East Coast Village & Beach Tour
A full day exploring Zanzibar's traditional east coast, from the seaweed farms and fishing villages of Bwejuu and Jambiani to the wide, wind-swept sands and kitesurfing scene of Paje.
Traditional Villages, Wide Beaches
Zanzibar's east coast, running through Jambiani, Bwejuu and Paje, offers a completely different character from the resort-heavy north and west coasts. Wide reef-flat beaches, a strong tidal range, traditional fishing and seaweed-farming villages and, at Paje, one of the world's best kitesurfing destinations thanks to consistent trade winds.
This full-day tour introduces you to the villages of Jambiani and Bwejuu, where women wade out at low tide to tend rows of seaweed lines, before continuing to Paje, where you can watch (or try) kitesurfing and relax on some of the widest, most photogenic sand in Zanzibar.
Life on the East Coast
Unlike the sheltered lagoons of the north coast, Zanzibar's east coast faces a wide, shallow reef flat that empties out dramatically at low tide, exposing hundreds of metres of sand and shallow pools. This tidal rhythm has shaped local life for generations, most visibly in seaweed farming, an industry largely run by local women who plant and harvest seaweed lines by hand in the shallows.
Further south at Paje, the same open exposure and consistent onshore trade winds that shape the tides also create some of the most reliable kitesurfing conditions in the world, drawing a growing community of kitesurfing schools and beach cafes alongside the area's traditional fishing character.
Your Day-Trip Experience
The guide collects guests from their Zanzibar accommodation and drives to the southeast coast for a visit that combines community context with time beside the Indian Ocean. In Jambiani, a guided walk introduces the fishing-village environment and, when the tide and local hosts permit, continues onto the tidal flats to meet seaweed farmers who explain how the crop is planted, tended, harvested and used. The exchange is arranged respectfully, with photographs taken only after permission and no staged activity promised. The journey continues along the coast with stops shaped by access and the interests of the group, including the wide beach at Bwejuu and a lunch break at a local restaurant; lunch remains at the guest's own expense where specified in the package. At Paje, guests can walk the sand, swim when conditions are safe or watch the established kitesurfing scene. An introductory lesson can be arranged only as an extra service with an authorised operator and suitable wind. After time to enjoy the coastline and take photographs, the group rejoins the vehicle for the return transfer to its accommodation.
Included & Excluded
- Licensed local guide and driver
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Seaweed farm village visit
- Transport between all three villages
- Bottled water
- 24/7 Haven Trails ground support
- Lunch (own account, typically $8-15)
- Kitesurfing lessons or equipment rental (available on request)
- Gratuities for your guide and driver
- Personal items and souvenirs
Why Haven Trails Adventures
Based in Moshi, Tanzania, not a booking platform abroad. Our Zanzibar partners are deeply embedded in the island's hospitality and activity networks, with real-time knowledge of the best guides, boats and conditions throughout the year.
Every guide and boat operator working with Haven Trails is licensed by the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism and personally vetted for safety, professionalism and knowledge of the island's history, culture and marine environment.
Choose a small shared group departure or book the tour privately for your party alone. Either way, you get an unhurried, personal experience rather than being herded through a crowded, oversized tour bus itinerary.
A Haven Trails ground team is reachable throughout your Zanzibar stay for any change, question or unexpected situation. You are never navigating the island alone from pickup to drop-off.
Haven Trails prioritises locally-owned operators, community guides and marine conservation partners. A portion of every booking supports coral reef protection and community tourism initiatives on the island.
No hidden extras, no last-minute upsells at the dock. What you see at booking is what you pay, with clear notes on anything genuinely excluded, such as the Zanzibar marine park conservation fee.