Mnemba Island, Dolphins, Lunch, Spice Farm & Jozani: An Honest Look

Thinking about checking out Mnemba Island and everything it, too, offers – from dolphins to spice farms – during a trip to Zanzibar? Zanzibar, that’s pretty cool! Well, you’ve come to the right place. What follows is my experience that should give you a better, too, feel of what to actually expect from this particular day tour and help you figure out, alright, if it matches what you hope for on vacation. It can be pretty exciting and fun!

Chasing Dolphins near Mnemba Island: What’s It Really Like?

So, the dolphin watching near Mnemba Island, you know, it’s supposed to be a highlight, but I want to share the honest truth. What I found when I went is that things are a little crazy out on the water, especially, actually, early in the morning. There is what can only be called something close to a small armada of boats, very, circling around, that is apparently all looking for the same dolphin pods. Because there are tons of boats, very, once a dolphin is spotted, all the boats tend to sort of converge rapidly, it seems, to give their passengers a view. At times it felt rather, too, stressful for the dolphins, frankly. Of course I don’t know for sure how the dolphins felt!

That said, that instant when you catch a peek at a dolphin, even briefly, you know, it’s undeniably special, still. The water around Mnemba is really something. So blue! That blueness is pretty mesmerizing. But is that enough for a decent trip? Well, that’s up for you to decide. For me, arguably, it was a mixed bag. I was rather happy when we moved on. If I go again, probably, I’d check to see about a more eco-conscious tour operator, really, who prioritizes, too, the animals’ well-being just a little more. It’s something you want to think about.

Lunch on the Beach: A Relaxing Break… Kinda

Lunch, that came right after our somewhat eventful dolphin watching trip. The lunch that we got was part of the package, it was actually, I have to say, rather delicious. I felt quite relaxed for some reason while eating there. We stopped, you know, on a somewhat quiet stretch of sand somewhere, maybe not actually Mnemba itself but close enough in feel, to sort of chow down on some grilled fish and rice. Simple things like that, you know?

You know, the setting itself, it was postcard-perfect. Clear, unbelievably, water. Soft, smooth sands. But, like with pretty much everything, but, there’s also a “but” there. Loads of other tour groups had come to, or already, descended on pretty much that same beach, creating kind of a less private, just a little less secluded feel than you may anticipate. The food was so wonderful that maybe the view around me became less important? Anyway, that’s just me. Maybe. Enjoying fresh seafood in Zanzibar is just one of those life experiences!

Spice Farm Visit: A Sensory Overload (in a good way!)

The spice farm bit, you know, that was the part that genuinely surprised me. I went with just sort of moderate expectations. The Spice farm, of course, didn’t exist when Freddy Mercury lived on the island! Anyway, turns out Zanzibar’s spice farms are completely wonderful in that almost overwhelming way, seemingly, bursting with smells and sights that you cannot imagine. If you’re traveling solo and have no idea where to visit, maybe, try it.

We got an educational walkthrough. Someone explained about so many kinds of spices, for instance, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, as well as, and tons more that I never knew grew on trees. The guides, those folks are knowledgeable, seemingly, and super enthusiastic, always seemingly stopping to encourage you, basically, to smell, touch, and, if you felt up to it, like your, even taste. It’s quite the hands-on experience and you’ll certainly learn something.

Just a small thing: get ready to buy spices. And you will be. Because at the conclusion of the tour, obviously, there’s an opportunity to purchase, in other words, pretty much everything you saw. You know, there isn’t really pressure. At least I didn’t feel any. I supported them and bought some stuff! These farms depend somewhat on the revenue from tourism and anything helps.

Jozani Forest: Red Colobus Monkeys and More

After the farm tour, then the Jozani Forest beckoned. This part of the day trip is dedicated mostly to viewing Zanzibar’s Red Colobus monkeys. Seeing those monkeys up close is kind of fascinating. What I observed is the monkeys have just become habituated to people. What else is to do? So the monkeys get really close, you know. It feels as if you’re pretty much hanging out in their habitat.

Outside those captivating monkeys, though, just a little, the forest provides a serene setting for just a slow-paced walk. It’s kind of amazing, frankly, to transition, at the end of the day, from that coastline to pretty much a dense forest. Zanzibar is pretty, pretty interesting with its eco-diversity and really should not only be considered, really, a beach destination.