Jambiani Zanzibar
The village on Zanzibar you can’t miss!
In our search for the most beautiful places on Zanzibar, we came across Jambiani. We immediately fell in love with this place. A village on the east coast of Zanzibar where the beaches are pearly white. An ultimate place to escape the crowds and enjoy the local culture. In our a place you can not skip on your Zanzibar vacation!
Jambiani Beach
Unlike northern Zanzibar, Jambiani has real sandy beaches. These beaches are pearly white and wonderful to walk on. If you walk to the waterfront, you won’t have to worry about sea urchins in this village either, where they are more common on other beaches in Zanzibar.
If you walk into the sea at Jambiani, you can enjoy shallow water for a long time. In fact, the sea is shallow for a very long time. In addition, the lagoon at Jambiani, is the widest on the entire island. This makes Jambiani the best place for a wide range of water sports. The shallow water combined with the pearly white sand also makes Jambiani the place to shoot the best Instagram snapshots.
As in the rest of the island, you also have ebb and flow in Jambiani, so the state of the water is constantly changing throughout the day.
Jambiani Sea
Once you are through the shallow area in front of Jambiani beach, you enter the area suitable for many water sports. Examples of sports you see a lot here are windsurfing and kitesurfing. Because there is also no mass tourism here, the marine life off the coast is also still intact and in full bloom. In fact, you can also do some great diving here. A mighty coral reef with lots of tropical fish awaits you here.
The locals in Jambiani
The locals of Jambiani, of course, have a very different pattern of life than we are used to. Go on a lookout in the morning to see the fishing boats returning with the freshly caught catch. Or go on the beach in the morning to watch the locals collecting seaweed from the beach. They will then process these into various products such as cream and soap.
In the village near the beach, you can still witness several local Jambian customs. For example, on the trip to the village you will probably encounter a few cows or goats kept by the farmers of the village. Once you arrive in the village, many impressions come over you right away. You will see people making canvases out of coconuts and they have a traditional boat maker who still builds everything by hand. You also have several things you can visit, such as the local school or the local tailor.
Now should you want to see something but can’t find it? The locals are super friendly and are only too happy to help give you instructions on how to get somewhere! What always helps with locals is if you speak a few words of the local language. Basic words of Swahili.
Restaurants in Jambiani
The search for good restaurants in Jambiani is not that difficult. If you walk a bit along the beach you will come across plenty of different restaurants.
A few restaurants:
- The Sea Horse
- Casa Beach Restaurant
- Fadhil Restaurant
Activities in Jambiani
Besides eating well in Jambiani, there are several other fun activities to enjoy. We take you through a selection that we recommend!
- Cycling in Jambiani, through the village or along the beach
- Visit the Seaweed farm
- Big Game Fishing
- Diving in Jambiani
- Kitesurfing
What makes Jambiani one of the most unique spots on Zanzibar?
Jambiani is, in our opinion, one of the most unique places on Zanzibar because the village is still nice and local. There is no mass tourism and the people here just live their own lives. All this does not take away from the fact that the village has so much to offer. From pearly white beaches to tasty restaurants to beautiful coral reefs to local live performances, you’ll find it in Jambiani!
What else is there to do on Zanzibar
Because Zanzibar is not too big, you can easily spend a day doing something different in Zanzibar. For example, go to Stone town for a day or join our spice tour where you taste all the spices of the island. Besides the activities on Zanzibar, Zanzibar also has several surrounding islands that also have a lot to offer. Take a day trip to Prison Island or go to Mbemba Island where you will see the bluest water ever! Check out our excursion page to see what else Zanzibar has to offer!
How long is the drive from Jambiani to Stone Town
If you want to go to Stone Town by car, count on a trip of about 1.5 hours. Of course, this does depend on traffic on the day.
Our hotel recommendation in Jambiani
Surely our recommendation for a hotel in Jambiani is the Reef & Beach Resort. A resort with several cottages and two pools. The resort is located right on the pearly white beach and a wooden walkway to the Jetty lounge bar. Want to know more about this fantastic spot? Then take a look here!
Away from the crowds, discover tranquility in Jambiani
If you are looking for a place where you can escape from all the hustle and bustle, then Jambiani is the place for you. Because there is no mass tourism here, everything really feels like traditional Zanzibar. Totally unwind here or still seek out some adventure. Jambiani has something for everyone!
