Biking on Zanzibar

Biking on Zanzibar is great – there is nothing much comparable to a bike ride on the bright white beaches of the East coast when the tide is out and you feel complete freedom. Recommended routes on Zanzibar are

2 days: Stonetown – Paje - Jambiani – Makunduchi - Kitogani - Stonetown with an overnight stay in Casa del Mar in Jambiani (www.casa-delmar-zanzibar.com; 70US$ for a double)
2 days: Stonetown – Chwaka – crossing Chwaka bay by local Ngalawa boat (about 20US$, but you have to haggle, and the tide should be in) - Bwejuu – Paje – Jozani Forest – Stone Town with an overnight stay in the Robinson ‘s Guesthouse in Bwejuu (Tel. 0777 41 34 79; about 25US$ for a double) is a little pearl on the island. The garden into which the few small but most beautiful bandas have been built is one of the most beautiful and dense ones along the East Cost. Breakfast comes with a beautiful fruit platter and home made bread, while dinner – mostly fresh fish, soups and salads - is taken on the floor with all the guests sitting around a few kerosene lamps; There are near by bars and restaurants where you can go for dinner for a change, too, and a rather high tower you can climb with excellent star gazing opportunities on the top level – however do not be tempted to jump, the water is not deep at all!
3 days: Stonetown – Mahonda - Mkokocheni - Kendwa – Matembwe – Pwani Mchangani - Mahonda – Stonetown with a first overnight stay in Kendwa Amaan Beach Resort (60US$ for a double) and a second overnight stay in Nyota Guesthouse in Matembwe (Tel. 0777 48 43 03 or 0777 43 90 59 or 0777 87 20 51; e-mail: nyota@zanzinet.com; www.nyotabeachbungalows.com; 65US$ for a double); The Nyota Guesthouse in Matembwe comes highly recommended, with beautifully decorated rooms, a small but good Mezzanine restaurant with delicious sea food and Italian menus, all on an absolutely fantastic beach with bright turquoise waters and sea weed plantations.

If you want to avoid the rather unpleasant and sometimes dangerous first hour of biking out of Stonetown, then hire one of the numerous minibuses down town, or load your bike on the roof of a Dala Dala bus just as the locals do.