Primates
Shaggy-crowned red colobus feeding just above your head and a boardwalk through the mangroves — Zanzibar’s gentlest wildlife encounter.
A Jozani Forest tour takes you into Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, Zanzibar’s only national park, created in 2004 and covering about 50 km² on the southern side of Chwaka Bay, inland from the south-east coast. It protects the island’s largest remaining stand of near-natural forest — groundwater forest, coral-rag thicket, salt marsh and mangroves — and its star resident, the Zanzibar red colobus, a monkey found only on Unguja and listed as Endangered. Estimates of its total population vary, but it numbers only a few thousand, a large share of them in and around the park.
This is a walk, not a trek. Flat trails and a boardwalk take one to two hours, the monkeys are habituated and often feed at eye level along the forest edge, and children and older travelers manage easily. The park sits 15–25 minutes from Paje and Jambiani, so it fits naturally into a stay on Zanzibar’s east coast or into the transfer between coasts; allow about 45–60 minutes from Stone Town.
Jozani Forest & the Red Colobus
We time your visit for early morning or late afternoon, often on the way to or from a south-east beach.
At the visitor center you pay the entrance fee, which at the time of writing includes a park guide.
Your guide leads you to a colobus group, usually near the forest edge, and explains their behavior and conservation.
You continue on the forest loop, then drive a short way to the Pete mangrove boardwalk.
Your driver picks you up for the onward journey; the whole visit takes one to two hours.
Jozani Forest & the Red Colobus
Safaris
Stone Town · Spice farms (Kizimbani & Kidichi) · Kendwa · Nungwi
First-time visitors, families and anyone who wants history and easy swimming in a single week
Stone Town · Jozani Forest · Jambiani · Matemwe · Mnemba Island
Newlyweds and anniversary couples who want privacy, variety and water on the doorstep
Good to know
One to two hours covers the colobus, the forest loop and the mangrove boardwalk at a relaxed pace. Add travel time from your base: about 15–25 minutes from Paje or Jambiani and 45–60 minutes from Stone Town.
Usually. The groups near the entrance are used to people, so most visitors get close, relaxed views, often within minutes of setting off. They are wild animals and move around, so timing and your guide’s knowledge help, but a visit without seeing them is unusual.
Yes. The trails are short and flat, the boardwalk is easy, and watching the monkeys at close range holds most children’s attention. Bring water, insect repellent and a hat, and go in the cooler part of the day.
Almost certainly not anymore. The Zanzibar leopard, a small island form, was persecuted for decades and is now thought to be extinct, although unconfirmed reports still surface. Your guide may share the local stories, but no one can promise a sighting.
Experiences
Ocean & reef
From Mnemba’s shallow gardens to Pemba’s deep walls and Mafia’s whale sharks — reefs matched to your level, the month and your flights.
On the water
Lateen sails at sunset, tide-timed sandbanks and seafood lunches in Menai Bay — Zanzibar from the deck of a wooden dhow.
Culture
Crush a clove bud, taste fresh nutmeg and learn why Zanzibar became the Spice Islands on a half-day farm walk inland from Stone Town.
Share your dates, who is traveling and what you want from Zanzibar — beaches, reefs, Stone Town or a safari first. We’ll suggest the right coast and design a private trip around you, with nothing booked until you approve it.
Plan My Zanzibar Trip
