What is Safari Blue?
Safari Blue is one of Zanzibar's most popular full-day excursions, and it has nothing to do with land-based wildlife. The name comes from the Swahili word for journey — "safari" — combined with the vivid blue of the Indian Ocean. From the small fishing harbour at Fumba, on the southwestern peninsula, traditional wooden dhows head out into Menai Bay, a conservation area that shelters coral reefs, mangroves, and open water channels.
The trip is a combination of sailing, snorkelling, sandbank exploration, and a communal seafood lunch cooked on the beach.
What to Expect
The day begins at Fumba, roughly 25 kilometres south of Stone Town, where you board a wooden dhow alongside a small group of other travellers. The vessel sails into the bay, and the first stop is usually a shallow reef where you can snorkel over coral gardens and spot tropical fish, sea turtles, and occasionally rays.
After snorkelling, the dhow anchors near a shifting sandbank that appears at low tide — a narrow strip of white sand rising from turquoise water. This is the trip's most iconic moment: wading in ankle-deep water with the ocean stretching in every direction.
From there, boats move on to Kwale Island, a small wooded island ringed by beach, where lunch is prepared. The meal is a spread of freshly grilled seafood — whole fish, squid, and crab — alongside rice, chapati, and tropical fruit. Vendors sometimes arrive by canoe offering local coconut palm wine (ulanzi). After lunch there is time to explore the island on foot, including the baobab trees that stand at its edge, before sailing back to Fumba in the afternoon.
Good to Know
Menai Bay can be choppy during the long rains (April–May) and conditions change with tides, so the itinerary is flexible. Snorkelling equipment is provided, but bringing your own mask guarantees a better fit. Apply reef-safe sunscreen rather than standard sunscreen to protect the coral. Sea sickness remedies are worth taking if you are sensitive to boat motion. The trip is best suited to confident swimmers, though non-swimmers can usually wade on the sandbank and relax on the island.
