The south of the island of Unguja (Zanzibar) overlooks the Indian Ocean and faces currents and winds that fully demonstrate the power and beauty of this African nature. This does not prevent this territory from also offering beautiful beaches and attractions that tourists love to discover. Coming from the super touristic beaches of the north and east coasts, you enter the beautiful south starting from the town of Makunduchi, to then reach a dream place: Kizimkazi.
Welcome to Makunduchi
Makunduchi started long time ago as a fishing village. It has gone through the centuries, remaining almost the same and is still there today, you can admire it not far from the beaches and tourist resorts. However, the town has expanded a lot and today the new districts compete with the coastal one to win over the sympathy of tourists. Makunduchi is a quiet tourist spot, with great beaches, great resorts and events that add to the classic tropical vacation. For example, in July the festival of “Mwaka Kogwa” (or “Mwaka Nairuz”) is celebrated here, which derives from Persian traditions. After a mock fight, the locals burn a traditional hut as the sorcerers interpret the direction of the smoke to predict the luck of the coming year!
Kizimkazi corals and dolphins
Rounding the southern cape of Zanzibar you will already meet the coast that leads to Kizimkazi. Today it looks like a fishing town transformed by mass tourism, but in the past it was a fortress protected by stone walls and watchtowers. Today little or nothing remains of that past, but a famous mosque that dates back to the medieval period still bears witness to that era today. Tourists come to Kizimkazi to dive into its crystal clear waters and admire the submerged coral reef. But they also hope to see the dolphins that often populate these waters, providing exciting views of wild nature, especially at sunset.
How to get there, where to stay
Both Kizimkazi and Makunduchi are about 70 kilometers from Zanzibar airport which are easily covered by local taxis and mini-buses. The transfer takes just over a one-hour drive.
The accommodations in Makunduchi are very well equipped resorts and hotels, in structures organized to give the best offers to tourists. Among the many, the very modern The One Resort certainly stands out. Its large swimming pools that almost border the sea are of course the top element. The rooms are inside wooden buildings perfectly in harmony with the landscape all around. Other accomodations: Clove Island, Blue Moon Resort, Nest Style.
To stay in Kizimkazi we can point out several names, such as Promise Land Lodge, Coco Reef Eco Lodge, Karamba Eco Boutique, Aya Beach and Kamaleon Blue.
