Sunset Dhow Cruise from Nungwi and Kendwa

The traditional dhow

The dhow is the wooden sailing boat of the Indian Ocean, used for more than a thousand years by traders between Arabia, India and the Swahili coast, and Zanzibar is one of the last places where they are still built and sailed in numbers. The boats you cruise on are made in Nungwi's own boat yards from local hardwood, planks shaped by hand and fitted without plans, with the triangular lateen sail that lets them run along the coast on the evening breeze.

On board there are cushions and mats along the sides, a small deck at the bow for photos and a crew of captain and sailors who handle the sail and the music. The dhow sails close to shore in sheltered water, so the motion is gentle and most guests who worry about seasickness are fine. A sunset dhow cruise in Nungwi is not a fast or long journey; it is about sitting back, feeling the wind and watching the colours change over the sea.

Nungwi beach and the lighthouse from the sea

Nungwi occupies the very northern tip of Zanzibar, a fishing village turned beach destination with deep white sand, water that stays swimmable at every tide and a long shoreline facing west, which is why it is the best place in Zanzibar for sunsets. From the dhow you see the beach as the fishermen see it: the line of palms, the wooden boats pulled up on the sand, the hotels glowing in the last light and, at the tip, the old lighthouse at Ras Nungwi built in the late nineteenth century.

The cruise sails north along the beach towards the lighthouse and the channel that separates Zanzibar from Tumbatu Island, then turns to put the setting sun ahead of you. This is where the best photos are taken, with the sail and the orange sky. Sunset in Zanzibar falls between about a quarter past six and a quarter to seven all year, which is why departures are in the late afternoon.

Kendwa beach at golden hour

Kendwa lies just south of Nungwi on the same west-facing coast and shares the famous sunset; many cruises pass along its beach, where the sand is wide and the sea is calm. Guests staying in Kendwa are collected at their hotel and driven the few minutes to the departure beach at Nungwi, and brought back the same way after dark. From the water, the two beaches run together as one long golden strip with the island's palms behind.

The fruit comes out as the light softens: pineapple, mango, watermelon, banana and passion fruit depending on the season, with cold soft drinks and water. Then the crew brings out drums and sings Swahili songs, often pulling guests up to dance on the deck. Is the sunset dhow cruise worth it with children? Yes, families love the music and the fruit, and life jackets in small sizes are on board.

Getting there from across the island

How to get to the sunset cruise depends on where you stay, and there is an option for every area. From Nungwi and Kendwa hotels the default option includes pickup from your hotel lobby in the late afternoon and drop-off after the cruise. Guests on the north-east coast, in Matemwe, Pwani Mchangani, Kiwengwa and Pongwe, in Stone Town or anywhere else in Zanzibar can choose the matching option with an air-conditioned transfer; the drive to Nungwi takes about an hour from Stone Town and the departure is earlier to allow for it.

If you are already on Nungwi beach, the meeting-point option lets you walk to the dhow and skip the transfer. And for couples celebrating or families who want the boat to themselves, the private dhow with transfers sails the same coast with personalised service and the crew's full attention. The cruise lasts about two hours on the water, roughly three hours including local transfers.