The variety of its people and their exotic cultures, its medley of architectural styles, the narrowness of its streets winding through brilliant sunshine into purple shadow, its ornamental gardens, avenues of trees, long fringed breathtaking sea shores with turquoise waters and clove-scented air, divine relaxation, all these combine to invest it with something of an Arabian Night’s atmosphere.
What a unique, splendid and surpassed experience Authentic Zanzibar Tours and Safaris has to offer.
With over fifteen years of experience in tourism industry of its staff, Authentic Zanzibar has always catered the world standard services with astonishingly diverse range of glorious activities. From its romantic white sandy beaches to its meandering streets like maze, from its abundance of marine life with beautiful corals to herbs of spices that made this exotic Island once known as the “Spice Island”.
HISTORICAL STONE TOWN TOUR
Stone Town gives the visitor a scintillating introduction into the melting pot of cultures. This is a historical tour that takes you to different historical sites of the ancient Arabic city in East Africa. The guided tour of stone town will best give you the introduction of Zanzibar and presentation of the turbulent history of the East African Coast. The tour starts at the former Slave Market Site where slaves were sold. This site was the main market in the East and central Africa where now stands an Anglican Cathedral to mark the atrocities took place. The tour proceeds to the central market, an astonishing food market that was built a hundred years ago. Exotic fruits like Durian, mangosteen, karambola, jack fruits and others on the stalls with amazing colors are exposed to local vendors.
Take a glimpse of a fascinating scene at the market, the fish market, it gives you a chance to see myriad of fish species exposed on stalls, here your guide will identify different kinds of them.
The tour continue taking you through the winding streets in the bazaar with their ancient architectural types, viewing intricately curved Arabic and Indian doors with their decorative brass studs protruding on the shutters that visitors always admire. The tour will proceed visiting the house of the famous notorious slave trader Ahmed bin Tipu Tipu before you continue to the Arab Fort built by the Omani Arabs three hundred years ago after concurring the Portuguese.
From the Fort the tour will take you to the House of Wonders built by Sultan Barghash bin Said as a royal ceremonial functions palace which currently used as a Zanzibar national museum. The Stone Town tour will wind up by taking you back to your hotel.
There is only one place in the world you can see the famous Red Colobus monkey.
A trip to the south of the island, exploring the magnificent view of Zanzibar country side will bring you to the only remaining natural forest in Zanzibar -Jozani Forest, the home of endemic species of the red Colobus Monkeys now honored as a biosphere reserve and the only National Park on the Island.<
JOZANI FOREST
The park’s vegetation encompasses ground water forest, clumps of mangroves, saline grassland and evergreen thickets. There is an enormous amount of birdlife to be seen in the Park with common sighting of little greenbul, red caped robin chat and the Olive sunbird. Butterflies are profuse with over 90 different species identified and 9 of them endemic.
The elephant shrew, furtive suni antelope, wild pig and syke monkeys all occur in Jozani Forest, but the site of red Colobus monkeys is a breathtaking experience. Our naturalist guide will accompany you to view these lovely creatures that have black faces and wild white and red punk styles. Typical of Colobus species, they are thumb less, but move with an incredible agility. They extraordinarily used to people that they will move on the lower branches foraging for food without paying your attention.
SPICE TOUR
Zanzibar has been blessed with abundant graces including spices, in ancient days they called it the spice Island. Today the elegance and aroma of exotic spices are still with us.
A delightful trip to the central part of the Island from your hotel will be joined by our insightful guide who will expose you to the culinary world.
Here you will smell and taste different varieties of spices including Cloves, Cinnamon, Cadamon, Nutmeg, Pepper, curry leaves and others.
Amid your tour, you will be amazed by the wonderful handwork skills of the local boys who as your guide take you around to see the spices they will make you fabulous jewelries from the palm leaves. But you cannot leave the lush vegetation of aromatic spices without being spoilt to different tastes of exotic fruits of Zanzibar.
DOLPHIN SAFARI
It is not surprising that this elegant trip has become a part of many visitors’ water safari. Exiting and exhilarating, it offers a spectacular vantage point from which to view magnificent creatures- the dolphins.
One hour from Stone Town you will come to the most southern tip of the Island where our guide will give you delightful information about the dolphins. The safari begins when you catch your boat for this wonderful experience. Water exploring provides maximum time for dolphin spotting. As with any wild safari, sighting cannot be absolutely guaranteed – however a most enjoyable day can. After about half an hour boat ride, the dolphins emerge out of the water with their glistening backs.
Two species of the dolphin are common at Kizimkazi, hump back and bottle nose. Bottle nose dolphins are the friendly species and when you have your flippers on and a mask you can swim with them gracefully. Moreover, the trip will take you unhurriedly to view a dazzling array of rich and diverse fish life in the beautiful corals. A stunning sea food lunch will end your memorable day as you begin your trip back to the Hotel.
PRISON ISLAND TOUR
This Island is approximately half a mile long and one eighth of a mile wide and was formerly owned by an Arab and used as a private place of detention for recalcitrant slaves. It was bought by General Mathews and the jail was built in 1893 as a central prison for Zanzibar.
It was however never utilized as such. Several pits occur in some parts of the Island which made when coral rag was taken for the building of some of original houses in Dar es Salaam.
The Island also was used as a quarantine Island after the cholera epidemic in the 1950s for Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika present Tanzania mainland. But the prominent attraction is the Aldabra giant tortoises, the sub species of Galapagos. Their sizes are amazing with their undignified movements waiting for the visitors to pick up a bunch of spinach to feed them. Prison Island also offers an excellent snorkeling and sun bathing experiences.
SNORKELING
Zanzibar has some of the best coral reef in the world, abundant marine wildlife and unpolluted waters. We will take you snorkeling on spectacular sites. Our guided snorkeling trips are arranged all around the Island no matter where you stay. Islands like Chumbe and Mnemba are under conservation projects, hence making them among the best snorkeling spots in the world.
This trip covers the entire stretch of an Island for two days.
Do you want to explore and learn all about Zanzibar and its culture? This study trip is for you.
Kizimkazi Mosque built since 1107
From Mwinyi Mkuu palace ruins, we will head down south driving through a beautiful lane with mango trees on both sides. This trip will take us to the home of endemic species of the Red Colobus monkeys, here we will view these wonderful creatures before we continue to see an intimate park, “Zanzibar Butterfly Centre”.
Here you will visit East Africa’s largest butterfly enclosure with hundreds of free flying butterflies set in a 5000 square foot tropical garden, usually containing 10 to 20 species at any one given time. Butterflies in the exhibit are obtained from butterfly ranching and butterfly farms which help protect natural habitats and encourage conservation. The trip will then take us to Paje, south east of the island for our lunch on a beach restaurant.
In Zanzibar there is what believed to be the most ancient Persian settlement. Kizimkazi village is the evidence of such, a mosque built on the same foundation of an old mosque is still standing. The mihrub which is the front part of the mosque is still with original cufic scriptures dating from the 12th century.
This fishing village is also flourished with many fascinating activities, including the famous local rope making industry.
We will visit the women rope making cooperative, which make ropes from coconut husks same way they did over a hundred years ago. After visiting Kizimkazi, drive back to the Hotel and overnight.
Day two:
This morning we will take you to the Dr. Livingstone house where he stayed on his trip to the quest for the Nile. The house was given to him as bribery by the Sultan in order not to report the slavery activities that took place at that time. The tour will take you to the romantic palace ruin of Maruhubi built by Sultan Barghash bin Said for his harem but accidentally it was destroyed by fire in 1899. One kilometer to the north lies another palace ruin called Beit el Mtoni.
This is the first palace to be built on the Island by the Oman Sultans, this palace was built after Seyyid Said bin Sultan made Zanzibar the capital of Oman. It is also the birth place of a legendry princess of Zanzibar, princess Salme the daughter of the first Sultan who married a German diplomat.
The tour proceeds to the central Island where you will see different spices including Cinamon, Cadamon, Nutmeg and many other aromatic spices. A remarkable local lunch will be served here before moving on visiting a functioning local mud house with a site lecture on village life and local/swahili culture. The sojourn will continue to the Mkokotoni local fish market and a harbor to once the capital of Zanzibar, Tumbatu Island, and the third largest Island in Zanzibar.
The Portuguese conquerors dominated the Indian Ocean for two hundred years, we will be able to visit remnants of the Portuguese ruins on the north of the Island with an on site lecture. A maritime experience await on the most northern part of the Island where we will have an opportunity to see a Dhow building site.
This village has preserved the dhow tradition for generations, still making what they did with the design in the chief builder’s memory. Not far from the Dhow building site, a local community based conservation project of the sea turtles has now been going on for years and proved very successful. The haunting experience will make our day on a romantic white sandy beach of Kendwa where you will enjoy the stunning sunset, before going back to the hotel a romantic sea food dinner will be served on the beach.
SAFARI BLUE.
Discover the best of Zanzibar, The Menai Bay Conservation Area, to the south of Zanzibar, is an area of outstanding natural beauty just waiting for you to discover….
Safari Blue starts from the village of Fumba 25 minutes drive from Stone Town, Fumba is the most convenient location to exploring the marine wildlife, isolated sandbanks and rugged island scenery of the Menai Bay Conservation Area.
Our aim is to provide you with truly memorable experience using the best Zanzibar has to offer, while making a positive difference to Zanzibar and its people.
Follow our experienced snorkeling guides on an underwater journey to view the corals and marine life of Menai Bay.
Safari Blue has good quality equipment in a range of child to adult sizes.
Take a walk from the sandbank to Kwale Island at low tide.
Walk through the natural coral arches found on Kwale Island or just relax in the sun or under the shade.
Join the Safari Blue crew on a thrilling ride in a “ngalawa” - a local outrigger canoe carved from a single mango tree.
Enjoy the tranquility of cruising by sail in one of Safari Blue’s traditional hand built wooden dhows.
A peaceful way to end your memorable day.
DEEP SEA FISHING
With its location Zanzibar is situated in close proximity to some of Africa’s best deep sea fishing grounds. August to November provides really good sport for the big Yellow fin Tuna, one of the strongest fish around. Big Blue Marlin and number of Striped and black Marlin are also found, as well as Sailfish. During this season, multiple hook ups are normal, when the ocean can come alive with huge schools of Tuna in pursuit of smaller fish.
During the billfish season, which is from November to March, Striped Marlin are the most prolific, sometimes showing in packs of up to ten. Large Blue and Black Marlin are also quite common during this period.
In deep sea fishing, professional boats are available equipped to the highest international safety standards. They also have the latest technology with GPS navigational aids, echo sounders and fish finders.
A full set of tackle is provided with Shimano, Fenwick, Hornell or KC rods and Shimano or Penn international reels spooled with 80 1b, 50 1b and 30 1b mono line. Our experienced skippers can instruct novices and talk fishermen through any procedure in the course of reeling in their catch. Tag and release is generally encouraged for all big fish unless it is the fisherman’s first ever catch, his biggest to date, or if it is likely to be an East African or all Africa record.
Chumbe Island
is situated 8 miles southwest of Zanzibar Town is a marine protected area that is self-funded through an eco-accommodation located on the Island. Experience world-class snorkeling, pass the time on an empty beach and savour Chumbe’s most famous Zanzibar cuisine. It is an uninhabited island dominated by coral rag forest and bordered, on its western shore, by a fringing coral reef of exceptional biodiversity and beauty.
Based on the initiative of Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd, a private company created for the management of Chumbe, the island was gazette in 1994 as a protected area by the Government of Zanzibar.
Lots of activities are waiting for you on and around Chumbe Island.
The Island can be reached in 45 minutes boat ride from Mbweni beach, It covers 16 hectors of undisturbed forest and surrounded by a virgin coral reef, the sanctuary has more than 200 species of pristine stone corals, about 400 species of fish and turtles & dolphins regularly passing by.
Day trip only:
A day trip is possible at Chumbe Island, but a day trip can not be booked in advance as there is a strict policy of only 14 people at the Island per day, and priority is given to those who book an overnight trip. You will do a guided walking in the small forest, snorkel, swimming, lunch and relax.
For an overnight accommodation:
on Chumbe Island is in many aspects – something really special, the Eco- bungalows are so brilliantly designed, that they provide both privacy and a sense of freedom of living in the open. You will find these bungalows exceptionally romantic (honeymooners love them), but any individual with a passion for natural beauty will find these bungalows captivating beyond measure. All bungalows overlook the sea, and all bungalows are equipped with: double or twin beds in the sleeping area under the palm thatched roof,
self-contained bathrooms with hot & cold shower,
large living rooms equipped with handmade furniture and
decorated with African art and colorful fabrics… (and very comfortable hammocks).
Local Game Fishing.
Forget fishing in a modern fishing vessel with the latest in reels and rods and a fighting chair as well! We offer you the unique opportunity to sail out to sea with a local fisherman and show you what ‘fishing for a living’ is really all about.
Setting sail from one of East Africa’s oldest wafts, the horizon is dotted with ngalawas, local fishing boats with outriggers, heading out to sea with full mast.. We will equip you with simple fishing gear, with what locals are even catching kingfish, yellow fin tuna, barracuda and grouper. A real adventure!
The half-day or daytrip includes the boat ride, fishing guide, local fishing gear, fruits and soft drinks.
Diving and Snorkeling.
Zanzibar Island is bathed by the warm currents of the equator. The coral reefs offer exhilarating scuba diving and snorkeling within a short boat ride from most beaches.
Scuba is most spectacular off Pemba Island, however for scuba beginners the safe calm waters of Zanzibar are recommended as the current off shore from Pemba can be strong. Snorkeling is best however off Zanzibar Island, whose eastern barrier reef encloses a series of shallow and sheltered tidal lagoons home to an abundance of colorful marine life.
Authentic Zanzibar Tours can arrange Scuba and Snorkeling trips from any part of the island to satisfy all ability levels. All of our trips use fully insured, vetted local companies and guides to ensure the long term future of the island.
There are many very beautiful and so great places for snorkeling and diving – but here we aim to highlight the best.
The best place for snorkeling in Zanzibar is Chumbe Island one of the most spectacular garden to be found any where in the world. Chumbe is the best for snorkeling only, diving is not allowed here due to the fact that the corals are not so deep and can be easily damaged if diving is to be allowed.
Top of our list for diving must be the huge reef around Mnemba Island. Mnemba offers spectacular diving, it is one of the best diving spots on the island.
