Nakupenda Sandbank Excursion

Nakupenda Beach, also known as Nakupenda Sandbank, is one of the best-known sandbanks in Zanzibar, off Stone Town. Nakupenda means "I love you" in Swahili. It is not really an island: the sandbank surfaces at low tide then slowly disappears under the water again, making a striking setting in the middle of the Indian Ocean. A French-speaking guide comes along for the day.

The Nakupenda Beach excursion from Stone Town starts with a boat crossing of about thirty to forty-five minutes. On arrival, the white sand and the turquoise water make an ideal setting for swimming, photographs and doing nothing at all. You step ashore straight into the water, before the sun loungers and parasols go up.

A seafood barbecue lunch is then prepared on the spot, with grilled fish, lobster or prawns depending on the catch, served with Zanzibari rice and fresh tropical fruit. Water and drinks come with the meal.

The return to Stone Town happens before the tide covers the sandbank completely. An essential Zanzibar outing for a day of beach, swimming, seafood and turquoise water.