The Jozani forest National Park area in southern Zanzibar is the best spot for eco tourism on the island! Besides the actual Jozani Forest National Park, which is the largest near-natural tropical rain forest in Zanzibar and home to the endemic Red Colobus Monkey, within a radius of 20 km you can reach the protected areas of Chwaka Bay and Menai Bay with its sandbanks, uninhabited islets, coral reefs and marine habitats, which are home to dolphins, sea turtles, whales and dugongs, and Uzi Island, which is surrounded by Zanzibar’s largest mangrove area, breeding ground to many birds and sea animals.

Within this heaven of nature there are a few villages that haven’t changed a lot during the last centuries, with the villagers still being primarily small-scale farmers and fishermen.

The following ecotourism package is offered by the Muungoni Community Tourism Initiative, a group of locals who have understood that the nature around their villages and their local culture are valuable assets to attract tourists, and that conservation of their environment and local culture can guarantee them an income and contribute to the sustainable development of the area. 50% of the profits made through the ecotourism activities are used for the improvement of the living conditions in the village of Muungoni, such as improvements to water supply, and to operate the community kindergarten and school. By coming to Muungoni you will directly support the development of the village. The ecotourism packages and services delivered by the Muungoni Community Initiative have been developed in close cooperation with World Unite!.

The 6 days/5 nights package provides enough time to experience the nature of the area and local culture in depth and detail.

After your arrival in Muungoni you can check in at „Komba Nest“ or the „Mangrove House“ from 12am. You will receive a welcome drink of fresh tropical fruit juice.

Depending on your arrival time you will first visit Zala Park, which is a little park where Mohammed, the biology teacher of the village keeps local reptiles for educational purposes. He invites school classes from all over Zanzibar to provide them a scientific approach to animals in order to bust superstitious beliefs, which unfortunately still today often result in the killing of wildlife.

After this, you will do a Cultural Tour of the village. During this varied tour you will get an insight into the life in the village which hasn’t changed a lot over the centuries.

Learn how the local live in close relation with the nature around them, which provides them with a lot of what they need in their daily lives.

You will also see the water supply system and the school which have been financed through the revenues of ecotourism. You get the opportunity to participate in activities such as weaving baskets and tasting local fruits and sweets.

If you arrive late, you will only visit Zala Park today and do the cultural village tour the next day.

The Community group will serve dinner at your accommoation where you will experience an exciting night in the middle of nature, where you can hear the sound of animals such as nocturnal birds, bush babies, and Red Colobus Monkeys.

After your arrival in Muungoni you can check in at „Komba Nest“ or the „Mangrove House“ from 12am. You will receive a welcome drink of fresh tropical fruit juice. Depending on your arrival time you will first visit Zala Park, which is a little park where Mohammed, the biology teacher of the village keeps local reptiles for educational purposes. He invites school classes from all over Zanzibar to provide them a scientific approach to animals in order to bust superstitious beliefs, which unfortunately still today often result in the killing of wildlife. After this, you will do a Cultural Tour of the village. During this varied tour you will get an insight into the life in the village which hasn’t changed a lot over the centuries.

Learn how the local live in close relation with the nature around them, which provides them with a lot of what they need in their daily lives. You will also see the water supply system and the school which have been financed through the revenues of ecotourism. You get the opportunity to participate in activities such as weaving baskets and tasting local fruits and sweets. If you arrive late, you will only visit Zala Park today and do the cultural village tour the next day. The Community group will serve dinner at your accommoation where you will experience an exciting night in the middle of nature, where you can hear the sound of animals such as nocturnal birds, bush babies, and Red Colobus Monkeys.

You will have breakfast at your accommodation. If the Cultural Tour of the village has not been done the day before, you will do it this morning and you will have lunch at your accommodation or at the lunch terrace. If you already went on the cultural tour on day 1, you have the option to book a Bicycle Tour to Makunduchi Village in the south of Zanzibar. Some visits of this trip include an impressive cave with stalactites and stalagmites, a visit to a real traditional voodoo priest who will demonstrate some of his magic, climbing up the highest lighthouse of Zanzibar, and entering Zanzibar’s second biggest mosque in Makunduchi. This tour takes about 5 hours, including a 1-hour lunch break at the beach. In the afternoon we will walk a Nature Trail during which you will receive a full explanation on the plants you see and their uses for the local population. The locals depend heavily on the proceeds of the forest, not only for food but also for medicines, as construction materials, and other needs. You will be surprised by the many uses and knowledge the people have about the plants found in the natural environment!

World Unite! has sponsored vocational training in permaculture farming, a scientific method of sustainable farming to members of the Muungoni Community Tourism Initiative. You will also visit such permaculture gardens where sustainable food is sourced from, using as little resources as possible. .

You will have dinner and stay overnight at the accommodation.

You will have breakfast at your accommodation. If the Cultural Tour of the village has not been done the day before, you will do it this morning and you will have lunch at your accommodation or at the lunch terrace. If you already went on the cultural tour on day 1, you have the option to book a Bicycle Tour to Makunduchi Village in the south of Zanzibar. Some visits of this trip include an impressive cave with stalactites and stalagmites, a visit to a real traditional voodoo priest who will demonstrate some of his magic, climbing up the highest lighthouse of Zanzibar, and entering Zanzibar’s second biggest mosque in Makunduchi. This tour takes about 5 hours, including a 1-hour lunch break at the beach. In the afternoon we will walk a Nature Trail during which you will receive a full explanation on the plants you see and their uses for the local population. The locals depend heavily on the proceeds of the forest, not only for food but also for medicines, as construction materials, and other needs. You will be surprised by the many uses and knowledge the people have about the plants found in the natural environment!

World Unite! has sponsored vocational training in permaculture farming, a scientific method of sustainable farming to members of the Muungoni Community Tourism Initiative. You will also visit such permaculture gardens where sustainable food is sourced from, using as little resources as possible. .

You will have dinner and stay overnight at the accommodation.

After breakfast served at your accommodation you will go on a full day Mangroves Canoe Trip. You will be surrounded by the quiet, natural environment of this special forest, and get the chance to get close to birds and other animals in their natural habitat. The mangroves have an important role in the conservation of many animal species that depend on the mangroves for their existence, and their protection is paramount. Your trip will also include Uzi Island. This inhabited island which has two small villages is even more remote and life is even more unchanged compared to the villages on Zanzibar’s main island Unguja. Lunch will be in Uzi Island. You will have dinner and stay overnight at the accommodation.

After breakfast served at your accommodation you will go on a full day Mangroves Canoe Trip. You will be surrounded by the quiet, natural environment of this special forest, and get the chance to get close to birds and other animals in their natural habitat. The mangroves have an important role in the conservation of many animal species that depend on the mangroves for their existence, and their protection is paramount. Your trip will also include Uzi Island. This inhabited island which has two small villages is even more remote and life is even more unchanged compared to the villages on Zanzibar’s main island Unguja. Lunch will be in Uzi Island. You will have dinner and stay overnight at the accommodation.

You will get up early this morning, before the break of dawn, to observe birds in the mangroves with biology teacher Mr. Mohammed who knows all the species that can be found in the area.

Breakfast will wait for you at your accommodation after this early morning activity. After breakfast and in the afternoon, you will get the chance to get active as volunteer for a day. You can decide whether you want to assist the local teacher at the kindergarten or elementary school teaching English, or you can feed the animals and clean their enclosures at Zala Park, or you can do some gardening at the permaculture gardens. In between your volunteer activity, lunch will be served.

After dinner at the accommodation, we will go to ruins in the forest, which are believed to be built by people who came from the African mainland by boat in the 8th century. In the dark, and only lit by torches, you will listen to a storyteller, narrating mystical local stories. This is an intense and impressive experience you will never forget!

Overnight stay at your accommodation.

You will get up early this morning, before the break of dawn, to observe birds in the mangroves with biology teacher Mr. Mohammed who knows all the species that can be found in the area.

Breakfast will wait for you at your accommodation after this early morning activity. After breakfast and in the afternoon, you will get the chance to get active as volunteer for a day. You can decide whether you want to assist the local teacher at the kindergarten or elementary school teaching English, or you can feed the animals and clean their enclosures at Zala Park, or you can do some gardening at the permaculture gardens. In between your volunteer activity, lunch will be served.

After dinner at the accommodation, we will go to ruins in the forest, which are believed to be built by people who came from the African mainland by boat in the 8th century. In the dark, and only lit by torches, you will listen to a storyteller, narrating mystical local stories. This is an intense and impressive experience you will never forget!

Overnight stay at your accommodation.

After breakfast at the accommodation, on today’s program you will go by bicycle with a guide to Jozani Forest National Park. At Jozani Forest National Park we will spot and closely observe Red Colobus Monkeys, which are endemic to Zanzibar, go on a walk through the deep groundwater forest with its gigantic vegetation, and walk through the mangrove forest on a boardwalk. Also we will visit a marine turtle conservation project.

We will then proceed to the community development project ‘DADA collective’, which is dedicated to skill development and empowerment of local girls and women, where we will take lunch and see a presentation of how to use a traditional loom. You can see the many skillful handcrafts produced by the collective.

The next stop on this day is the Zanzibar Butterfly Centre in Pete Village, East Africa’s largest aviary for butterflies, where you can see all local species of butterflies. The centre is a project of sustainable income generation for locals. As butterflies only have a
relatively short lifespan, the centre has a constant need of new butterflies, which are grown by villagers of Pete under the supervision of a biologist and paid for by the Butterfly Centre through the revenues of tourism.

We will then return to to Muungoni by bicycle and take dinner and stay overnight at the accommodation.

After breakfast at the accommodation, on today’s program you will go by bicycle with a guide to Jozani Forest National Park. At Jozani Forest National Park we will spot and closely observe Red Colobus Monkeys, which are endemic to Zanzibar, go on a walk through the deep groundwater forest with its gigantic vegetation, and walk through the mangrove forest on a boardwalk. Also we will visit a marine turtle conservation project.

We will then proceed to the community development project ‘DADA collective’, which is dedicated to skill development and empowerment of local girls and women, where we will take lunch and see a presentation of how to use a traditional loom. You can see the many skillful handcrafts produced by the collective.

The next stop on this day is the Zanzibar Butterfly Centre in Pete Village, East Africa’s largest aviary for butterflies, where you can see all local species of butterflies. The centre is a project of sustainable income generation for locals. As butterflies only have a relatively short lifespan, the centre has a constant need of new butterflies, which are grown by villagers of Pete under the supervision of a biologist and paid for by the Butterfly Centre through the revenues of tourism.

We will then return to to Muungoni by bicycle and take dinner and stay overnight at the accommodation.

Breakfast at the accommodation. Check-out at 10am. You can still spend some time on your own in and around Muungoni and have optional lunch and dinner at the terrace. If you haven’t done the bicycle tour to Makunduchi village on day 2, you can also do it as a half-day (5 hours) activity on Day 6.

Breakfast at the accommodation. Check-out at 10am. You can still spend some time on your own in and around Muungoni and have optional lunch and dinner at the terrace. If you haven’t done the bicycle tour to Makunduchi village on day 2, you can also do it as a half-day (5 hours) activity on Day 6.

The Muungoni Community Tourism group runs two accommodation in the nature near Muungoni village: Komba Nest and Mangrove Hut. You will stay at one of them, depending on availability. Both accommodation are of simple standard, but it is the location and their natural eco-friendly style that makes them special.

At Komba Nest you will stay in the middle of a tropical rain forest. At the Mangrove hut you will stay in the middle of Zanzibar’s largest mangroves. In both cases you are always surrounded by plain tropical nature.

Both accommodation are built using only local natural construction materials that completely blend with and in tune with their natural surroundings. They have basic solar lighting. You can communicate with the members of the Community Tourism Group via a walkie-talkie and they will assist you whenever you need them.

Komba Nest is a three-storey wooden house in between the trees. „Komba“ in Swahili means „bushbaby“ (also called galago), which is a small and shy nocturnal primate living here inside the trees. Staying at Komba Nest you can feel just like being one of them:-)! Even if Komba Nest appears deep inside the forest, it is just a 3 minutes’ walk from Zala Park and the village. A maximum of 6 people* can stay at Komba Nest and have their unique jungle experience. The beds are fitted with mosquito nets.

(Also if your group size is less than 6 people you will have Komba Nest for yourself – we don’t accommodate other guests with you at Komba Nest at the same time)

See image gallery of Komba Nest:

Your meals will be served at your accommodation during the time you are checked in. The meals all consist of locally produced home-made food and the menu is chosen depending on season and availability. For breakfast you can expect toast with jam, pancakes and coffee. Lunch and dinner can include rice, ugali (African cornmeal mash), boiled potatoes with fish or chicken and/or different kinds of vegetables (like carrot or spinach) in coconut sauce. It is possible to request vegetarian and vegan meals.

There is a terrace to have your additional meals if you book an additional lunch/dinner after you check out from your accommodation. You can store your luggage at Zala Park.