Safari Blue Tour!
If you read my previous post here or here, I promised to write about the tour I did when I visited Zanzibar. I went with Aiysha for this one too. I should probably write a post about her. She has an inspiring story to share.
Let’s go back to the topic!
About Safari Blue
Disclaimer: After I came back I realize the safari blue is actually the name of a tour operator who’s the only company licensed to use the term ‘Safari blue‘. Apparently It’s a trade name not a term for the boat trip. I have seen many other tour using that name so I don’t know who’s the legitimate one .
My guide booked me a tour with a fisherman boat to explore the Menai Bay Conservation Area.
It’s Zanzibar largest marine protected area, established in 1997. The bay includes coral reef, mangroves, tropical fish, and seagrass. The project associate communities of fishermen to reduce the illegal fishing and environmental impact on the marine life.
Those fishermen like the one I booked, make a complementary revenue by taking tourist to visit the area. Safari blue is for me the fancy name for this visit 🙂 (but I understand it is someone business and they need to get recognition for the name). So, when you book, pay attention to this, you might not get the same experience depending on which one you took. (I went directly to the fishermen, but that’s me 🙂)
Starting point
Fumba village
It is located southwest of Zanzibar, at the end of the Fumba Peninsula. Overlooking the Menai Bay, the village is the perfect point to start the exploration in Dhow. It is a traditional sailing vessel used on the red sea and Indian ocean probably invented by Arabs or Indian.
What’s in the package?
Sailing
In a Dhow around the Bay to admire the turquoise water and green mangroves
Sandbank picnic
We took our breakfast made of fresh fruits on a sandbank, swim, relax, take some pictures and snorkel (the equipment is included)
We went early in the morning, and the sandbank was still empty. Our little piece of paradise started to look very crowded around 10 AM 🙂
Natural lagoon in Kwale Island
It was still low tide when we reach the lagoon surrounded by mangrove. I recommend bringing water shoes (I don’t know if it’s called that way) we could stand in the water and it was a bit rocky with seagrass
Me, enjoying life 🙂
Snorkeling
We later went to a place where we could take a look at the marine life below us, but I didn’t see anything 🙁 except some jellyfish, and little fish but nothing fancy, no coral reef. I was later told, it wasn’t the best spot for it.
And the best part!! Food!
After all these stressing activities 😀 At noon, we went to a desert Island to have lunch. At the beginning of our visit, we dropped the cook and his aid to this Island. So hours later, food was ready!
The view from my lunch table
We left the boat far from the beach and had to walk between little sea animals trying to hide 🙂
There are no facilities on the Island. You will only see those wooden shelters where tourists can relax and eat.
You can also buy some souvenirs, mainly clothes, but no need to rush here you can have the same pieces in the markets around stone town.
Another disappointment since the Island is empty, the restroom was not functional, and people littered papers, tissue, plastic bottles around.
But still, the place is really beautiful.
We had around 1 hour to take a nap before going back to the mainland
That’s it for this tour! Hope you liked it!
- Reality Check - August 4, 2022
- Soothing zone - August 1, 2022
- The beginning - August 1, 2022
Ooh not sure which looked better, that blue water or those spiny lobsters! Sounds amazing.
They both look good! And the lobster was do tasty 😁
Zanzibar is on my vision board. You have inspired me to get serious about planning a vacation to Africa!
I’m sure you’ll love It!