Zan Maldive Tours and Safaris

Experience category: Nature and wildlife

  • Zanzibar Spice Farm Tour

    Zanzibar has been called the Spice Island for two centuries, and a morning on a working farm shows you why. Families here have grown spices for generations, and the plots outside town still produce cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, lemongrass and turmeric alongside jackfruit, papaya, coconut and citrus.

    This is a walking tour rather than a museum visit. Your guide, who grew up on this land, pulls a root, scrapes a bark or splits a pod and hands it to you. You smell each spice before you are told its name. You learn which plants go into the local dishes you have been eating, which go into herbal remedies still used across the island, and which appear in weddings and ceremonies.

    Along the way the farm team demonstrates coconut climbing and weaving, and lays out a tasting of seasonal tropical fruit. Most guests leave with a small bag of spices bought directly from the growers, at farm prices rather than market prices.

    The farm sits a short drive from Stone Town, so this excursion combines easily with a Stone Town walk, Prison Island or Jozani Forest to make a full day.

  • Prison Island Tour

    Changuu Island lies about thirty minutes by boat from Stone Town, and almost everyone knows it as Prison Island. The name is a small historical joke. The island was bought by General Lloyd Mathews and a prison was built there in 1893, but no prisoner was ever held in it. Instead the buildings became a quarantine station during yellow fever outbreaks, and the ruins still stand today.

    What draws visitors now is the tortoise sanctuary. A colony of Aldabra giant tortoises, originally a gift from the Seychelles, lives on the island under the care of a conservation team. The oldest animals are well over a century old. You are able to walk among them, feed them and photograph them at close range with a keeper present.

    After the sanctuary and the prison ruins, the rest of the visit belongs to the water. The island is ringed by a shallow reef and a small white beach, so there is time to snorkel, swim or sit in the shade before the boat returns to Stone Town.

    Prison Island runs as a half-day trip and pairs naturally with Stone Town, the spice farm or Nakupenda Sandbank for a full day.

  • Jozani Forest Tour

    Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park is the only national park on Unguja, and the last substantial piece of the groundwater forest once covering much of the island. It is also the only place in the world where the Zanzibar red colobus monkey lives, an endemic species named after the British consul Sir John Kirk.

    The monkeys are habituated and unafraid, so sightings are close and reliable. Troops feed and move through the canopy directly above the trail while your guide explains their social structure, their diet and the conservation work keeping the population stable. Sykes’ monkeys, bush babies, Ader’s duiker, butterflies and a long list of birds share the same forest.

    The second half of the visit follows a raised boardwalk through the mangrove swamp on the edge of Chwaka Bay. The walkway carries you over the tidal channels and root systems, and your guide explains how the mangrove protects the coast and feeds the fishery the villages depend on.

    The park sits about fifty kilometres from Stone Town on the road toward the east coast, so it combines easily with a spice farm morning or a Stone Town walk.

  • Mnemba Island Half-Day Tour

    Mnemba is a small private island off the north-east corner of Unguja, ringed by a marine conservation area with the healthiest coral and the clearest water on the island. The island itself is a private resort and closed to visitors, but the reef around it is open, and it is the best snorkelling ground in Zanzibar.

    Boats leave from the beach at Matemwe or Kiwengwa in the morning, when the water is calmest. On the way out the crew look for the resident pods of bottlenose and spinner dolphins. Sightings are common but never guaranteed, and the crew keep a respectful distance and follow local guidelines on how to enter the water.

    At the atoll you snorkel over the coral gardens. The reef here drops away gently, so the shallows suit beginners while the edge rewards confident swimmers. Angelfish, parrotfish, moray eels and turtles are all seen regularly. Gear and life jackets are provided.

    At low tide the boat will also stop at a sandbank near the atoll before returning. Fruit and soft drinks are served on board, and you are back at your hotel in time for lunch.

  • Zanzibar Aquarium and Caves

    Zanzibar sits on ancient coral rock, and where the rock has collapsed inward the island has opened up a set of natural freshwater caves. Three of them are open to visitors and each has its own character: Kuza Cave near Jambiani, tied to Swahili cultural heritage; Maalum Cave near Paje, a deep blue swimming pool under an open roof; and Salaam Cave at Kizimkazi, small, dark and lit by candlelight.

    The water in the caves is fresh, cool and still, filtered through the coral rock. Swimming in them is a different experience from the ocean and a welcome break from the heat.

    The tour pairs the caves with a visit to the natural turtle aquarium, a large tidal pool set in the coral rock behind the beach. It began as a rehabilitation and study site for marine turtles and now works to protect the local population. A keeper explains the work, and you are able to feed the turtles seaweed or get into the pool for a closer encounter.

    The visit takes two to three hours and works well as a half-day for guests staying on the east or south coast.

  • Zanzibar Zipline Adventure

    The zipline course runs on steel cables strung high above the forest, and it is the only way to see the Zanzibar canopy from above. You are fitted into a full harness, briefed by the ground crew and then sent out along a series of connected lines, some of them linked by suspension bridges.

    Between the runs there is a guided walk on the forest floor, where the guides point out the trees, the birds and the small wildlife living in the canopy you have been flying over. The mix of adrenaline and quiet forest walking makes the session more interesting than a pure adventure ride.

    Guides handle every clip and check personally, run the safety briefing before anything else happens, and stay with the group throughout. No experience is needed and first-timers make up most of each session.

    The activity works well for families with older children, for couples and for groups looking for something active between beach days.

  • Sea Turtles Sanctuary

    Behind the beach in Nungwi, a large natural tidal pool sits in the coral rock, connected to the sea and refreshed by every tide. It was set up to rehabilitate and study marine turtles, and it now works to protect the local population, taking in animals caught in nets or injured and returning healthy turtles to the sea.

    Visitors are able to buy seaweed from the keepers and feed the turtles from the edge, or get into the pool and swim alongside them. The turtles are unbothered by people and come straight to the food.

    The keepers explain the life cycle of green and hawksbill turtles, the threats they face, the nest protection programme along the coast and what happens at release. Their explanation is the part most visitors remember.

    The site is small and the visit takes about an hour, so it combines well with a Nungwi village tour or a north coast beach day.

  • Jozani Forest and Butterfly Centre

    This half-day trip pairs Zanzibar’s only national park with the community butterfly project next door, and covers most of the island’s land wildlife in a single morning.

    Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park comes first. The forest trails carry you into the territory of the endemic Zanzibar red colobus monkey, found nowhere else on earth. Sykes’ monkeys, bush babies, Ader’s duiker, butterflies and forest birds share the same trees, and your guide finds them and explains how the conservation programme works.

    The Zanzibar Butterfly Centre sits beside the park entrance. It is a community project: local farmers rear butterfly pupae for the enclosure and for export, which gives villages an income from keeping the forest standing. Inside the netted garden dozens of native species fly around you, and the keepers show you chameleons, bush babies, elephant shrews and other small residents.

    The combination works particularly well for families and for anyone with an interest in conservation, since both sites explain what protecting the forest actually pays for.

  • Stone Town and Prison Island

    The two best-known half-day excursions in Zanzibar, joined into one full day with a single transfer. It is the most popular combination we run, and the natural choice for anyone with only one free day.

    The morning belongs to Stone Town. Your guide walks you through the coral stone lanes of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: the former slave market and its memorial, the Old Fort, the House of Wonders on the seafront, the Sultan’s Palace and the produce stalls of Darajani market. Along the way you hear the stories of Princess Salme and Farrokh Bulsara, the boy from Stone Town later known as Freddie Mercury.

    In the afternoon you take the boat out to Changuu Island. Despite the name, no prisoner was ever held there. The building went up in 1893 and became a quarantine station instead. Today the island is known for its colony of Aldabra giant tortoises, some over a century old, and you are able to walk among them and feed them with a keeper present.

    The island is ringed by a shallow reef and a small white beach, so the day ends with time to snorkel or swim before the boat returns to Stone Town.

  • Stone Town and Jozani Forest

    Wildlife and history in one day, running the forest first while the monkeys are active and the day is still cool.

    You arrive at Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park in the mid-morning. The trails lead into the territory of the endangered Zanzibar red colobus monkey, a species living nowhere else on earth. Bush babies, Ader’s duiker, Sykes’ monkeys, butterflies and forest birds share the same trees. Your guide finds the troops, explains their behaviour and takes you across the mangrove boardwalk on the edge of Chwaka Bay.

    The afternoon moves to Stone Town. This UNESCO World Heritage Site carries African, Indian, European and Arabic influences in a few square kilometres of coral stone lanes. Your guide leads you past Darajani market, the former slave market and Forodhani Gardens, with views over the House of Wonders, and fills in the stories of Princess Salme, Farrokh Bulsara and Bi Kidude.

    The day finishes at the Old Fort with time for craft and souvenir shopping before the drive back to your hotel.

  • Spice Farm and Prison Island

    Land and sea in one day, and a good pairing for anyone who wants the island’s two signature experiences without a long drive.

    The morning runs in the countryside, on a working spice farm where cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper grow beside tropical fruit. The two-hour walk is hands on. Your guide handles the plants as you go, and explains how each spice is used in Zanzibari cooking, in herbal medicine and in ceremony. Fruit is cut and served as you walk.

    In the afternoon you head to Stone Town to catch the boat over to Changuu Island, about thirty minutes across the channel. There you visit the foundation caring for the colony of Aldabra giant tortoises, walk through the 1893 prison and quarantine buildings, and then have time to swim, snorkel and sunbathe on the small white beach.

    Pack your swimwear under your clothes in the morning so the afternoon runs without a change of plan.

  • Prison Island and Nakupenda Sandbank

    A full day at sea, pairing the island’s most famous wildlife with its most photographed sandbank.

    The morning boat takes you across to Changuu Island, better known as Prison Island. There your guide introduces the colony of Aldabra giant tortoises, some more than a century old, and walks you through the 1893 prison and quarantine buildings. There is time to feed the tortoises, photograph them and hear the story of how they arrived from the Seychelles.

    From there the boat sails on to Nakupenda Sandbank, a strip of white sand surrounded by shallow turquoise water and nothing else. Your shade tent is set up and a seafood barbecue is served with tropical fruit and soft drinks. The rest of the afternoon is yours: swimming in exceptionally clear water, snorkelling the reef nearby, walking the length of the bank or lying in the shade.

    The boat returns to Stone Town in the late afternoon, and your driver takes you back to your hotel.

  • Prison Island, Nakupenda Sandbank and Stone Town

    Three of the island’s signature experiences in a single day. It is the busiest tour we run and the best answer for anyone with one day and a long list.

    You start at Forodhani Park in Stone Town and take the boat across to Changuu Island. There you walk the 1893 prison and quarantine buildings and meet the colony of Aldabra giant tortoises, with time to feed and photograph them among the island’s trees and birdlife.

    The dhow then sails on to Nakupenda Sandbank, a stretch of white sand surrounded by turquoise water. You swim, snorkel and relax while a fresh seafood barbecue is prepared on the beach and served with tropical fruit and soft drinks. Free photographs of the day are included.

    In the afternoon the boat returns to Stone Town for a guided walking tour: the Old Fort, the House of Wonders, the Slave Market Museum, the cultural sites and the local markets. The day ends with the transfer back to your hotel.

  • Spice Farm and Jozani Forest

    The best land-based day on the island, and the right choice for guests more interested in nature and farming than in boats.

    The morning starts in Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, home of the endangered Zanzibar red colobus monkey and the last substantial piece of the groundwater forest once covering Unguja. Bush babies, duikers, butterflies and forest birds live in the same trees. Keep your eyes on the canopy and your guide will find the troops. The walk finishes on the mangrove boardwalk crossing the tidal forest.

    The afternoon runs on a working spice farm a short drive from Stone Town. Pepper, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon grow here alongside herbs and tropical fruit. Your guide handles the plants as you walk, so you taste and smell everything at the source, and explains how each spice reaches the local kitchen, the herbal medicine chest and the ceremonies at the heart of Zanzibari culture.

    Fruit is cut and served, and there is time at the farm shop before the drive back.

  • Jozani Forest and Prison Island

    A full day of nature across two very different habitats, the forest and the reef.

    The morning walk goes through Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, the only national park on Unguja and a safe haven for the famous endemic Kirk’s red colobus monkey. Your guide leads you along the nature trail and helps you spot the troops, along with the forest’s other residents: Sykes’ monkeys, bush babies, duikers, butterflies and birds. The route also crosses the mangrove forest on the raised boardwalk.

    Later in the day you are driven to Stone Town to catch the boat over to Changuu Island, a crossing of about thirty minutes. On arrival your guide sets out the story of the prison built in 1893 and never used to hold prisoners, and introduces the famous giant land tortoises.

    The rest of the afternoon is free to relax, swim, snorkel the shallow reef or sunbathe before the boat returns.

  • Spice Farm, Prison Island and Nakupenda Sandbank

    The walking spice tour is one of the most popular excursions in Zanzibar, and for good reason. The island was once among the world’s leading producers of clove, nutmeg and cinnamon, and the organic farms still grow a wide variety of plants through the year.

    This day starts there, on foot in a shamba, with your guide showing you how the spices, herbs and fruit grow and are harvested. You smell and taste clove, lemongrass, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla, coconut, papaya, chilli, black pepper, jackfruit, cardamom, cassava and orange as you walk.

    From the farm you go on to Prison Island, where you hear the history of the 1893 building and meet the colony of giant tortoises. Then the boat sails to Nakupenda Sandbank for a seafood lunch, swimming and time in the shade on a strip of white sand surrounded by turquoise water.

    It is a long day covering land and sea, and the best value combination we run for anyone with a single free day.