Zanzibar Travel Guide
Things to Do in Zanzibar
Quick answer
Rated by guests, filtered by ethics.
Zanzibar's activity list is long; the worthwhile core is short: Stone Town — "Mji Mkongwe," the old Sultanate capital, best with a trusted guide; Jozani Forest, the island's national park and home of the endemic red colobus; a proper snorkel day on the fringing reef; the spice farms, honestly touristic and honestly worth it; and the ethical standouts Cheetah's Rock and Maalum Cave. The dolphin-chase trips we don't recommend: very early, with a small boat that does not chase, or not at all. From Michamvi Pingwe, Stone Town is about 1h15 by road.
| Culture | Stone Town ("Mji Mkongwe") · spice farms |
| Wildlife | Jozani red colobus · Cheetah’s Rock |
| Water | Fringing reef — Blue Lagoon, Starfish Beach, Mnemba |
| Adventure | Kite (Paje) · dive · fishing · riding |
| Dolphin trips | Not as sold — very early or not at all |
| Booking | Butler · licensed operators only |
| Last verified | 1 August 2026 |
The shortlist, expanded
Culture, wildlife, water, adrenaline
Stone Town repays a full guided day: the Palace of Wonders, the old fort, the carved doors, the market's spice-and-fish theatre, and a history that a good guide turns into cinema. About 1h15 by road from Michamvi; we book the guides we trust.
Jozani–Chwaka Bay , the island's national park, delivers the island's wildlife certainty: Zanzibar red colobus monkeys at close, calm range, on a mandatory ranger-guided walk. Pair it with the airport road and it costs you no extra driving. Cheetah's Rock, the wildlife rescue centre, is the splurge that never disappoints; Maalum Cave's crystal pool near Paje is the island's best two-hour wonder. Kuza Cave in Jambiani is the other cave pool; entry, hours and booking rules for both are in our day-trips guide.
On and in the water, the east coast's near-intact fringing reef is the draw — the full snorkelling map (Blue Lagoon, Mnemba, Safari Blue, Chumbe) lives in our snorkelling and diving guide. Kite schools cluster in Paje, a short drive south; local captains run deep-sea trips for kingfish, tuna and barracuda; and Royal Stable puts experienced riders on the beach at golden hour. Anything beyond that list — arranged, with specialists, on request.
Travelling well
The etiquette that upgrades every activity
A high proportion of Zanzibaris are Muslim, and the visitors who thrive here carry three habits: cover shoulders and knees away from the beach (a sarong solves everything), ask before photographing people — most say yes warmly, but the asking is the point — and give or receive with the right hand. Five daily prayer calls are the island's soundtrack, not an interruption; Friday's Jumu'ah quiets village mornings; and a "jambo" or "asante" spends better than any tip.
Speaking of which: tipping is appreciated, not obligatory: ask what is usual, and give notes, in US dollars or shillings, rather than coins. Swahili's basics take an afternoon to learn and repay it for the whole trip; English carries you everywhere tourists go. Follow that short list and every excursion on this page gains a layer no ticket price includes: the island actually talking back.
One-week plan
A sane activity week
If you want a template: land and do nothing for two days (the tide will teach its schedule), Stone Town on day three, reef morning on day four, spice farm or Jozani en route to nothing much on day five, the sandbank and spa on repeat until departure. One excursion a day maximum — this island rewards the traveller who leaves gaps.
In practice
Booking, costs and what is worth skipping
Almost nothing here needs booking before you arrive — the room does, the rest does not. Snorkelling trips, the ngalawa sunset sail, spice farms, Stone Town, Jozani Forest and deep-sea fishing are all arranged with a day's notice through your butler, usually by WhatsApp, and paid as agreed when you book; village boats are paid in cash to the captain. That flexibility matters more on this coast than most, because the tide decides which activities work on which morning.
What is genuinely worth the money: the sunset ngalawa sail (small, local, quiet, and the best hour of the day), Blue Lagoon snorkelling, 15–20 minutes south by village boat, Mnemba Atoll for divers willing to make the full-day trip, about an hour away by speedboat, and Jozani's red colobus monkeys on the way back from Stone Town. Stone Town itself rewards a full day and a guide; a rushed half-day sees a car park and a spice shop.
What is over-sold: the spice tour, if you expect botany rather than a pleasant walk and some tasting; and any excursion promising a "private" sandbank, which is not a thing that exists here — Mchanga is public, other boats visit it, and the honest version is that it is beautiful and shared. Free for guests: the kayaks, the tide table and the beach shoes you can borrow. The open-air cinema is a charged extra.
Two logistics notes that save money and irritation: agree the price before a boat leaves the beach rather than after it returns, and let your butler help you arrange anything involving a vehicle. Both are standard practice here, neither is a reflection on anyone's honesty, and together they remove essentially every friction guests report about excursions.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
Every activity below has been through the only review process that matters: guests telling us at dinner whether it was worth their day. The ones that repeatedly weren't aren't listed.
What are the genuinely worthwhile excursions?
Our shortlist after years of guest debriefs: Stone Town with a good guide, Jozani Forest's red colobus monkeys, a snorkel day (Blue Lagoon, Mnemba or Safari Blue depending on your coast), Cheetah's Rock (not cheap, worth every penny), and Maalum Cave's swimmable natural pool near Paje.
Is the spice tour worth doing?
Yes — taken for what it is. The farms are genuinely educational and the scent-and-taste walk is a pleasure; it's also openly touristic, with singing guides and woven souvenirs. Go for the spices, not for solitude, and it earns its half day.
What don't you recommend — and why?
The Kizimkazi dolphin trips as they are usually sold: fleets of boats chasing the pods, which disturbs the dolphins' rest — and guests have come back unhappy. We can help you arrange one, but honestly: leave very early, before the bay fills, or don't go. We'd rather point you to Cheetah's Rock's rescue work, Jozani's protected forest and reef days with licensed operators — and we're happy to explain the reasoning over dinner.
What adventure options exist?
Kitesurfing schools in Paje, a short drive south, diving through operators we trust, deep-sea fishing for kingfish, tuna and barracuda with local captains, and horse riding on the beach with Royal Stable. Your butler helps you book; the specialists deliver.
What can I do without any excursion at all?
On our coast, the tide is the programme: sandbank walks at low water, kayaking and snorkelling at high, seaweed-farm mornings, ngalawa sunsets, the open-air cinema at night. Half our guests barely book a single tour and report the best week of the year.
How do bookings work?
Through the hotel butler on WhatsApp — we match you to licensed operators and village captains we actually know, quote prices before anything is confirmed, and time everything to the tides. Nothing needs booking before you arrive.
What should we skip if time is short?
With three days: skip the spice tour and Prison Island, keep Stone Town and one reef morning, and protect an empty day. The island's best activity remains the one this list can't sell — unscheduled hours where the tide happens to you.
Your stay at Matlai
Choose your dates and the booking page opens with them, showing live availability.
Bookings with children go by enquiry: the booking page books adults only, so send us your dates on WhatsApp and we reply with the options. Children under 14 stay with a whole villa. WhatsApp →
Indicative public rates — the engine shows live availability for your dates.
Welcome drink, kayaks, bicycles and snorkelling gear, free of charge.
Booking with the hotel itself? Ask us what we can offer for your dates.
Why guests book Matlai
- Your own butler, 07:00 to 22:00. One message and it is arranged.
- Half board with a chef’s menu that changes daily: three courses, plus two à la carte kitchens at every table, Zatiny (Indian Ocean fusion) and Duyên (Vietnamese).
- Dine where you like: in the restaurant, in the garden or on your own balcony. A private table by the beach or a candlelight dinner can be arranged at an extra charge.
- Six rooms in two villas, a pool for each villa, shared by its rooms, and every room facing the sunrise over the ocean.
- Bustani, the garden spa; the sandbank in front of the hotel at low tide; a quiet beach lined with small, family-owned hotels.
WhatsApp Our beachfront villas →
TripAdvisor 4.9/5 · 378+ reviews · Google 4.8/5