Ras Nungwi by Gemma Pitcher

Ras Nungwi sits on the very top of the island, on what is arguably the very best beach Zanzibar has to offer. It’s a laid back, small-scale place, run by a family of young British Kenyans, and has been recently redone with the addition of a gorgeous lagoon swimming pool. The colour scheme is rustic, with lots of bright African fabrics everywhere and cool blue and white rooms with big four poster beds.

Hammocks and big sun loungers on the beach are where you’ll likely spend most of the day, but you can also walk into Nungwi village where there’s an excellent beach bar. They have a diving and watersports centre with a very good reputation, and the reefs in this part of the island are supposed to be the best.