Zanzibar Excursions

Zanzibar is packed with activities to keep you smiling throughout your stay, regardless of your interest. From cultural and historical tours to pristine reefs and magical forests, Zanzibar can provide it all.

Spice Tours

A spice is a pleasant way of exploring the countryside around Stone Town, and meeting Zanzibar’s rural communities. Guides take you on a walking tour of one of the small locally owned plantations, or to the government run plantations at Kizimbani or Kindichi, Picking bunches of leaves, fruit and twigs from bushes and inviting you to smell or taste them to guess what they are. Most of the ingredients of the average kitchen spice rack are represented-cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, garlic, chillies, black pepper, nutmeg and vanilla among many others. Local children often accompany you on your rounds, making baskets of palm leaves and filling them with flowers to give to you. Tours often include a stop-off at a local house for meal of spiced pilau rice and curry, followed by sweet Arabic coffee and perhaps a slice of lemongrass cake. Many spice tours include a visit to the Persian baths built by Sultan Said for his harem.

Princess Salme Trip
This excursion begins at Mtoni Palace, Where Princess Salme, the daughter of Sultan Said and one of his secondary wives was born in 1844. You’ll then head to Marahubi Palace, built by Sultan Barghash, Salme’s older brother, who she helped to escape after a failed attempt to overthrow their brother, Sultan Majid. From here, you’ll travel to Stone Town, and to the Palace Museum, which has a room dedicated to Salme’s life and writings. Your guide will take you to her house, where her romance with Heinrich Ruete, with whom she later eloped, began across balconies, resulting in secret trysts and meetings in the countryside.

Slave Routes of Zanzibar
There were numerous routes used by slave traders across the island, especially after the slave trade was declared illegal. Such excursions can begin at the Dhow Harbour in Malindi, where slave ships brought their human cargo from Bagamoyo to Zanzibar, moving to the house of Tippu Tip, the notorious slave trader and then on to the Anglican Church, built on the old slave market. From here, tours often move to Mbweni, past the missionary graves to visit Mbweni Ruins, formerly a  school for freed slave girls, before heading to Livingstone House and onto Mangapwani Beach. At Mangapwani you can walk through the caves which stored hundreds of slaves, kept waiting for the monsoons and the arrival of the dhows to be carried north.

Jozani Forest                           

Jozani Forest lies at the heart of Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park, straddling a narrow belt of land linking the east and west coast of the island. It is largest area of mature indigenous forest on Unguja, and home to possibly the island’s most famous and photographed resident, the Zanzibar red Colobus monkey. The forest stands on a shallow depression in the fossil coral bed, bordered by dry coral rag forest and thicket either side, and by mangrove forests and salt marshes to the north and south. The diverse range of natural habitats to be found in the national park supports a variety of rare, endangered and endemic species, including the Ader’s duiker, as well as Sykes monkeys, bush babies, African civet, giant elephant shrews, and chameleons as well as more than 100 species of brightly coloured butterflies and around 83 species of birds. Several nature trails lead through the shady depths, winding beneath the towering red mahogany trees, sycamore figs, raffia palm and wild date palms, before leading out through a plantation of whistling pine. The forest has been protected since 1950.
Around a kilometre south of the visitors centre and café is the Mangrove Forest Boardwalk, which leads through a surreal landscape of spidery mangrove roots and mushroom-like nodules poking up through the brackish water below. Tropical fish dart around in the shallows beneath the boards, while crabs feast in the nutrient rich mud among the root of the nine species of mangroves. The Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park was established in 1995, and is working in partnership with people from the surrounding villages to help conserve its fragile ecosystems. Practical activities, such as mangrove replanting projects are combined with educational activities, as well as training and support on sustainable management techniques. The Jozani Environmental Conservation Association (JECA), represents these communities and allows them to have a say in the running of the park. The education of children also plays a significant role in the conservation effort, and local school children are brought here to learn about the value of the forest and its surrounding environment. The majority of revenue generated by visitors to the park is ploughed back into conservation work, as well as supporting community projects such as schools and health facilities, Entrance to Jozani Forest and the Mangrove Forest Boardwalk costs 8 USD, which includes an accompanying guide, although a tip is always appreciated.

Dolphin Tours

The coastal waters around Kizimkazi provide a natural habitat and breeding ground for humpback and bottlenose dolphins, Tourists hoping to experience the thrill of a close encounter with the dolphins can organise a day trip with one of the tour companies in Stone Town, or make their own way there and charter a local boat. However, the growing number of boats all competing to give their passengers the best chance of spotting, or swimming with the dolphins has resulted in a decresed number of sightings. While watching dolphins in their natural habitats can be an exciting and rewarding experience, care must be taken to avoid disturbing the animals, particularly those with young calves. Guidelines have been drawn up to help minimise the impact of dolphin watching trips. By following the guideline, and encouraging your boat driver to do the same, you can help to ensure dolphins are not driven away from Kizimkazi altogether.

Whale Watching
Ethical and responsible humpback whale watching and tours are available at the most southerly point of Zanzibar, In association with knowledgeable local fishermen and the scenic local villages of the Kizimkazi area, regular tours are conducted between the month of July and August, when whales are most typically found in the coastal or shelf waters, in a traditional Zanzibari dhow, you will be shown these majestic and graceful mammals in their natural habitat by an experienced fisherman and professional guide, while at the same time receiving an in depth education on their conservation and behaviour. This exciting tour will undoubtedly make for an extremely memorable experience.

Diving and Snorkelling
Zanzibar is surrounded by colourful coral reefs offering some of the best diving and snorkelling in the world. The shallow waters around Unguja support an impressive array of coral and marine life, including dolphins, turtles, barracuda and occasionally even sharks. Mnemba Atoll, a protected reef just off the north east tip of Unguja, is justifiably famous for the sheer diversity and number of tropical reef fish. Many visitors, in their haste to reach the coast, often overlook diving from Stone Town, but some of the best snorkelling sites can be found around the islands just off Stone Town.
Pemba has also gained a reputation as a world class diving destination offering spectacular drop offs and exhilarating drift dives, with excellent visibility. Snorkellers are spoilt for choice, with colourful reefs surrounding the coast, often within swimming distance.

Deep Sea Fishing
With spectacular deep sea fishing and record breaking catches in Unguja, Pemba and Mafia, Zanzibar is a fisherman’s paradise. There’s superb deep sea fishing all year round with marlin, sail fish, tuna, barracuda and trevally running deep. The Indian ocean is rich in fish, with tuna and pelagic migrating through the Pemba channel every year, and snapper, grouper and sharks are in residence all year round.
There are a number of private companies and tour operators specialising in deep sea fishing to guide you through the waters, offering fishing safaris for the dedicated angler. Customised boats have light and heavy tackle, electronics, GPS and safety equipment for the serious international fisherman. Excursions usually last for a day, with boats bringing you and your catch back to your hotel in time for dinner.

Blue Safari
Safari Blue is arguably one of Zanzibar’s best excursions. Allow yourself to sail away across the soothing waves of the Indian Ocean on a beautifully carved Swahili dhow. Complete with refreshments and a friendly and knowledgeable crew, your traditional mode of transport will take you snorkelling, to one of the archipelago’s most splendid deserted islands for a wonderfully fresh seafood grill and then finally to a lagoon that only dreams are made of.

Sunset or Sunrise Cruise                   

A personal guide will accompany you on your cruise and give you a tour of Stone Town from the water. The sunsets, changing the sky from shades of pinks and blues to magnificent golden colours as you sail alongside the glimmering lights of Stone Town. Some cruises also go to Mwangapwani, where many years ago slaves were exported from. Now tourists can explore the coastline fringed with coconut palm trees and enjoy the most breathtaking sunsets. The early morning sunrise cruises are a perfect sailing and snorkelling excursion for the time limited traveller or the early riser. The silence of the morning sea makes the perfect accompaniment to this beautiful sunrise cruise. Sail to the sand banks or Prison island to do early morning snorkelling in the breathtaking ocean.

Prison Island Trips
Previously owned by an Arab to house his rebellious slaves, the prison was never used, and the island is now home to a tortoise sanctuary, prison ruins and hotel. Prison island is 20 minutes away from Stone Town by boat and has spectacular coral reefs to enjoy while snorkelling. If you’re feeling active, you can explore one of the hiking trails, snorkel in the crystal clear waters in search of colourful tropical fish darting through the reef or soak up some sun on the powder white beach. Prison Island is also home to a family of giant tortoises.

Sand Bank Picnic

Sand Bank picnics begin on a traditional Swahili dhow trip that sails you toward a seemingly uninhabited and quiet bank in the ocean which suddenly comes to life with millions of birds flying overhead and ghost crabs scurrying across the golden sands. After lunch, relax on the sandbank listening to the hush of waves lapping against the shore.