Excursions
Guests can book various trips on the island, such as visiting Stone Town, following in the footsteps of Freddy Mercury, visiting the Jozani forest to see the Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey and sailing on a dhow to find dolphins. Other excursions include the Princess Salme Trip, the Prison Island Trip to Changuu Island with its ancient giant tortoises and the Sand Bank Picnic. Or choose the Slave Routes of Zanzibar that includes a visit to the slave caves. The Spice Tour shows why Zanzibar was known as the Spice Island, while the Sultan Panorama excursion explores the history of the Sultans. Take the Swahili Cultural Trip to find out more about Swahili culture or try the Safari Blue for snorkelling and a seafood barbeque. End the day with our Sunset Cruise, sipping jungle juice or cocktails and snacking on canapés as the boat sails along the coast.
WE RECOMMEND:
Stone Town Trip
Follow in the footsteps of the sultans, slaves and explorers down the winding streets of Stone Town. Your guide will tell you about the events that shaped Zanzibar, leading you through the buildings where everything happened, including the former slave market, the Anglican cathedral, the House of Wonders, the Sultan’s Palace museum and the old Arab Fort. You will also visit modern Zanzibar sites, including the fish and vegetable markets.
Freddy Mercury Trip
Born Farouk Bulsara in 1946 in Shangani, Freddie Mercury spent his formative years living and playing in Stone Town’s winding alleyways. On this trip you will wander through Shangani before heading to the mystical Zoroastrian temple, where Mercury worshipped with his family, before ending the day at Mercury’s Restaurant.
Jozani Forest Tour
The Jozani forest is home to a number of endemic species, including the Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey, the Zanzibar leopard, which is critically endangered and possibly extinct and the recently described Zanzibar servaline genet. Your guide will take you on a nature trail, lined with eucalyptus and mahogany trees and explain the medicinal properties of various plants and tell you about the animals, birds and reptiles that make their home in the various habitats of the tropical rainforest.
Kizimkazi Dolphin Adventure
Guests travel about an hour to Kizimkazi on Zanzibar’s south coast, where they board a traditional ocean-going dhow and set sail on the Indian Ocean in search of dolphins. The dhow can pass as close as 10 to 20 meters from the dolphins and guests have sometimes been lucky enough to swim and snorkel with these beautiful animals. The boat trip takes approximately two hours and includes snorkelling on the pristine coral reef and lunch.
Princess Salme Trip
Princess Salme was an Arabian princess who sent shockwaves through Zanzibar when she taught herself to write, conspired to overthrow her brother, fell pregnant and eloped to Germany with a young merchant. On this trip guests follow her life from Mtoni Marine, where she was born, to Marhubi Palace which was built by Sultan Barghash, Salme’s brother. The tour ends at the Palace Museum, where a room has been dedicated to Salme’s life and writings.
Prison Island Trip
Prison Island, also known as Changuu Island, gets its name from the prison built to keep citizens from Zanzibar in isolation. Previously owned by an Arabian slave trader to house rebellious slaves, the prison was never used and the island is now a tortoise sanctuary. Prison ruins can still be seen on the island and a hotel has also been built there. Visitors can watch giant tortoises shuffle through the trees and are probably over 100 years old.
Sand Bank Picnic
Guests on this trip leave on a dhow from Serena Inn for Prison Island. After exploring the island, they are taken on a guided snorkelling trip to see the stunning array of coloured corals and tropical fish. Afterwards, they sail away to a sand bank with wonderful bird life, where lunch is served. After lunch, it’s time to relax on the beach or explore the underwater life surrounding the sandbank. The dhow sails leisurely back to Stone Town arriving at approximately 15h30.
Slave Routes of Zanzibar
This excursion begins at the Dhow Harbour, where slave ships originally offloaded their human cargo from Bagamoyo. The tour continues to the Anglican Church at the slave market and past the missionary graves. The tour ends at Mangapwani, where you can walk through the caves which held hundreds of slaves, waiting for the monsoons and the arrival of the dhows that will take them to be sold.
Spice Tour
Zanzibar was known as the Spice Island, exporting cloves, vanilla, nutmeg and cardamom across the world. Nowadays, the plantations are a tribute to the island’s past. On this tour you get the opportunity to walk through the spice farms with your guide and touch, smell and taste different spices and tropical fruits. You also get the chance to learn about their properties, origin and use as medicines and additives to food and drink.
Sultan Panorama
This full day excursion starts in Stone Town and covers the history of the Sultans, the slave trade and invasions that shaped Zanzibar’s history. Guests visit Darajani Market to experience city life with all the hustle and bustle, sounds and aromas. Guests are then taken to a spice farm where they get the opportunity to taste seasonal spices and fruits and learn about their properties and use.
Sunset Cruise
In the days of slave trading, slaves were exported from the Mangapwani coast over thousands of miles to faraway lands and continents. Guests can explore the coastline, fringed with coconut palm trees and enjoy the most breath-taking sunsets while sipping on jungle juice or cocktails and eating canapés as the boat sails along the coast before it returns to the Stone Town. (Seasonal)
Diving
Diving in Zanzibar is highly recommended and dives can be arranged at various sites around the island including Matemwe Beach for diving at the infamous Mnemba Atoll.
Scuba Fish Zanzibar offers instruction, equipment and transport at our Sports and Recreation Centre..
Swahili Cultural Trips
Swahili culture has many elements, such as music, dance, visual arts, traditional games, cuisine and dhow culture. A Swahili cultural tour is a wonderful way for visitors to immerse themselves in the local culture and experience how Zanzibari’s live every day. The cultural tour offers the ideal opportunity for guests to gain real insight into the people and life on the island and is a great way to support sustainable tourism and the people of Zanzibar.
Safari Blue
On this trip guests can sail away on a traditional dhow to a private island and enjoy some wonderful snorkelling along the way. A seafood barbeque lunch is served under the trees on the island. After a day full of swimming, relaxing and local dancing, guests sail back to the mainland, stopping for a quick swim in the cool waters of the mangroves.
*All excursions can be booked with your ground handler or onsite at our tours desk.
*As part of our commitment to providing high quality service, please be advised that from 1 February 2022, we will levy a nominal service charge of 5% on the total bill to share among our staff as appreciation for their efforts in delivering magical memories while staying with us!