Jambiani, a smaller village just 10 minute taxi south from Paje, boasts the same magical conditions but with none of the people, There are many lagoons, small and big in Jambiani, although the spots are a little smaller than Paje. The village is a lot quieter and less touristy than Paje as its a fishing village. As a result there are maximum 20/30 kites in the air and in some lagoons none at all!
Sticks – Close to the shore in some areas of Jambiani there are seas weed farms, that are basically just rows of wooden sticks in the sand about 60cm high. they are easy to walk around and kite over, but there are clear areas without sticks at all, so I recommend just staying away from them as much as possible!
The Tide – For a different reason to Paje, the tide is the same, but the beach is thinner than in paje, as such; if you wanted to stay out kiting until high tide- you may struggle to find a place to land your kite. When the tide is at its highest there is very little beach to speak of. But then you will have at least 6 hours a day of incoming and outgoing low tide to kite in!
The school – Located in the middle of Jambiani, facing one of the larger lagoons, or Anti-lagoons as I call it, is Casa Kite Zanzibar, one of only 2 schools currently open in Jambiani(hence why it’s so uncrowded!). Set a little back from the beach, meaning there is still space to land your kite in high tide. Lies Casa kite like any school doing lessons, rentals and organising SUP tours and Surfing lessons. Mainly using BEST kites, but appearances also from Liquid Force, and North. Students and riders have 3 immediate choices at Casa Kite Zanzibar, the Anti lagoon, the deep lagoon and the Secret lagoon!
The anti lagoon – is a large circle lagoon that is shallower than the rest of the sea floor, meaning when the tide is higher, there is still a place where you can stand up!
The deep lagoon – is for when the tide is completely out, its flat and sandy and completely empty! What’s not to like…
Now, the secret lagoon… que dramatic music*. When the water is completely out there is a large river looking strip of water, that is predominantly the ‘deep lagoon’ But on the other side it gets shallow again and opens into another small perfect lagoon, sandbanks rising up and down, all around waist height or lower. It’s called the secret lagoon because of the perspective when you look towards it, you cannot see it. Only when you kite right over there does it open out, revealing this awesome untouched haven for your every kiting desire!
Leo Holland runs a kitesurfing school in Zanzibar
Kite School : Casa Kite Zanzibar
Contact: info@casa-delmar-zanzibar.com
Casa Kite Facebook Page : Click Here