Zanzibar: Mnemba Island Dhow Day Trip & Snorkeling Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.94 (204 reviews) 97% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/27

Duration9h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Snorkeling Mnemba’s reefs from a dhow with lunch & dolphins

You’ll board a traditional dhow for a day trip to Mnemba Island from Zanzibar—swimming with dolphins if luck’s on your side, snorkeling coral reefs teeming with life, then sharing a fresh seafood BBQ lunch right on deck. With stops at hidden sandbanks and sunset sailing back home, it’s an easygoing day full of small surprises you’ll remember long after.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day trip to Mnemba Island

Start trip at 09:00
Watch for dolphins en route
Swim with dolphins
Snorkel around coral reefs
Enjoy seafood and chicken BBQ lunch
Jump on sandbank if tide low
Relax on boat with fresh fruits
Sail back to Zanzibar at sunset

The Experience

Stepping barefoot onto the wooden dhow off Zanzibar’s northeast coast, I felt that first rush of salt air — sharp and sweet at the same time. Our guide, Juma, grinned as he handed out fins and masks. I’d never seen water this clear; you could spot flashes of silver fish even from the deck. We set off toward Mnemba Island, and honestly, within twenty minutes someone yelled “dolphins!” A few of us slid straight into the water (I hesitated — not my most graceful entry), but floating there with dolphins darting just below was something I didn’t expect to feel so calm about. Maybe it was the way Juma laughed from the boat or how the sun felt on my back.

The snorkeling around Mnemba is wild — coral gardens in every direction, tiny electric-blue fish everywhere you look. At one point I just hovered above a patch of sea stars, watching them shift in slow motion. Meanwhile, Juma and his cousin were already getting the grill going for our seafood and chicken BBQ. The smell drifted over the water while we dried off on deck — smoky and a little spicy. Lunch was messy (the grilled octopus was my favorite), eaten with sandy hands and juice that tasted like mangoes and something else I couldn’t name. If you’re vegetarian or anything else, they’ll sort it out — one of our group was vegan and got her own plate piled high.

On the way back to Zanzibar, we stopped at a sandbank that only shows up when the tide’s low. It felt unreal to stand there with nothing but pale sand underfoot and ocean all around. Someone started a game of catch with a coconut husk — pretty sure I lost every round. The sail went up for the last stretch home; we sprawled out on cushions eating slices of watermelon while everything turned gold in that late afternoon light. There was this quiet moment where no one talked — just wind in the sail and waves tapping against wood. I still think about that view sometimes.

What’s included

Your day includes bottled water, sodas and fresh juice throughout.
use of all snorkeling equipment.
a seafood and chicken BBQ lunch prepared fresh onboard (with vegetarian or vegan options available if you let them know).
plus all fees and taxes are covered before you sail back at sunset.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Dream Dhow Zanzibar