Kitesurfing in Paje
Paje is on the small island of Zanzibar, which is on the West coast of Africa. The long strip of pure white sand is home to around 28 kite schools. The warm Indian Ocean offers shallow water out to the reef 2km offshore.
If you want to kite in paradise then this is the place for you!
view of Paje beach from Mr Kahawa
When to go
There are two main kite seasons, the end of December to the end of February and June to October. During both seasons the wind is still fairly light, generally below 20 knots. The temperature being around 30 degrees in December and only dropping 4 or 5 degrees throughout the year, which also keeps the water temperature in the upper 20’s! If you can be flexible with your dates, check the forecast and book accordingly. I’m currently sat looking at this amazing playground and so far December is proving to be very still which incidentally makes the hot weather extremely humid so be mindful of this.
The Kite Centre, Zanzibar, located right next to Mr Kahawa
Kite Schools
As mentioned above there are a lot of kite schools to choose from and I’m sure standards will vary, but I would recommend The Kite Centre located quite centrally and is part of Mr Kahawa’s hotel. The centre manager is Barish who is so friendly and helpful, giving us all the local kite tips but also giving us plenty of no wind options on and off the water. The Kite Centre Zanzibar was the first centre here and offers IKO tuition using the latest Duotone gear.
Excellent Spot for Beginners…
Paje is a great location for all levels of riders, but the warm, flat and crystal clear water makes it an excellent spot for if you are new to the sport. If you are learning to kite I would suggest wearing wet shoes, although the sea bed is mainly sand there are patches of coral and a few sea urchins that you need to watch out for.
Where To Stay
We stayed at Mr Kahawa, which is located right on the beach in Paje and we thought it was amazing. The rooms are spacious and comfy, no TV which is great, but all rooms and common areas have free Wi-Fi. There is a decent sized pool, surrounded by sun loungers where you can sit and watch the monkeys playing in the trees. What made our stay here was definitely the people, the staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome and ensure you have everything you need.
The food and drinks here are incredible! Breakfast, which is included in the price of your stay includes a buffet of granola, fresh fruit, pastries, some hot local vegetable dishes, pancakes and coffee to die for. You also have a menu where you can select one item each day. The avocado on toast and the breakfast bowls were our favourites. All of the food here is prepared from scratch, using fresh local ingredients. We also ate several meals in the restaurant and could not fault the food or service, and all at a very reasonable price.
Why Come to Paje?
Paje not only offers a great location for kitesurfers of all levels, but it has a real charm about it with an eclectic mix of bars and restaurants that line the beach, pop up boxing classes, cross fit sessions and yoga in abundance. Although from the UK it is a bit of a trek, it is well worth it, a place we would highly recommend. We will definitely return when the wind is blowing.
