Located at the northern tip of the island, Nungwi offers a series of beautiful beaches with deeper water than elsewhere, making it more pleasant for swimming. According to some Europeans living in Zanzibar, this makes it the nicest beach on the island. There are no coral reefs in the immediate vicinity. The disadvantage is that it is more difficult to find a shady spot, as trees are rarer in Nungwi than in Jambiani.
The Dhow Construction Site: Nungwi is Zanzibar’s dhow construction center. One of these sites can be seen up close, especially since the boats are built in the open air, right on the edge of the beach. No photos should be taken without permission. Between 10 and 15 wooden boats are built here every year.
To build a medium-sized dhow (6.50 m long, 2.5 m wide, and weighing 1 ton), it takes two months of work. Everything is done by hand, using an old artisanal method, without drawn plans or advanced technology. For example, drills are very rudimentary hand tools, resembling curious musical instruments. Each drill consists of a wooden bow connected to a cord that activates a point (which is not even twisted). And it works; it makes holes. The worker then drives in his nails. It takes almost 3,000 nails to build a boat. The nails are also made in a traditional way, in small, improvised forges along the edges of the paths. All the materials used to build the boat come from Zanzibar. To caulk the gaps between the boards, kapok is used. These traditional dhows are used for fishing or for sea trips.
Return from fishing: The fishermen return around 3 p.m. every day. There is a fish market near the port of Nungwi. The fishermen leave their boats 100 m from the water’s edge and reach the beach by swimming or using boats. A few also fish at night. In these waters, which are full of fish, they catch tuna (tunas), changuus, tasis, jodaris, mzias, taas, vibuas, as well as sardines.
How to get there?
You can travel by local bus (4 to 5 hours), minibus (2 hours), motorbike (1 hour 30 minutes maximum), or car, depending on your budget and how much time you have available. Count on paying 1,500 Tsh for a one-way minibus trip.
