On the northernmost peninsula of Zanzibar Island, Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel overlooks a sparkling expanse of iridescent Indian Ocean, a cluster of whitewashed and palm thatched cottages in rich tropical gardens. Its myriad pathways are shaded by elegant palms, creating soft sun-dappled walkways between beach and banda, balcony and bar.

Infused with the laid-back, exotic yet ultimately natural spirit of Zanzibar, this is the place to relax and enjoy all that this extraordinary part of the world has to offer. The lush gardens drop down onto one of the finest and most unspoilt beaches on the island, which in turn is fringed by a wide and thriving coral reef.

The hotel is situated in a glorious natural paradise, and our vision is for nature and the hotel to coexist harmoniously so that guests can enjoy the beauty of the natural surroundings without forsaking creature comforts. An eco-sensitive approach has ensured that the delicate balance of land and sea, flora and fauna is preserved for all to enjoy in the years to come.

Accomodation

All 32 rooms are tastefully furnished, with hand-crafted four poster beds and indigenous decor, and all have balconies, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, hair-dryers, electronic safes and en suite facilities with deluxe bathroom amenities.

Mosquito nets over all beds ensure a peaceful night's sleep, with the sound of the ocean rounding off a relaxing day in paradise.

Lodge rooms have a garden view and both types of chalet room (superior and superior deluxe) have a sea view, with proximity to the ocean being closer the higher the category. Both chalet categories are fitted with mini-bars.

Superior deluxe chalet rooms also have a CD-player and and other special extras.

The flagship accommodation unit at Ras Nungwi is the luxurious new Ocean Suite.

Cuisine

Where better to enjoy gourmet evenings under the stars than on the fabled island of spice. Our chefs relish the task of preparing elegant and appetising menus from an abundance of local ingredients, including fresh coconut and aromatic spices, the finest array of seafood and plenty of heavenly tropical fruit. Offering a true fine dining experience, Ras Nungwi is renowned for its excellent cuisine.

Connoisseurs will also appreciate our winelist, the most extensive in the region, selected to appeal to all palettes and tastes. With the exception of our French champagnes, all wines are chosen from award-winning South African vineyards

Activities

• Pool, table tennis, darts, board games (including Bau, a Zanzibarian favourite) and a TV room are available to hotel guests. Mountain bikes can be hired to explore the hotel's environs, or you may just want to take long strolls on our unspoilt beach. For those seeking the ultimate in relaxation, let us arrange a massage for you.
• Tours and excursions to various places of interest can be organised through the hotel. We highly recommend a guided tour of Zanzibar's historical Stone Town and a visit to the Spice Plantations.
• Another worthwhile excursion is to Jozani Forest, home of the rare Kirk's Red Colobus monkey. The forest has an excellent nature trail allowing various routes, depending on how energetic you feel.
• Of particular note is the Nungwi Village walking tour which involves an informed look at local village life in Zanzibar's dhow-building capital.
• The SupaDuka Boutique at Ras Nungwi, decorated by renowned artist Kioko Mwitiki, offers a tasteful range of quality gifts, clothing, unique arts and crafts and essential travel items.

Beach

The unspoilt beach at Ras Nungwi is arguably the best on Zanzibar, and the nearby coral reef yields a beautiful lagoon. Low tides reveal sparkling white coral sand bars, and rock pools teeming with marine life.

The main beach area allows easy access to the hotel's swimming pool, beach bar, watersports centre and masseuse. Beach attendants are on hand to provide you with towels, sun-loungers and refreshments from the bar.

Not only is our beach beautiful, but it's also completely uncrowded and superb for swimming, walking, and all forms of watersport.

Guests can also enjoy the hotel's fresh-water swimming pool, with stunning vistas of the Indian Ocean.

Diving

Zanzibar's best diving can be enjoyed at the northern tip of the island, home of Ras Nungwi Diving. This professional dive operation is located at Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel, and caters for all experience levels. Whether you're a total beginner, or a seasoned professional, there are dive adventures for you.

As a Gold Palm 5 Star PADI Instructor Development Centre you can be assured that the instruction and dive leadership on offer are second to none. Quality accommodations, superior service and excellent dive opportunities make PADI Gold Palm Resorts stand out from the rest. Resorts of this caliber focus on memorable dive experiences, customer satisfaction, diver safety and environmental awareness, by going the extra mile to provide professional and outstanding service. We are able to offer all PADI qualifications to Instructor level.

Full equipment and tank-filling facilities are available in-house, as are a wide range of PADI dive courses. Our swimming pool, the only one in Nungwi, provides an ideal environment for confined water training sessions for beginners.

If you haven't dived before... Enjoy a free trial in the comfort and safety of our swimming pool with one of our instuctors and then go for one of our popular Discover Scuba Diving courses. This will allow you to learn the basics of scuba and have a trial dive with an experienced instructor under safe conditions. Once this hooks you, enrol in the PADI Open Water course and enjoy the benefits of the world's fastest growing sport - anywhere in the world. Advanced and Speciality courses are also available.

Wall dives, night dives, deep dives, drift dives...Overwhelming numbers of amazing tropical fish proliferate on the coral gardens that form a lagoon around Ras Nungwi. The majestic whale shark migrates past us twice a year and humpback whales grace us with their presence, sometimes breaching right outside the hotel. Dolphins are permanent residents, playfully accompanying us on boat trips, jumping and diving with their young.

Typical dive sites include Kichwani, an incredible wall dive off the Mnemba Atoll with amazing marine life and suitable for all levels of diver, and Leven Banks, a massive reef pinnacle 7 miles out to sea.

Depths of most reefs range between 12m to 40m in a year round average water temperature of 27 degrees Celsius. Visibility is typically excellent.

We take safety seriously! Dive boats at Ras Nungwi are equipped with first-aid kits, life-jackets and DAN medical oxygen on board. All dive trips are accompanied by at least one holder of the PADI Medic First Aid certificate. The maximum diver to instructor ratio is six to one. VHF radios are used to provide reliable communications with home base.

All of PADI’s safety recommendations are followed, and we always dive with a surface marker buoy. Group sizes are kept to a manageable level to ensure the best possible service and for added safety.

Fishing

Ras Nungwi is situated in close proximity to some of Africa's best deep sea fishing grounds. The waters between Zanzibar and Pemba are home to some excellent year round game fishing opportunities.

Haraka is a 2006 model Gulfcraft Sport Fishing 35. She is powered by twin Volvo Penta inboard engines and is fitted with a flybridge. Equipped to a very high standard with the latest equipment, she cruises at 38 knots, allowing her to reach distant fishing grounds in the minimum of time. For those wishing to fish in true style, Haraka is the obvious choice.

Timimi is a custom built Windy 24. She is built as a big game fishing boat, with ample deck space for fighting fish, including the provision of fighting chair. The vessel has a toilet on board, and a comfortable cabin to keep out of the sun. She is powered by twin 85hp Yamaha outboard engines and has an inboard fuel capacity of 400 litres. Timimi is fully equipped with GPS, colour echo sounder for ultra deep sounding, and fish finder.

Suli Suli is a 24ft T-top mono hull fibre-glass boat. She is powered by two 40hp outboard motors producing a top speed of 20 knots. With open decks the vessel is ideal for fly-fishing. The boat has GPS and Radio as well as all required safety features. She has two out riggers and five rods in the standard fishing set up. All the tackle on board is Shimano Tiagra spooled with 20lb line.

A full set of tackle is provided on both boats, with Penn international rod and reels, spooled with 80 1b, 50 1b and 30 1b mono line. Clients who wish to use their own lighter tackle are welcome, and we are conversant with the IGFA fly-fishing regulations.

Our experienced skipper can instruct novices and talk fishermen through any procedure in the course of reeling in their catch. Tag and release is generally encouraged for all big fish unless it is the fisherman’s first ever catch, his biggest to date, or if it is likely to be an East African or All Africa record.

August to November provides really good sport for the big Yellowfin Tuna, one of the strongest fish around. Big Blue Marlin and a number of Striped and Black Marlin are also found, as well as Sailfish. During this season, multiple hook ups are normal, when the ocean can come alive with huge schools of Tuna in pursuit of smaller fish.

During the billfish season, which is from November to March, Striped Marlin are the most prolific, sometimes showing in packs of up to ten. Large Blue and Black Marlin are also quite common during this period.

Watersports

Diving isn't the only watersports activity at Ras Nungwi. The hotel's on-site Watersports Centre can offer many other great ways to enjoy Zanzibar's temperate waters.

• Snorkelling
• Water-skiing
• Windsurfing
• Traditional sailing dhow cruises
• Deep Sea Fishing
• Kayaking

If you have your own kite surfing equipment, you will be pleased to know that Ras Nungwi offers an ideal location for kitesurfing (see opposite). Full backup is available on request, including the provision of a rescue boat.