Go out for half a day, just a few hours or even full days, on remote stretches of sand in the Ocean, among the spice plantations for which Zanzibar is famous, or getting lost in the mazes of Stone Town, rich in colours and scents… the choice is yours.
Nakupenda Island
Departure from the hotel around 08:00.
The excursion is organised by the Staff of Nakupenda, creators of this wonderful excursion in the middle of the sea. Our comfortable minibuses for 7 or 14 persons and private drivers will take you to Stone Town to take a boat. Here the Nakupenda Staff will take us aboard a magnificent Dhow, with comfortable cushions and a panoramic roof where you can take some sun. The first stop will be at Prison Island, a famous small island in the Zanzibar archipelago, where a prison was built that was never used, and which later became a place of quarantine for sailors of commercial ships. Here there is a real sanctuary for giant land turtles, donated in the nineteenth century by the Sultan of the Seychelles to the Sultan of Zanzibar.
At the end of the visit, you will embark again to reach the sandy stretches, with crystal clear waters for snorkelling and bathing. A Top location with the excellent organisation of the Nakupenda staff, who will organise a unique banquet with local products, shellfish, wine, soft drinks and coffee. All snorkelling equipment is provided by the staff.
Return to the city between 15:30 and 16:00 and, depending on what the guests would like to do, there is a chance to stop again in Stone Town for sunset.
Jozani Forest and the Butterfly Sanctuary
Possibility of departure both in the morning and immediately after lunch to visit the only forest at sea level. Here we will visit three extremely interesting areas: the first part the Forest itself, discovering all its varied plant species. The second area is the Mangrovie forest, with an amazing walkway over the sea water, which depending on the tide can be high or low, and finally the third area is where the Red Colobus monkeys live, a very rare species that can be found only in this part of the world.
This excursion can also be divided so that you visit just one of the two areas.
Tour of the Spices
Zanzibar is known all over the world for being one of the most important global centres for the trade and planting of spices. This primacy was due to another sad record, for being one of the major centres of the slave trade, where slaves, in addition to being sold in Zanzibar to be taken all over the world, were used on the island to cultivate cloves. The excursion is really inspiring and is located in an area near Villa Dida. Adults and children will have a lot of fun discovering spices and fruits and their uses in cosmetics, food and local medical treatments.
Possibility of visiting both in the morning and in the evening.
Visit to Stone Town
Stone Town is a city rich in colours and scents. It is also a chaotic and warm city, it is a city full of contrasts and it is wonderful to see the sun setting in the middle of the sea from one of its many cafes with a terrace. It is a place rich in culture and history, so much so that it has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Normally we organise departures in the afternoon to end the visit at sunset, starting the visit at the characteristic fruit, vegetable and fish market. Then we will visit the Anglican Church, erected where previously there had been the slave market. Here there is an interesting permanent photographic exhibition illustrating the history of slavery. From here we will wander around the narrow streets of Stone Town, full of small shops selling local crafts, perfumes, creams and clothes, until we reach the ancient Portuguese fort on the sea, where today the most important cultural and musical festivals of the island take place, such as the Sauti Za Busara.
