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In short
From Nungwi and Kendwa the easy half-days are the turtle lagoons at Baraka and Mnarani, snorkelling off Tumbatu Island, a village walk or cooking class, and a sunset dhow. Chumbe Island, a private marine reserve south of Stone Town, and Pemba, the archipelago's second island, are separate trips that take a full day or more.
Half-days from Nungwi and Kendwa
The north tip of Unguja is one of the island's main resort areas, and most excursions from Nungwi and Kendwa are short, with pickup included. Longer trips mean 1.5 hours or more in a car each way.
Activity
Where
Length
Good to know
Turtle lagoon (Baraka or Mnarani)
Nungwi
1.5–3 h
Feed and swim with rescued turtles; low water clarity at times
For the reef, Mnemba Atoll is the main snorkelling trip from the north and north-east coast. Certified divers and beginners should read the diving page.
Turtle lagoons: Baraka and Mnarani
Both sites are in Nungwi village and work the same way. Sea turtles rescued from fishing nets or injured at sea are kept in a natural tidal pool in the coral rock behind the beach. You buy seaweed from the carers to feed them, and you can get into the water to swim alongside them. The visit itself takes less than an hour. Tours with pickup from other parts of the island take 2–3 hours, and some add free time on Kendwa beach.
What to know before you go. The turtles live in a pool, not the open sea. Water clarity varies, and visitors' reviews say it is not always clear. Turtles can bite, so follow the carers' instructions. Don't sit on, grab or chase them, even if other visitors do. If you want to see turtles in the wild, snorkelling trips around Mnemba often find them on the reef.
Chumbe Island
Chumbe Island Coral Park is a private nature reserve off the west coast, south of Stone Town. It was legally protected in 1994 as Tanzania's first marine protected area, and a not-for-profit company runs it, funded by its small eco-lodge. The reserve calls its reef the best shallow-reef snorkelling in Zanzibar. That makes Chumbe one of the best snorkelling days on the island, but it is a nature reserve, not a party boat:
Only Chumbe's own boats go there. Check-in is at 09:30 at Jungle Paradise Resort (the former Mbweni Ruins Hotel), about 10 minutes south of Stone Town, and the boat leaves at 10:00.
A ranger guides the snorkel, which lasts about an hour, with equipment provided. Diving, kitesurfing and other water sports are not allowed in the reserve.
Day visitors get a Swahili lunch buffet. The day also includes a guided forest walk and a climb of the 1904 lighthouse (132 steps).
Day places depend on space at the lodge, so book a few days ahead. Chumbe adds a Blue Economy Levy per visitor per day (see the fee card), and asks for reef-safe sunscreen.
From Nungwi or Kendwa this is a long day, with 1.5–2 hours on the road each way. From Stone Town it is easy.
Pemba
Pemba is the archipelago's second island, north of Unguja, with its own airport. The partner listings there start on Pemba itself: guided boat dives, and snorkelling at Misali Island with a dolphin search. Treat Pemba as a stay of a few nights rather than a day trip from Nungwi, and use the diving page if reefs are the reason you go.
Paid on top
Official fees and rules
What the park, conservation area or venue charges. Check whether your tour price already includes it.
Safari Blue, Chumbe Island, Freddie Mercury Museum and Anglican Cathedral: venues' own prices and rules
Chumbe Island Blue Economy Levy, adult foreignerover 15, per person per day, day trip or overnight; added on top of Chumbe's rates
Safari Blue: start point. Trips start and finish at Fumba. Everything is included except transport to and from Fumba, booked separately.3
Chumbe Island: how to get there. Only with Chumbe Island Coral Park's own boats; no other operators or private boats.4
Chumbe Island: boat time. Check in 9:30 am at Jungle Paradise Resort & Spa (former Protea Mbweni Ruins Hotel), about 10 minutes south of Stone Town; boat leaves 10:00 am.5
Chumbe Island day trip: lunch. Day visitors get a Swahili lunch buffet.6
Chumbe Island: Blue Economy Levy. Charged per person per day to day-trip and overnight visitors on top of Chumbe's rates (since 20 August 2024).7
Checked 3 November 2026 on Venues' own websites (Safari Blue, Chumbe Island Coral Park, Freddie Mercury Museum, Anglican Diocese of Zanzibar).
Questions people ask
What is there to do in Nungwi?
Close to the hotels: the turtle lagoons, Tumbatu snorkelling, quad tours, jet skis, village walks, cooking classes and sunset dhows. Mnemba Atoll snorkelling and diving leave from the north and north-east coast, and Stone Town is about 1.5 hours away by road.
Can you swim with turtles in Nungwi?
Yes. Baraka Natural Aquarium and the Mnarani turtle sanctuary keep rescued sea turtles in tidal pools in the coral rock, where you can feed them seaweed and swim with them. Turtles can bite, so follow the carers' instructions and don't grab or ride them.
How do I get to Chumbe Island?
Only on Chumbe Island Coral Park's own boats. Check-in is at 09:30 at Jungle Paradise Resort (the former Mbweni Ruins Hotel), about 10 minutes south of Stone Town, for a 10:00 departure. From Nungwi, allow about 1.5–2 hours by road to get there.
Is there an extra fee for Chumbe Island?
Yes. Chumbe adds a Blue Economy Levy for every visitor, per person per day, on top of its own rates: US$25 for foreign adults and US$10 for children aged 5–15, according to the reserve. Some tour listings also collect the island's day-visit fee separately, so read what is not included.
Can I visit Pemba as a day trip?
Rarely. Pemba has its own airport, and the partner listings on Pemba (boat dives, Misali Island snorkelling) start on the island, so plan at least one night there.
Are the Maasai village visits on Zanzibar authentic?
The Maasai come from mainland Tanzania and Kenya, and the villages near the resorts host visitors with dance, beadwork and a craft market. For Zanzibari Swahili village life, a Nungwi village walk or a cooking class with local cooks is closer to daily life on the island.
chumbeisland.com — “Adult foreigner (>15 yrs of age): 25 USD East African residents: 12 USD East African citizens: 10 USD Children between the ages of 5 and 15: 10 USD Children under the age of 5: Free” (checked 3 November 2026)
safariblue.net — “Guided snorkeling in the beautiful clear waters of the Indian Ocean. All equipment provided. Watching dolphins at play Going ashore on the powdery sandbank Swimming at our secret spot in the hidden mangrove lagoon Feasting on our delicious Swahili seafood barbecue” (checked 3 November 2026)
safariblue.net — “Everything is included except for transport to and from Fumba” (checked 3 November 2026)
chumbeisland.com — “The only way to go to Chumbe Island is directly with us and our boats.” (checked 3 November 2026)
chumbeisland.com — “Boat check-in time is at 9:30 am at the restaurant area of Jungle Paradise Resort & Spa (Former Protea Mbweni Ruins Hotel) which is just a 10-minute drive south of Stone Town for a 10:00 am departure to the island” (checked 3 November 2026)
chumbeisland.com — “Day trippers can enjoy a delicious Swahili lunch buffet” (checked 3 November 2026)
chumbeisland.com — “all tourists visiting the island, effective as of 20 August 2024 (day trip and overnight guests) will be required to pay a Blue Economy Levy on top of our rates, per person, per day.” (checked 3 November 2026)
chumbeisland.com — Chumbe access by its own boats only, check-in time and place, lunch, guided snorkelling, no diving or water sports, reef-safe sunscreen
chumbeisland.com — Blue Economy Levy amounts for Chumbe visitors
chumbeisland.com — Chumbe gazetted in 1994 as Tanzania's first marine protected area, run by a not-for-profit company
chumbeisland.com — Guided snorkel of about one hour, forest walk, lighthouse built in 1904
zaa.go.tz — Pemba Airport, run by the Zanzibar Airports Authority
getyourguide.com — Baraka Natural Aquarium: tidal pool, feeding and swimming, turtles can bite
headout.com — Turtles rehabilitated after being caught in nets; seaweed bought from the carers
getyourguide.com — Chumbe day trip from Mbweni with snorkelling and lunch; island fee charged separately
getyourguide.com — Misali Island snorkelling and dolphin trip from Pemba
getyourguide.com — Tandem skydive with a Kendwa beach landing
getyourguide.com — Tumbatu Island snorkelling from Kendwa and Nungwi, about 3 hours
Tour prices, ratings and durations: GetYourGuide, Headout partner feeds, refreshed daily.
