Boat and Village Tours Around Kendwa

October 31, 2026

Advisory, October 2026: The US State Department rates Tanzania at Level 3, Reconsider Travel, a nationwide rating that followed the October 2025 election; see travel.state.gov . The UK Foreign Office does not advise against travel to Zanzibar itself. It does warn that further demonstrations are possible and that photographing or sharing protest images is illegal. Check both before you pay for any tour.

Boat and Village Tours Around Kendwa

The tours worth knowing about from Kendwa are mostly on the water, plus a few short visits in Nungwi at the northern tip of the island. Kendwa itself is a beach strip with hotels, so most outings start from a hotel desk or a dive base on the sand.

Mnemba Atoll snorkel trip

A boat takes snorkellers to the reef around Mnemba Island. The island itself is a private concession and closed to landing, so you swim from the boat. Marine fees apply: US$10 per adult and US$5 per child aged 5 to 15 for the conservation area, and US$25 and US$10 inside the Mnemba Special Area. Many operators bundle the fee into the price, so ask what the quote covers. Dolphins sometimes appear on the way, but a sighting is luck and not part of the programme. Search Mnemba snorkel tours

Tumbatu Island

Operators in Kendwa and Nungwi run snorkel and dive trips to Tumbatu, and also guided cultural visits. A visit to the village needs the permission of the community elders, which an operator arranges in advance, and visitors dress modestly instead of wearing beachwear. Do not try to land on your own.

Sunset dhow cruise

A wooden dhow sails along the north-west coast while the sun goes down. Confirm the price, the departure point and whether children are welcome with your hotel desk, since prices are set by each boat owner and change with the season.

Mnarani turtle pond, Nungwi

The Mnarani Marine Turtles Conservation Pond is a community-run tidal pond in Nungwi that looks after turtles and releases them. Visit to watch. Do not feed, touch or hold the turtles, and do not treat the visit as a swimming activity, because reviewers have raised welfare concerns about handling and crowding. A small entrance fee is paid on site. The nearby Baraka Natural Aquarium is a separate pond with its own fees.

Nungwi dhow yard

Nungwi is known for building wooden dhows by hand, and the yard at the north tip can be seen from the shore. The early-morning fish market nearby is the best time to visit, according to Wikivoyage’s Nungwi page .

Booking tips

Beach vendors sell boat trips and curios. Use your hotel desk or a registered operator, and check that life jackets are on board.
Ask what is included: fees, snorkel kit, transfers, lunch.
Boat tours depend on weather and sea state, and they are cancelled when the sea is rough.
The long rains fall around April and May, so check that your operator is running before you plan around that season.

Zanzibar’s government insurance is compulsory for foreign visitors and costs US$44 per adult for up to 92 days. Buy it before you fly through visitzanzibar.go.tz .