Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ) → Matemwe transfer

Matemwe is a fishing village with a long, pale beach and a small number of hotels spread out between palm trees. There is little nightlife; evenings are about dinner, the sound of the sea and an early start for the boats.

Mnemba Atoll lies just offshore. Trips to its surrounding marine area are known for snorkelling and diving, and dolphins are sometimes seen on the way. Your hotel or a local dive centre can arrange outings.

The driver leaves Stone Town behind and takes the roads north-east through the island’s farmland and villages. The final part runs towards the coast and then along the shore road into Matemwe.

As elsewhere on Zanzibar, the drive is slowed by village speed bumps and traffic police checks. Some hotels lie at the end of sandy tracks, and the driver stops at the nearest point a car can reach.

Matemwe is on the tidal east coast. At low tide the sea pulls back, revealing sand flats and the village’s seaweed plots; at high tide the water comes close to the hotels and swimming is easiest. Boat trips to Mnemba usually leave according to the tide.

For your return, leave Matemwe about four and a half hours before an international departure, allowing up to about 85 minutes of driving and three hours at the airport.