Zanzibar: 3 Excursions Not to Miss

Zanzibar isthe perfect destination to relax on the beach and soak up the sun,but make the most of the trip to discover the island and its culture with these 3 excursions not to miss in Zanzibar!

In Zanzibar, excursions are organised by travel agencies, by hotels, and by the Beach Boys, and they’re often identical. We relied on the Beach Boys, just as we did in Kenya, and we recommend you do the same.

There are excursions of every kind: from a full day ofsnorkellingand swimming with dolphins, to aboat aperitifto enjoy the sunset!
If you haven’t decided on your excursions yet before leaving, you’ll be spoiled for choice, butwe’re here to help you pick!

1. Prison Island

Duration:full day
Distance:150km

This is a boat excursion withdeparture from Stone Town, so if you’re staying in a different area like we did, in Nungwi, your excursion will start with a 1.5-hour car ride.
Once at the port of Stone Town and aboard a typical Zanzibari boat, you head out to sea, towardsPrison Island.

The Prison Island

Prison Island is a well-known island in the Zanzibar archipelago, named after the prison built on it. In the 20th century, with the outbreak of yellow fever, it was converted into a quarantine hospital. In fact, the island is now officially called Quarantine Island. Today, the island is home to acolony of giant tortoises. Tradition has it that they’re all descendants of the first fourgifted by the Seychelles. On Prison Island you can visit the old prison and snap some photos of the giant tortoises that live here, immersed in nature.

2. Nakupenda, the Island That Isn’t There

Duration:full day
Distance:120km

This boat excursion also departs from Stone Town, so if you’re staying in a different area like we did, in Nungwi, your excursion will start with a 1.5-hour car ride.

Nakupenda means “I love you” in Swahili, and it’s a paradise island! It’s also calledthe island that isn’t there becauseit’s a sandbank you can only step onto at low tide, and it gradually disappears as the tide rises.At Nakupenda you can snorkel or sunbathe, and definitely take a ton of photos!Besides this “natural” show, the excursion includes lunch right on this strip of sand.

And it really is a treat to watch the beach boys prepare a typical Zanzibari lunch with rice served alongside lobster, cicadas, octopus, squid!

3. Mnemba

Duration:full day
Distance:40 minutes by boat from Nungwi

Mnemba is a private island, or rather THE private island, since apparently it was bought by Mr Bill Gates himself.You can’t land or dock on the islandunless you’re staying at the exclusive resort, which runs €1,500 a night. The penalty for landing, whether intentional or accidental, is steep, so be careful. You can, however, hang around it, at least 200 metres away, and snorkel to admire all the marine life. The area is in fact famous for its coral reef and the chance to spot sea turtles and dolphins. After snorkelling you get back on the boat and head to shore, onto a pristine white beach where lunch is prepared with fish and shellfish.

The return trip is even more spectacular, if that’s possible! You get back on the boat, move a bit further out from shore, and unfurl the sails, heading back home with the wind.

Don’t Miss This! (No Excuses)

You have no excuse!If you go to Zanzibar or Kenya, you MUST visit a school or nursery and bring something for the children!
If you bring biscuits, the kids will definitely be happy. But if you really want to be useful, bring notebooks, markers, pens, pencils. Basically,anything kids need for school!

It’s not exactly an excursion, but we recommend it so you cansee and experience real lifefirsthand, a bit removed from the tourist gloss, but travel, in our view, isn’t just a holiday, it’s alsoa great excuse to get to know different cultures.

What about you? What excursions have you done inZanzibar?!