Zanzibar Activities

Best start to your day

Our house reef, directly in front of the resort, lies within The Kwanini Conservation Area. Hundreds of species of marine life and crystal clear tropical waters make this a must for all nature lovers. Our boat captain and snorkel guides will accompany you and spot all our usual reef inhabitants, and all before breakfast. Best time of the day.

Experience being alone, for real.

At low tide, a sandbank protrudes to offer a walk on the purest white coral sand. The perfect black to relax on surrounded by azure blue waters. The excursion relies heavily on the tides, currents, and weather conditions and is not always possible. This will require some planning between you and the resort management. A cooler box of fruits and refreshments is brought along. This is a 10-minute boat ride from the resort on the most northern point of Pemba Island.

Diving in Pemba offers some of the most spectacular underwater experiences anywhere in the world. Some of the dive sites around the island are remarkable by any standards. The deep Pemba Channel rises dramatically toward the island’s west coast in near vertical walls along many of the reefs. Diving in this region is characterized by exceptionally clear, blue water drop-offs and vibrantly healthy shallow reefs. Hard and soft coral gardens support a proliferation of reef and pelagic fish, making diving in Pemba a truly unforgettable marine adventure.

System of sea mountains running parallel to the wall on a platform 25 m down. The mountains have different profiles; from just a few meters up to 100 m long. The thing to do here is drift dive over the system from one mountain to another, discovering the amazing reef life. Good chance of seeing big pelagic and turtles.

Recommended for: Experienced divers.

The last corner of the Shimba Wall breaks into two and forms a valley at 12 m depth with sand bottom with lots of barrel sponges and anthias, red sea sweatlips, fusiliers, red tooth triggerfish, etc.

Recommended for: Novice Divers

A gentle sloping wall, starting at about 6 m and runs parallel to the island for about 500m. connecting with Shimba hills. The Max depth of 25 m making this suitable for Advanced divers. Noted for its red tooth trigger fish, nudibranches and leaf fish to name but a few.

Just west of the north-western peninsula. This is the last wall before Pemba island drops into the Pemba channel The wall starts at 30 meters and falls down steep! On the top of the wall huge barrels sponges and spirals corals grow up to two meters high. This is a great place for encounters with Napoleon fish, potato grouper, cubera snapper, big pelagic, turtle and even white tip shark. Recommended for: Deep divers certificate apply. Strong currents occur.

Mountain of coral that lumes from 30 m to 16 m, the base of the mountain is scattered with smaller hills of coral, with lots of spotted sweet lips, nudibranches and turtles, this site is for experienced AOW divers and above, and can only be dived at slack tides.

Situated a 2 min boat ride from the resort a gentle sloping wall starting at 5 m down to 18 m. Clear visibility and gentle currents make this site perfect for novice divers (DSD and OW) and snorkelers alike, as well as night dives. Well know for its camouflaged scorpion fish. Leaf fish, lion fish and giant frog fish.

Right on the entrance to the manta resort coming from the ocean, an open patch of sand at 5m with superb visibility, flowing into big coral bomies filled with tropical fish and nudibranches, is perfect for snorkelers and divers of all levels, as well as night dives, Keep an eye out for large eye squid and octopus.

A 30 min boat ride from the resort, Njao Gap which separates Njao island from the main island, you will find 5 different dive sites (Coral Garden, North Wall, South Wall, Slip stream, Jahazi Reef)ranging from 5 m to 40 m with sheer walls, mountains and coral gardens. This site focuses on good visibility, a massive variety of hard and soft coral, strong currents and a healthy vibrant range of marine life for example, Titan trigger fish, Napoleon wrasse, green turtles, giant trevally and dog tooth tuna, to name but a few, on the deeper dives we have been known to see white tip reef sharks, the sites are suitable for divers and snorkelers of all levels.

Situated South of Njao island about a one hour boat ride from the resort Fundu Gap separates Fundu island and Njao island. The 5 dive sites (Mandela Wall, Pinnacle, Coral Garden, Crack, South Wall) at Fundu range from 5 m to 40 m and allows for clear visibility, strong currents and large coral formations. These sites are better know for their larger fish species such as Eagle rays, Napoleon’s, GT’s and Barracuda. The deep drop-offs and cooler waters allow for amazing soft coral growth such as Gregorian sea fans and anemone cities. The Macro life on these softer coral gardens is phenomenal and is suited for all levels of diver and snorkeler, U/W photography is a must.

Excursion: Pemba Inland Safari

Discover the heart and soul of Pemba Island with this immersive excursion Pemba experience. Your journey begins at 08:30 in the morning and can last up to 8 hours, depending on how many stops you choose to include. This flexible inland safari allows you to pick and choose from a variety of unforgettable experiences tailored to your interests and schedule.

Your excursion Pemba adventure can take you through the lush Ngezi Rainforest, one of the last remaining indigenous forests in Zanzibar, where ancient trees tower above and endemic bird species sing from the canopy. A guided walk offers insight into the island’s unique biodiversity and ecological significance.

Continue your journey to a traditional spice farm, where you’ll see, smell, and taste the aromatic roots of Pemba’s rich cultural heritage. Learn how cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla are grown, harvested, and used in local cuisine and traditional medicine.

Depending on your preferences, the tour may also include visits to:

• Historical sites and ruins from Pemba’s Swahili-Arabic past
• Local villages where you can meet craftspeople and experience daily life
• Coastal viewpoints with sweeping vistas over the Indian Ocean

This excursion Pemba inland tour is the perfect complement to diving and coastal activities, offering a deeper connection to the island’s culture, nature, and history. Whether you’re here for adventure, photography, or peaceful exploration, the Pemba Inland Safari gives you a true sense of place.