Holiday Destinations

Zanzibar’s east coast beaches have the calmest water. The beaches are often stunning, with powdery white sand, shaded by palm trees. It is the top destination for those looking to relax in the sun after a world-class safari in the nearby magnificent national parks in Tanzania.

Unguja, also known as Zanzibar Island, is the main island in the Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar. Stone Town, part of Zanzibar City, is an old trade center, with mosques and winding lanes. The 1883 House of Wonders is a former sultan’s palace with a clock tower. The Old Fort now houses a cultural center and a stone amphitheater. Underground aqueducts fed hot water to the late-19th-century Hamamni Persian Baths.

At the early-1900s Darajani Market, locals gather to buy produce, spices and seafood. The Anglican Cathedral stands on the site of an old slave market. Murogo and Pange islands, off Stone Town, are known for their coral reefs and dive sites. The waters around tiny Mnemba Island, off Unguja’s northeast coast, also have diverse sea life. Bottlenose dolphins swim off Kizimkazi’s beaches, in the south. Inland, Jozani Forest Reserve is a habitat for red colobus monkeys and other indigenous wildlife, and includes mangrove swamps. Farther south, Zanzibar Butterfly Centre has a netted tropical garden with native butterfly species.

Pemba Island is part of Tanzania’s Zanzibar Archipelago, off the coast of East Africa. It’s known for its lush, green hills and clove plantations. The Pemba Channel, with its coral reefs and abundant marine life, separates the island from mainland Tanzania. The main town, Chake Chake, has a ruined 18th-century fort with a museum. Offshore, Misali Island is home to the Fischer’s turaco, a colorful rare bird.

On a peninsula west of Chake Chake, the Ras Mkumbuu ruins include a centuries-old mosque, plus houses, wells and tombs. Southeast, near Pujini village, are the Mkame Ndume ruins, stone remains of a citadel once home to 15th-century ruler Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman. Thousands of Pemba flying foxes gather at the Kidike sanctuary, also home to snakes, tortoises and vervet monkeys. In the far north of Pemba, the wildlife-rich Ngezi Forest Reserve is known for its many types of rare trees.

Mafia Island is part of Tanzania’s Mafia Archipelago, in the Indian Ocean. Large swaths of the island’s southern coastline and surrounding waters are protected by the Mafia Island Marine Park. Within the park are many coral reefs, home to wildlife such as whale sharks and sea turtles. In the south, beaches include secluded Ras Kisimani, just across from Bwejuu Island. Popular Utende Beach edges onto Chole Bay.

The sheltered waters of Chole Bay feature numerous dive sites, including a drift dive at Kinasi Pass, by the bay’s entrance. In the bay, small Chole Island is known for boatbuilding and the remains of a centuries-old settlement. On nearby Juani Island, the Kua Ruins include the remnants of a mosque dating back to the 12th century. On Mafia Island’s far north, the village of Bweni features the Ras Mkumbi lighthouse, which has views over the Mlola Forest, home to Sykes’ monkeys.

Mombasa is Kenya’s main tourist destination. It is on the eastern coastline of Kenya, bordering the Indian Ocean which has made it a popular destination for its beaches. Mombasa offers a diverse marine life, world-class hotels and friendly atmosphere. There is a tropical climate all year and it is a great destination filled with activities for all ages.

Mombasa is a seaport city on the coast of Kenya, along the Indian Ocean. It is the country’s oldest and second-largest city, with an estimated population of about 1.4 million people in 2016. Its metropolitan region is the second largest in the country and has a population of approximately 3 million people. Administratively, Mombasa is the county seat of Mombasa County. Mombasa is a regional cultural and economic hub; it has an extra-large port and an international airport, and is an important regional tourism center. Located on the east coast of Kenya, it also is the home of one of the State House, and is considered by some as a second capital in all but name. In Mombasa County and the former Coast Province, Mombasa’s situation on the Indian Ocean made it a historical trading center, and it has been controlled by many countries because of its strategic location.

A vibrant, uncrowded, intimate little paradise on the quiet shores of the Indian Ocean just south of Mombasa in beautiful Kenya. Incorporating Tiwi Beach, Galu Beach, Chale Island, Funzi Island, Msambweni and Kinondo.

The beach is about 17 kilometres (11 mi) long, from the Kongo river to the north and Galu beach to the south (the southern point of reference is an old Baobab tree). With a population of over 100,000 inhabitants, the Diani/Ukunda urban area is one of the largest in the coast and forms part of the larger Mombasa metropolitan region. A small airstrip is located between the beach area and the Mombasa-Lunga Lunga road. The water remains shallow near shore, with some underwater sandbars near the surface which allow wading with a clear view of the sandy bottom. Inland from the beach, there is extensive vegetation (see photo at right), including numerous palm trees which cover the coastal areas, unlike the dry acacia trees of the mountainous Kenyan Highlands. The Mwachema River flows into the sea at Diani Beach. [1]

The general area is known for its coral reefs, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and for the closely located Shimba Hills National Reserve, a wildlife reserve which looks out over the Indian Ocean. Diani Beach has restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, and several shopping centres. Diani Beach is also a popular kitesurfing, sky diving, jet skiing, and snorkeling location.