Zanzibar: Matemwe Beach

Sunrise

We had some days off for Easter and decided to have a proper holiday of true relaxation. I'd heard that Matemwe Beach was one of the more chill and relaxed beaches and I was not disappointed. Visiting at the height of the off season meant there were very few people but also variable weather.

Matemwe's pristine white sand stretches out as far as one can see and although we walked the beach in both directions we did not spot the end of it on either side. We lucked out with the tide coming in at 4pm, an optimal time to swim. The water came right up to the property line of the hotel and the surf was powerful enough to be fun but enjoyable for even the novice swimmer. There were several groups of young Tanzanians that weren't comfortable with full submersion swimming but were happy to let the waves beat their bodies.

There were several local fisherman and local people going about their business and also a handful of touts offering snorkeling trips. They were persistent but not annoying and I'm sure if I wanted to go snorkeling I could have wrangled a good deal with it being low season and all.

There were a fair amount of properties but the beach was not what I would describe as crowded. There were two or three local food joints offering much of what the fancy hotels offered though their price discounts were not as dramatic as one might think. It's still great to have your options and not be stuck with your hotel's food.

All in all I absolutely loved Matemwe. A perfect serene and quiet beach for me to eat seafood, walk on the beach, swim in the ocean, and kick back and relax.

Fishing boat

The beach.