Mercedes Sayagues : Unspoilt places
Life in Ras Nungwi is regulated by the tide. At Zanzibar’s northern tip, tides are gentle but far-reaching. As the turquoise water recedes 2,5km to the coral reef village women appear. Their high-pitched voices, Swahili laughter and lively gossip – women’s complicity in a rare moment of freedom from family and neighbours – reach you well before the bright colours of their kangas.
The groups scatter, water up to the ankles, until each woman is an isolated speck on the glittering sea. When the warm waters rise, they return, alone, to a meeting point where laughter explodes as they compare their bounty of small fish, clams, shells and seaweed.
Then the divers set out on speedboats to seek their bounty. Coral gardens are nearby. And half an hour away to the north- east, at the spectacular Mnemba Atoll, exceptional fish and coral life awaits. At 25m visibility, the atoll offers the best wall diving in Zanzibar. The island is a diver’s paradise, and Ras Nungwi one of its highest points.
On a lucky day, a school of dolphins may appear, and you can swim with them. Best weather is cloudy, since dolphins don’t like bright sunshine. In March, migrating humpback whales are seen.
A 32ft catamaran is on hire for fishing: barracuda, tuna, sailfish, giant trevellis, blue and black marlin in December. Canoeing, windsurfing and water-skiing are available.
Or just enjoy a perfect beach. Walk along the rocky coast covered in coral scrub. Swim in empty coves of white sands and an amazing variety of shells. Learn the rhythm of the tide; what is best for your kind of swimming.
Not to be missed is a dhow cruise. Listen to the triangular sail flapping in the wind and recapture centuries of history, when dhows linked East Africa, Arabia and the Indian subcontinent, trading spices, ivory and slaves. Dhows are still used in Zanzibar for fishing and transport. They sail to Somalia, taking wood poles and bringing dry shark meat.
A few kilometres away, Ras Nungwi village is home to Zanzibar’s best dhow builders. A guided visit will explain all stages of craftsmanship of small and big dhows. Ask to see the impressive bending of poles with fire – appropriate technology in use for centuries.
At the sanctuary for injured turtles, half a dozen leatherback and hawkbill turtles swim in a pond.
A reminder: modest clothing is appreciated by Muslim villagers. Photographs are unwelcome unless permission is sought.
Owned and managed by South Africans, Ras Nungwi consists of 60 beds in 30 thatch- roofed bungalows.
Rooms are simple, bordering on basic. A really big bed (nice) with mosquito net without holes (nicer). Spectacular verandas: wicker chairs to imbibe marvellous views (bestseafront views are in chalets one to five).
The bar and restaurant is airy and pleasant. Background music – the lightest Bruce Springsteen and Dire Straits – is refreshingly different from the usual resort muzak.
Guests and hotel staff leave you pretty much on your own. Ras Nungwi is for privacy, not for safari-camp boy-scout gregariousness where guests are forced to eat together.
Food is simple but tasty. One seafood or fish dish in every meal, with a choice of pasta or vegetable pilaf rice. The homemade spaghetti with fresh basilico and tomato is delicious. So are soups. Breakfast is wonderful: lush fruit, clove-scented baghias and passion fruit juice. Coffee could be stronger.
One nice thing about Ras Nungwi is what is not available: jetskis and sand buggies – noisy toys for noisy people. So you are left in peace with the sound of waves and tides shaping the days.
Caveats. Young children are not unwelcome but are not catered for: that is, no playground, cots or tot-size life-jackets and snorkelling equipment.
If you are a serious shopper and souvenir hunter, better do it elsewhere. The shop carries only essential stuff (sunblock, kikois, a few books, cinnamon coffee).
Take precautions against malaria and mosquitoes: the buggers abound. The rainy season is March to June, with short rains in October; expect lots of mosquitoes everywhere during and immediately after the rains.
Be advised: if you are not a diver, you’re a second-class citizen. Divers get preferential bookings and treatment. The diving instructor is dismissive of snorkellers, women and black staff (well, even in paradise there had to be an Adam and a snake).
Travel information
High season (July to December) $80 per person sharing; low season $65 per person sharing, full board. Closed March to June. Connections by air charters to mainland. Air Tanzania flies Johannesburg to Zanzibar on Wednesdays. Phone: (255) 54-32512/33767. Fax: 33098. PO Box 1784, Zanzibar, Tanzania.Ras Nungwi (below) is a hotel with 30 thatched bungalows on Zanzibar’s northern tipRas Nungwi (below) is a hotel with 30 thatched bungalows on Zanzibar’s northern tipRas Nungwi (below) is a hotel with 30 thatched bungalows on Zanzibar’s northern tip