6 rooms$190from, a nightGarden Room
Frangipani outside the door, the beach thirty steps away. Quiet, shaded and our best value.
- 32 m²
- Sleeps 2
- Garden view
Between Nungwi and Kendwa
Fourteen rooms, one calm bay.
A small beach house on Zanzibar’s north coast, where the water stays deep enough to swim at any tide and the sun sets straight into the sea.
- 14 rooms & villasNever more than 40 guests
- Swim at any tideDeep water, close to shore
- West-facingSunset over the water
- 1 h 20 minFrom Zanzibar airport
Rooms & villas
Four ways to wake up by the water
Lime-washed walls, carved Zanzibari beds and doors that open to the breeze. Every room has air-conditioning, a rain shower and a hammock somewhere close.
6 rooms$190from, a night
4 suites$310from, a nightOcean Suite
Upstairs, behind carved lattice. A deep balcony looking straight down the bay to the sunset.
- 48 m²
- Sleeps 3
- Sea view
3 villas$460from, a nightBeach Villa
Makuti thatch, an outdoor shower and a deck that runs out onto the sand. Room for a family.
- 70 m²
- Sleeps 4
- On the sand
1 villa$690from, a nightPool Villa
Two bedrooms, a private plunge pool and its own gate to the beach. For honeymoons and long stays.
- 110 m²
- Sleeps 6
- Private pool
Breakfast included in every rateStay 7 nights, the 7th is on usPeak dates (Jul–Aug, 20 Dec–5 Jan) +25%Children under 4 stay free
Dining
Whatever the boats bring in at four
Nungwi’s fishing fleet lands its catch every afternoon. Our kitchen buys from the beach, cooks it over coconut husk and serves it with Zanzibar’s spice: clove, cardamom, lime and a little chilli.
Mchana
Beach grill under the casuarinas. Breakfast, then fish tacos and cold juice.
Taa
Lantern-lit dinner on the deck. Four courses, changing nightly.
The sand bar
Tamarind sours and passion-fruit mojitos for the sunset.
Half board from $45 per adult, per night. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free cooked properly, not as an afterthought.
Experiences
Days on the water, nights doing nothing
Booked at the front desk, run by people from the village, priced per person with no booking fee. Or skip them all and stay in the hammock.
Sunset dhow sail
A wooden dhow, a lateen sail, fresh fruit and the sun going down behind Tumbatu island.
Per person$45
Mnemba atoll snorkel
By boat to the reef off Mnemba, where turtles and dolphins are often seen. Lunch on the boat.
Per person$75
Sandbank picnic
A sandbar that appears for a few hours at low tide. Grilled lobster, shade and nobody else.
Per person$55
- Spice farm & Stone TownFull day with a guide · $85
- Swahili cooking class2 hours, eat what you make · $40
- Yoga on the deckEvery morning at 07:00 · free
- Beach massage60 minutes under the palms · $60
The bay
Shwari means calm. The bay earns the name.
Most of Zanzibar’s beaches empty out at low tide, leaving a kilometre of seaweed and pools. The north-west tip doesn’t. The reef sits further out, the water stays close, and the evenings are still.
- 01
Swim at any tide
Waist-deep water within a few metres of the sand, morning or evening.
- 02
Sunset over the sea
The bay faces west. The sun goes down into the water, not behind a hill.
- 03
Fishing village next door
Nungwi’s dhow builders work on the beach a short walk north.
Getting here
An easy hour up the island
Fly into Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume airport. We meet you in arrivals with cold water and a name board, and drive you up the island through spice villages and coconut groves.
- From the airport65 km by road, private car1 h 20 min · $60 per car
- From Stone Town portFerries arrive from Dar es Salaam1 h 10 min · $55 per car
- After a safariDaily light aircraft from Arusha and the Serengeti land at ZNZWe time the car to your flight
Booking enquiry
Tell us when. We’ll hold the room.
Send your dates and we reply by email within a day with availability and a final price. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
Prefer email?hello@shwaribay.example