My top 5 Zanzibar experiences

In May this year I was invited to spend a week in Zanzibar at the Hideaway of Nungwi Resort and Spa in the Nungwi region.This was my first trip to Zanzibar but it certainly won’t be my last. At the end of the week-long journey I left the island awestruck (find your own Zanzibar adventure here).

While in Zanzibar, my goal was to experience as much of island as possible. Below is a series of photographs of my top five Zanzibar highlights. For more on my experiences, read my Zanzibar blogs at CapturingAfrica Journeys.

1. Nungwi Beach

As the name suggests, the Hideaway Resort is located on Nungwi Beach which is on the north west coast of Unguja Island, the largest island of the Zanzibar Archipelago. Due to its location, Nungwi does not have the extreme high and low tidal differences as the rest of the island. The advantage of this is you can enjoy the beach and calm swimming conditions throughout the day.

Walking Nungwi Beach

Nungwi Beach

Sunset on a Dhow near Nungwi Beach

2. Dhow Safari

On the third day of my Zanzibar visit I went on a full day dhow safari from Stone Town. The itinerary had us visiting the historical Prison Island, followed by some snorkeling off a shallow coral reef and finally a seafood BBQ on a remote beach island. Sound too good to be true? It was.

A Zanzibar Dhow

Island Safari in Zanzibar

Prison Island in Zanzibar

3. Stone Town

Definitely one of the biggest highlights of my trip to Zanzibar. I visited Stone Town on two separate occasions during my stay but could have spent more time here. The best way to experience Stone Town is to simply walk the streets and take it all in – making sure you try some of these top 10 Zanzibari street foods.

A craftsman in Stone Town

Walking Stone Town 

A small coffee shop in Stone Town

4. Swimming with dolphins

This was something I planned to do before arriving in Zanzibar. I only had one opportunity to do this and unfortunately the ocean conditions on the day were not good. I planned to film the dolphins with my GoPro but with the poor ocean conditions we never got close enough. Needless to say, it was an amazing experience and I’ll definitely do it again when I am next in Zanzibar.

Dolphin Safari in Zanzibar

Searching for Dolphins

5. Red Colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest

When travelling to Zanzibar, most people focus on the coastal experiences but visiting the Jozani Forest was definitely one of my highlights. The Jozani Forest is one of the few places where you can see the rare Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey. They are endemic to the island and interestingly have no opposable thumbs like most primates.

A Young Red Colobus Monkey

Red Colobus Monkey in the trees

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