Zanzibar’s Offshore Islands & Atolls – Zanzibar Travel Guide

6 of Zanzibar's Offshore Islands & Atolls

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   1. Mnemba Island & Atoll

   Zanzibar’s top snorkeling and diving destination also houses its most exclusive lodge

   Mnemba functions as two destinations in one. For the vast majority of visitors to Zanzibar, it is all about the Mnemba Atoll, which is a popular destination for boat outings to snorkel in vibrant coral gardens

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   and dive the deeper reefs. By contrast, Mnemba Island, the centerpiece of the atoll, is given over entirely to a private (and very exclusive) ‘barefoot luxury’ lodge of a dozen spacious beach bungalows crafted entirely from sustainable materials.Whether you visit the reefs on a day trip or stay overnight at the lodge, the calm clear water around Mnemba is perfect for swimming, snorkeling and diving. The surrounding ocean also forms a stronghold for larger marine creatures such as dolphins, whales and turtles, which are often seen on boat trips to the atoll.

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   Mnemba Atoll Trips

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   2. Changuu (Prison) Island

   This popular spot for day trips provides sanctuary to 200-plus giant tortoises

   One of the most enjoyable and popular day outings from Stone Town is a boat trip to nearby Changuu Island. The main attraction of this pretty islet is a fenced sanctuary that harbors around 200

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   Aldabra giant tortoises descended from four individuals shipped over from the Seychelles in 1919. The boat trip to Changuu takes around 30 minutes in either direction. It offers stunning views back to Stone Town’s historic waterfront, as well as a possibility of spotting dolphins.Changuu is also known as Prison Island. This name refers to a well-preserved stone building that was constructed as a prison in the 1890s but ended up serving as a quarantine station. The restored prison now houses a bar and café, but many tours to Changuu prefer to continue on to the tidal sandbar known as Nakupenda for a beach seafood barbecue.

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   Changuu Island Trips

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   3. Chumbe Island

   Enjoy snorkeling, diving and other wildlife at Zanzibar’s premier ecolodge

   Chumbe Island Coral Park is arguably Zanzibar’s most rewarding eco-destination. Set aside as a private sanctuary in 1991, it houses an exclusive low-impact beachfront lodge whose seven bungalows exude a rustic yet refined feel. Attractions include

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   a small sandy beach, a 19th-century lighthouse, and superb diving and snorkeling on a private reef. Chumbe is also home to the rare Aders’s duiker and is one of the most reliable spots to look for the monstrous coconut crab (the world’s largest terrestrial arthropod). Priority is given to overnight stays, but Chumbe can be visited on a day trip when the lodge isn’t full.

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   4. Chapwani Island

   A perfect island getaway with some wildlife and a touch of history

   The serene islet of Chapwani retains a remote and exclusive feel despite lying only 3km/2mi from Stone Town. Attractions include a beautiful swimming beach, an attractive infinity pool, offshore reefs for snorkeling, and wildlife such as

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   Aders’s duiker, coconut crab and a fruit bat colony. Chapwani is also known as Grave Island, in reference to a British cemetery for sailors killed while enforcing anti-slavery laws in 1881 and during a World War I naval battle.Chapwani currently operates as an exclusive ‘barefoot luxury’ beach lodge of only 10 rooms, and it cannot be visited on a day trip. However, for those who do stay overnight, this idyllic island is an ideal spot for sunset dhow cruises and diving trips to nearby coral reefs, all within view of Stone Town’s historic old waterfront.

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   5. Tumbatu Island

   The pristine coral reefs of Tumbatu offer uncrowded diving and snorkeling

   The third-largest landmass in the Zanzibar Archipelago, Tumbatu is a narrow wedge-shaped island that stretches 10km/6mi from north to south. Situated off the resort village of Kendwa, this thinly populated island is fringed by near-deserted beaches

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   and surrounded by smaller islets. There is practically no tourism infrastructure on Tumbatu, but the offshore reefs are growing in popularity as a destination for diving and snorkeling trips off the west coast of Zanzibar Island. Other attractions include a 19th-century lighthouse, ruins of a medieval mosque, and a large dolphin population in the surrounding waters.

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   6. Bawe Island

   This top-notch diving site also hosts an exclusive luxury lodge

   Combining a lushly vegetated interior with wide sandy beaches, Bawe Island forms part of the same archipelago as Changuu and Chapwani. From 1879 until the 1960s, this idyllic island was a strategic operations site for the

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   British company that managed the underwater telegraph line linking Stone Town to South Africa, Yemen and the Seychelles. Today, Bawe can only be visited by overnight guests at an exclusive upmarket lodge that opened here in 2024.Despite the presence of the lodge, the biodiverse coral reefs offshore remain very popular with dive schools based in Stone Town, only 15 minutes away by motorboat. The coral wall north of the island is ideal for experienced divers and offers a good chance of seeing moray eels, stingrays and sea horses. The shallower reef to the south is best suited to novice divers and snorkelers. Green and hawksbill turtles are often encountered at both sites.

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