. We could have a slow morning, swim in a natural pool, eat somewhere lovely or wander through Stone Town. Those days felt different from each other.
It is less straightforward if your only priority is stepping into deep water directly outside your room at any hour. The east-coast tide caught us out, and choosing a hotel from photographs alone would not tell you that.
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| If you want… | My honest take |
|---|---|
| Beaches, cafés and a relaxed routine | Paje worked really well for our longer stay |
| Beach swims and sunsets | Nungwi was the easier fit for that part of our trip |
| A holiday with more than sun loungers | We loved having Stone Town, Maalum and boat days to choose from |
| Guaranteed sunshine and identical sea conditions every day | That is not what we experienced, even in July |
| A private-villa break | There are options, but I would still get out and see the island |
| The cheapest possible beach trip | Compare the full cost, especially rooms and transfers, before deciding |
I would happily return. I would also plan less around collecting famous stops and more around the kind of days we actually enjoyed.
Where you stay changes the answer
This is the decision I would make before filling a map with things to do. We experienced both Paje and Nungwi, and I would not describe them as interchangeable beach bases.
Paje was where we settled into more of a routine. There were cafés, places to eat and enough nearby outings that we did not need to make every morning a big excursion. Nungwi gave us a different stretch of beach, sunset meals and our starting point for Mnemba.
I would compare accommodation in both areas rather than choosing only by the prettiest room. These are two of the places we actually used as bases.
Chokoro House
A pool, garden and a walk to the beach. An easy base for days out and eating around Paje.
Siri Beach Lodge
A spacious room and a short walk to Nungwi beach. This is the base we used for exploring the town and heading out for meals.
For alternatives and the trade-offs between the coasts, use our guide to the best area to stay in Zanzibar. It is the page I would read before committing to a non-refundable hotel booking.
What made Zanzibar worth it for us
The beach had a life around it
Some of my favourite moments were not booked activities. Around Paje, we watched football and acrobatics on the sand, with boats and kites out on the water. Sitting down for food could turn into an entire evening of watching what was happening.
At Shanga, we went around 5:30pm and had curries and beers by the beach. That is the kind of memory I mean. You are not rushing to the next viewpoint; you are already having a lovely time where you are.
I liked that we could build a day around a beach without spending the whole day lying on it. If that sounds like your sort of holiday, I think you will understand why Paje appealed to us.
The food became part of the trip
We ate really well. Al Casbah was a favourite in Paje, and we returned to Basil twice. In Jambiani, my chicken biryani at Jiwe's Swahili Kitchen was a ten-out-of-ten meal for me. Daniel had the fish curry.
These were not just places to refuel between activities. We looked forward to going out to eat. That makes a big difference when you are staying somewhere for more than a few nights.
Up in Nungwi, Hanoi House gave us another café we enjoyed, and Maisha gave us a meal with the sunset. I have put the detailed restaurant suggestions in our Paje guide and Nungwi guide, rather than sending you through the same long list here.
There was variety beyond the beaches
Maalum was one of my favourite outings. We booked a morning swim and happened to have the natural pool to ourselves. The light through the trees and the clear water felt so different from being at the beach.
Then there was our boat day near Mnemba. It was cloudy, so it did not look exactly like the sunny photos you might have saved. I still loved being out on that water. Spotting red bananas at the fruit stop and having fresh fruit after snorkelling are the little details I remember alongside the bigger outing.
I would choose a few outings you actually care about instead of booking every day. Our Mnemba trip guide explains what we paid and what I would check before choosing an operator. You can also compare Mnemba boat trips here, paying attention to the route, group size and wildlife approach.
Stone Town added something different again. We wandered through the streets and markets and combined that part of the trip with Prison Island. I was glad we had time away from the beach towns rather than assuming the coast was the whole destination.
What surprised me, and what might not suit you
The tide really does change the beach
This is not a tiny detail. Around Paje, the water went a long way out. A beautiful beachfront room does not automatically mean you can walk straight into a swim whenever you feel like it.
We also reached Mtende at low tide and left before the water came back. The beach was still interesting to see, but it was not the swim we had imagined. That was a planning lesson, not a reason to write the whole island off.
Nungwi suited our swimming-and-sunset days more easily. I would still check the conditions on the day, rather than assume any beach is always safe or unaffected by tides. Our Zanzibar beach comparison will help you choose based on what you want to do, not just which photograph you like most.
A resort photo is only one part of Zanzibar
In Paje, it was striking how quickly the scene changed between the beachfront and the streets nearby. There were beautiful visitor spaces, and then everyday homes, washing and people getting on with their day a short walk away.
I think it is worth understanding that before you arrive. This is somebody's home, not a holiday set. Dress thoughtfully away from the beach, ask before photographing people and respect private spaces. Getting out to local cafés and businesses does not mean treating residential life as an attraction.
The conversations and everyday encounters were part of what I liked. I would not want to visit and only remember the inside of a villa.
You will not get a perfect weather day every day
Our Mnemba outing was cloudy. Other days gave us the beach colours and sunsets I had hoped for. Both were part of the same trip.
If you only picture Zanzibar through a bright drone image, normal changes in weather can feel like the holiday going wrong. I would leave some flexibility, especially for a boat day you are particularly excited about. Our Zanzibar weather guide separates what we experienced in July from the broader seasonal planning.
Is Zanzibar worth the money?
For the trip we had, I felt we got a lot from being there. But I would not call it cheap just because it is a beach destination in East Africa. Accommodation choices, transfers and organised activities can make two Zanzibar holidays cost very different amounts.
We travel slowly, and I like having normal days between the bigger ones. A coffee, a meal we are excited about and some time by the water can be enough. You do not need a paid excursion every morning to enjoy the island.
Before deciding, price your rooms for your exact dates, your airport and hotel transfers, and the two or three outings you most want to do. Then leave room for food and ordinary spending. That is a more useful test than comparing one luxury hotel with one cheap lunch.
Our Zanzibar travel costs separate the recorded spending from accommodation and explain the per-person figures. I use this Wise card for travel, alongside checking how individual places want to be paid.
How long would I give Zanzibar?
Our 17 nights suited the way we travel, with work and slower days mixed in. You do not need to copy that to enjoy a holiday here.
I would allow a week for one coast, or around ten days if you want to split Paje and Nungwi. That leaves room for a few outings without spending the whole visit moving around. With less time, I would choose one beach base and be selective.
If this is a short beach extension after another trip, a smaller plan can still be lovely. I would just avoid promising yourself both coasts and every famous stop in a rushed schedule.
For the practical route and what to arrange first, use our Zanzibar trip-planning guide.
Would we go back?
Yes. I would happily return for the food, the evenings by the beach and the feeling of having enough time to enjoy it all. I would keep the tide in mind from the beginning and leave more space for the places we wanted to revisit.
I would make room for the things we loved most, with a few Zanzibar activities between slower beach days. You can choose the outings that interest you rather than doing everything exactly as it appears online.
For me, Zanzibar was worth visiting because the whole trip felt good, not because every individual moment looked perfect. That is probably the most useful thing I can tell you before you book.
Watch our Zanzibar trip
The second vlog takes you through Stone Town, Prison Island, Nungwi and Mnemba, and finishes with my thoughts on the island. You can hear how much I loved it rather than taking a line of text as the whole story.
Watch the Zanzibar vlog on YouTube, watch our Paje and southeast-coast vlog, or visit Ell's Passport on YouTube.
FAQs about whether Zanzibar is worth visiting
Is Zanzibar worth visiting?
Yes, I loved our 17-night trip. It suited us because we could combine beaches, good food, cafés, Stone Town and a few memorable outings, with slower days in between.
Is Zanzibar only worth it for a resort holiday?
No. We enjoyed going out to eat, exploring Paje and Nungwi, visiting Stone Town and taking a few day trips. Choosing a base that suits those plans matters more than booking a resort simply because the photos look good.
Is Paje or Nungwi better for a first visit?
Paje suited our longer café-and-beach routine, while Nungwi was a lovely base for sunsets and our Mnemba outing. I would choose by your priorities, especially swimming and tides, or split them if you have enough time.
Is one week enough in Zanzibar?
Yes, for one coast and a few outings. I would allow at least a week if possible, or around ten days to split Paje and Nungwi. With a shorter stay, choose one base and keep your plans simple rather than trying to cover the entire island.
What was the biggest downside of Zanzibar for us?
The east-coast tides required more planning than we expected. At some beaches the water was far out when we wanted to swim. Choosing your area carefully and checking tide times makes a real difference.
