Zanzibar > Snorkeling at Fumba

The air conditioning is cold tonight. I wake up from the chill. In the dark, I try to adjust the temperature, but it doesn’t work. The best option is to switch the AC off, which means it will get warm. The outside temperature at night in Zanzibar is still 25 degrees, while the AC is set to 16 degrees. I fall asleep again. Later, my roommate wakes up from the heat and turns the AC back on. We keep each other busy this way. All in all, I sleep reasonably well. Breakfast is on the first floor. From the balcony tables, I look out over the bay — a magnificent view. Today I’m joining the snorkeling trip on the south side of Zanzibar. Other travel companions are moving to Nungwi, in the north of the island, later in the morning. They take my luggage with them, and we will arrive there by the end of the afternoon as well. At nine o’clock, wearing my swim gear, I get into the Blue Safari minibus. Ramadan drives us to Fumba in just under half an hour. Here, traditional wooden dhow boats are ready. Since our group is only four people, we share the boat with other tourists. In total, there are fourteen of us on board. Saïd is the captain and welcomes us. We first sail to a small sandbank in the sea, where we can swim.

Zanzibar - Snorkeling with a traditional dhow boat

Around us, several boats are anchored — I estimate about twenty-five in total. After a short swim break, we sail back a bit. Saïd jokes that they forgot the beer, but in reality, they have spotted dolphins. Soon, the animals swim right next to the boat. They only appear occasionally, so it’s a matter of guessing where they will resurface. Meanwhile, pineapple and melon are sliced on board, and coconuts are opened for everyone to drink from. We continue to the first snorkeling spot. I put on my mask and fins and jump into the water. Below me lies coral — not very spectacular in color, but still beautiful to see. Colorful fish swim around me. As I head back to the boat, I am surrounded by large schools of small, brightly colored fish. They swim right up to me and only scatter when I reach out my hand. It turns out they are being fed from the boat — hundreds of fish are gathered. The second snorkeling spot is a little further on. There’s coral here too, but fewer fish. The waves are also bigger, making it harder to float.

Zanzibar - Onboard the snorkeling boat

I let myself drift with the swells, enjoying the underwater world below me. Before lunch, we sail to the Kwale blue lagoon, accessible through a narrow passage. It’s a beautiful bay for swimming. At low tide, the lagoon dries up. Mangrove forests line the shores. Even though almost all the boats arrive here at the same time, it is a stunning location. For lunch, we dock at Kwale Island, located southwest of Zanzibar. Under a canopy, a barbecue lunch is ready — rice, chicken, tuna, and lobster. It tastes delicious, and the beer is included. Everything is well organized today. This is where you notice the difference from other tour companies, which drop their guests off at the beach to browse shops. Lunch ends with an assortment of fruit, sliced at the table — passion fruit, bananas, baobab fruit, grapefruit, dates, mangoes, and more. It seems endless, and it’s fun to taste them all. Coffee is served with Amarula, almost a 50/50 mix, and it tastes great.

Zanzibar - The Mnarani Beach Cottages resort in Nungwi

On the way back, we stop again at the sandbank. I’ve had enough swimming for the day and my swim shorts are finally dry, so I stay on board. Around four o’clock, we arrive back at Fumba beach. It’s unclear whether Ramadan will drive us to Stone Town for a transfer, or all the way to Nungwi. He assumes he’s dropping us back at this morning’s hotel, which turns out to be correct — a taxi is waiting there to take us to Nungwi, a drive of just over an hour. Around six o’clock, we enter Zanzibar’s northernmost town. The driver turns off onto a bumpy dirt track. Is this really the way to the resort? I had expected Nungwi to be much more touristy. Along the way, we run into one of our travel companions. “You’re going the wrong way,” he says. “The resort is behind you.” The driver is convinced he’s right, but once we reach the beach, he starts to doubt. The travel companion has walked back and gets in, guiding us to the Mnarani Beach Cottages resort, which sits beautifully by the sea. All the bungalows have ocean views. At the bar, I order a drink first, then wash off the salt water under the shower. In the restaurant, I have seafood pasta — I’ve already had plenty to eat this afternoon.