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Travel Zanzibar

Kizimkazi Beach

Kizimkazi is a pair of quiet fishing villages, Dimbani and Mkunguni, on Zanzibar's far south tip, best known as the launch point for wild-dolphin boat trips in Menai Bay. It is well off the main tourist track, with a rocky, reef-fringed shore rather than a classic swimming beach, and one of the oldest mosques in East Africa nearby. Best for dolphin trips, nature and quiet.

Traditional wooden fishing boats beached on the white sand at Kizimkazi under an overhanging shore tree, with more small boats out on the turquoise low-tide reef flat and the deep-blue Indian Ocean beyond, on Zanzibar's far south coast.
Photo: O.Mustafin / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)

Where to stay in Kizimkazi Beach

Traditional wooden fishing boats beached on the white sand at Kizimkazi under an overhanging shore tree, with more small boats out on the turquoise low-tide reef flat and the deep-blue Indian Ocean beyond, on Zanzibar's far south coast. Hotel Kizimkazi Beach

Kizikula Boutique Hotel

  • 4★ Luxury
  • Beachfront · Restaurant · Spa
  • ~$233/night
4.75 · Booking.com · 474 reviews

It has a spa, a restaurant, a private beach and family rooms, set among gardens with an outdoor fireplace. At about US$233 a night it is the upscale pick in a remote corner known for dolphins and quiet.
A broad shade tree and a thatched sun shelter on the wide white low-tide beach at Kizimkazi on Zanzibar's far south coast, small fishing boats out on the sand and turquoise water beyond. Hotel Kizimkazi Beach

Kwanza Resort

  • 5★ Mid
  • Beachfront · Restaurant · Spa
  • ~$169/night
4.3 · Booking.com · 1,054 reviews

Kwanza is a large five-star resort on Kizimkazi's south shore, priced mid-range, with three restaurants, a spa, a private beach and dive and snorkel trips. It is one of the few full resorts this far south, handy for dolphin trips in Menai Bay, at about US$169 a night.

See all Kizimkazi Beach hotels →

Where is Kizimkazi Beach?

Kizimkazi Beach: -6.4428, 39.4659 Open in Google Maps View larger map

Frequently asked questions

Is Kizimkazi worth visiting?

Yes, mainly for the dolphins and the quiet. Kizimkazi is a pair of fishing villages on the far south coast and the main base for wild-dolphin boat trips in Menai Bay, so it draws day-trippers and a few who stay for the calm. It is not a broad swimming beach, so if sand and swimming are the priority, the east or north coasts suit better. Go for the wildlife and the off-the-track feel.

Can you swim with dolphins at Kizimkazi, and is it ethical?

You can, but do it responsibly. Menai Bay has resident bottlenose dolphins year-round and shyer Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, and the concern is boats chasing and crowding the pods, which stresses them. Choose an operator that follows cetacean-watching guidelines: keep about 20 metres of distance, move parallel and slow, and never chase. Go at dawn, when the sea is calm and the pods are feeding.

How do you get to Kizimkazi?

By road from wherever you are staying, as there is no reliable ride-hailing on the island. It is roughly 45 minutes to an hour from the southeast beaches like Paje and Jambiani, about an hour from Stone Town, and up to two hours from the north. Most people visit on a half-day or full-day dolphin trip with hotel pickup rather than staying overnight.