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Safari Blue Tour

Experience one of Zanzibar’s best-known ocean adventures on a full-day Safari Blue Tour. Sail through Menai Bay by traditional dhow, snorkel in clear waters, relax on a sandbank, swim in a hidden mangrove lagoon, and enjoy lunch and tropical fruits.

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OVERVIEW

Spend a full day exploring Zanzibar’s Menai Bay on the Safari Blue Tour. Sail by traditional dhow, snorkel in clear waters, relax on a sandbank, swim in a mangrove lagoon, and enjoy lunch, tropical fruits and island scenery with local guides.

Quick Facts

  • Duration: Half Day
  • Tour Type: Private Tour
  • Location: Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, Zanzibar
  • Departure: Morning or Afternoon
  • Guide: Professional Local Guide
  • Hotel Pick-Up: Included
  • Experience: Wildlife, Forest & Nature
No. of Travellers Price
1 Traveller $150per person
2 Travellers $113per person
3 Travellers $100per person
4 Travellers $88per person
5 Travellers $88per person
6 Travellers $88per person
7 Travellers $88per person

Rates shown are per person in USD and vary by group size.

ITINERARY

Begin your full-day Safari Blue Tour in the morning with hotel pick-up and transfer to Fumba, on Zanzibar’s southwest coast. From here, join your group and board a traditional wooden dhow to begin exploring the beautiful waters and islands of the Menai Bay Conservation Area. The original Safari Blue experience operates in this protected area and combines traditional dhow sailing, snorkeling and island experiences.
Sail across the Indian Ocean to one of the area’s snorkeling locations, where equipment is provided and your guide will help you explore the clear tropical water. Look beneath the surface for colourful fish, coral and other marine life before continuing your journey through Menai Bay.
Depending on the tide and conditions, stop at a white-sand sandbank with time to relax, swim and enjoy the surrounding turquoise water. During the journey, keep watch for wild dolphins that are sometimes seen moving through Menai Bay. Dolphin encounters are part of the experience when the animals are present, but sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Continue to Kwale Island, where you can enjoy lunch followed by tropical fruits. The island forms an important part of the Safari Blue experience and provides time to relax between the day’s activities.
Another highlight is the opportunity to swim in the hidden mangrove lagoon, surrounded by a completely different coastal environment from the open ocean. After a full day of sailing, snorkeling, swimming and island experiences, return by dhow towards Fumba before your transfer back to your hotel.

What's Included?

  • The Safari Blue Tour operates as a group experience with other travellers.
  • Professional local guide throughout your Safari Blue experience.
  • Full-day sailing experience aboard a traditional wooden dhow.
  • Experienced local crew throughout your journey in Menai Bay.
  • Guided snorkeling experience in the waters of Menai Bay.
  • Snorkeling equipment is provided during the tour.
  • Stop at a natural sandbank, depending on tide and sea conditions.
  • Opportunity to swim in the hidden mangrove lagoon.
  • Visit to Kwale Island during your full-day excursion.
  • Opportunity to look for wild dolphins during the journey.
  • Lunch is included during the tour.
  • Tropical fruits and snacks are included during the day.
  • Bottled drinking water during the tour.
  • Applicable entrance and marine fees are included.
  • Pick-up and drop-off according to your selected hotel location.

What's Excluded?

  • Beverages other than those specifically included in your tour arrangements.
  • Souvenirs, optional purchases and other personal expenses.
  • Gratuities for your guide, driver and dhow crew are not included.
  • Activities or purchases not specified as part of the Safari Blue Tour.

Booking & Travel Information

Morning or Afternoon Tour

The Safari Blue Tour departs in the morning and returns later in the afternoon. Current itineraries commonly start transfers from Stone Town at approximately 8:30 AM, with guests returning around 5:00 PM, although exact timings depend on your hotel location and the day’s operating conditions. Easy Travel will confirm your exact hotel pick-up time before the tour.

Pick-Up from Stone Town Hotels

If you are staying in Stone Town, hotel pick-up and drop-off are included in your tour rate.

Pick-Up from Zanzibar Beach Hotels

If you are staying at a beach hotel elsewhere in Zanzibar, return vehicle transfers between your hotel and the Safari Blue departure point are included.

What to Wear

Wear lightweight, comfortable beach clothing with your swimwear underneath. Footwear that is easy to remove is ideal for boarding the dhow, walking on the sandbank and swimming.

What to Bring

Bring sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, a towel, your camera or phone and a change of clothes if required. The official Safari Blue guidance also recommends swimwear, water shoes and a cover-up.

Swimming & Snorkeling

The tour includes swimming and guided snorkeling in open water. Always follow the instructions of your guide and boat crew, particularly when entering or leaving the water.

Tide & Sea Conditions

Safari Blue is a marine experience, so the exact order of activities can vary according to tides, wind, weather and sea conditions. Sandbank exposure and access to swimming areas may therefore differ from one day to another.

Families & Children

The Safari Blue Tour can be an enjoyable full-day experience for families, particularly children who enjoy boats, swimming and snorkeling. Children should remain under close adult supervision around the water and while aboard the dhow.
Tourist relaxing on a sandbank in Zanzibar

What to Expect on a Safari Blue Tour

A Safari Blue Tour combines many of Zanzibar’s best-known marine experiences into a single full day on the water.

Rather than travelling directly to one beach or snorkeling site, the journey takes you through the Menai Bay Conservation Area aboard a traditional wooden dhow. The area contains islands, natural sandbanks, mangroves and snorkeling locations.

During the day, you can snorkel, swim, relax on a sandbank, visit Kwale Island and experience the hidden mangrove lagoon. Lunch, tropical fruits and snacks provide time to relax between activities.

The experience combines Zanzibar’s marine environment with traditional dhow sailing and Swahili hospitality, making it much more than a standard snorkeling excursion.

Tourist couple snorkeling with a Zanzibar Blue guide

Snorkeling in Menai Bay

Snorkeling is one of the main activities during the Safari Blue Tour.

The Menai Bay Conservation Area contains several reef locations where guided snorkeling takes place. Your snorkeling equipment is provided, and your guide can help you enter the water and make the most of the experience.

Underwater visibility and the marine life you encounter naturally depend on weather, tide and sea conditions.

Rather than promising particular species, the experience should be presented as an opportunity to discover Zanzibar’s tropical marine environment with a knowledgeable snorkeling guide.

Safari Blue Tourists Swimming in the Mangrove Lagoon, Zanzibar

Explore the Hidden Mangrove Lagoon

One of the experiences that distinguishes Safari Blue from a simple snorkeling trip is the hidden mangrove lagoon.

Located within the Kwale Island area, the lagoon provides an opportunity to swim in sheltered water surrounded by mangrove vegetation.

The contrast between the open Indian Ocean, white-sand banks and enclosed mangrove environment gives the day much of its variety.

Access and swimming conditions can depend on the tide, so the exact experience may vary according to the conditions on your tour date.

Safari Blue Lunch in Zanzibar

Lunch on Kwale Island

After a morning of sailing, swimming and snorkeling, the Safari Blue experience continues on Kwale Island.

Lunch provides time to relax before continuing with the afternoon’s activities, while tropical fruit tasting adds a distinctly Zanzibar element to the meal.

The original Safari Blue operation has its restaurant on Kwale Island and places strong emphasis on Swahili-inspired food and locally available tropical fruits.

Dolphin Watching on the Safari Blue Tour

Wild dolphins can sometimes be seen while travelling through Menai Bay and dolphin watching forms part of the original Safari Blue experience.

If dolphins are present, seeing them moving naturally through the Indian Ocean can become one of the memorable moments of the day.

However, their presence depends entirely on their natural movements and conditions in the bay.

Why Take a Safari Blue Tour in Zanzibar?

Safari Blue brings together several different Zanzibar experiences in one day.

You can sail aboard a traditional dhow, snorkel in tropical waters, stop at a sandbank, swim in a mangrove lagoon, visit Kwale Island and enjoy lunch and tropical fruits without having to arrange each activity separately.

The journey also takes place away from Zanzibar’s main beach resorts in the protected waters and islands of Menai Bay.

For travellers who want a full day focused on the Indian Ocean, snorkeling, swimming and island scenery, it offers one of Zanzibar’s most varied marine excursions.

Tourist group sailing on a Safari Blue dhow boat in Zanzibar

Best Time for a Safari Blue Tour

The Safari Blue Tour can operate throughout the year, although weather, tides and sea conditions influence every ocean excursion.
Clear and calmer conditions can provide better snorkeling and sailing experiences, but tropical weather can vary even during traditionally drier periods.

The tour departs in the morning, giving you a full day to explore Menai Bay before returning to your hotel later in the afternoon.

Your guide and boat crew may adjust the sequence of activities according to tides and conditions on the day.

Why Choose Easy Travel for Your Safari Blue Tour?

Guide teaching a tourist couple how to wear snorkeling fins

Local Knowledge

Explore Menai Bay with knowledgeable local guides and boat crew familiar with Zanzibar’s waters, islands and marine environment.

Safari Blue dhow boat sailing through the waters of Zanzibar

Carefully Planned

From hotel transfers and dhow arrangements to snorkeling equipment, entrance fees, lunch and refreshments, we take care of the day’s logistics.

Tourist Group Traveling on a Safari Blue Dhow Boat

Group Experience

Enjoy a well-organised group excursion with opportunities to sail, snorkel, swim, relax and experience the islands of Menai Bay.

Easy Travel guide welcoming a tourist couple in Zanzibar

Support from Start to Finish

Easy Travel supports you from your first enquiry through to the end of your Safari Blue Tour.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Safari Blue Tour is a full-day dhow excursion through Zanzibar’s Menai Bay Conservation Area, combining guided snorkeling, a sandbank visit, swimming in a mangrove lagoon, Kwale Island, lunch and tropical fruits.
The Easy Travel Safari Blue Tour is a full-day experience, departing in the morning and returning later in the afternoon.
The boat excursion begins from Fumba on Zanzibar’s southwest coast, from where traditional dhows travel into the Menai Bay Conservation Area.
No. This is a group tour, so you will share the experience with other travellers.
Yes. Guided snorkeling and snorkeling equipment are included as part of the tour.
Yes. The official Safari Blue information states that beginners are welcome and guided snorkeling equipment is provided.
There is an opportunity to see wild dolphins while travelling through Menai Bay. However, dolphins are wild animals, so sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Yes. The Safari Blue experience includes a sandbank stop, although the appearance and size of the sandbank depend on the tide and sea conditions.
Yes. Kwale Island forms part of the Safari Blue experience and is where lunch is enjoyed during the day
Yes. Swimming in the hidden mangrove lagoon is one of the experiences included in the Safari Blue itinerary, subject to conditions on the day.
Yes. Lunch is included in the full-day Safari Blue Tour.
Yes. Tropical fruits and snacks are included during the tour.
Yes. Bottled drinking water is included during the tour.
Yes. Pick-up and drop-off from Stone Town hotels are included. Return transfers are also included for travellers staying at Zanzibar beach hotels.
Yes. Applicable entrance and marine fees are included in your tour price.
Yes. Families can enjoy the tour, although children should remain under close adult supervision while aboard the dhow, swimming and snorkeling.

Ready for a Safari Blue Tour?

Sail through Menai Bay by traditional dhow, snorkel in clear waters, relax on a sandbank, swim in a mangrove lagoon and enjoy lunch and tropical fruits during a full day on Zanzibar’s Indian Ocean.

Get A Free Quote

Expert planning. Zero Spam.