A Genuine Look at the 2025 Full-Day Private Tour: Mnemba Island, Turtles, and Kendwa Beach
So, you are thinking about booking that big day trip in Zanzibar, you know, the one that everyone kind of talks about. It’s basically the ‘Full Day Private Mnemba Island + Turtles Aquarium & Kendwa Beach’ package. Well, I mean, we actually just did it, and to be honest, it was a day filled with some really incredible moments and a few things you should probably know beforehand. This whole trip is more or less a classic Zanzibar experience all rolled into one pretty long day. Anyway, it’s seemingly a good way to see a lot of the island’s marine highlights without needing to plan three separate excursions. You just kind of have to decide if this private, all-in-one approach is the right feel for your holiday. It’s pretty much an iconic Zanzibar thing to do, you know?
The Early Morning Start and Voyage to Mnemba Atoll
Alright, so the day really kicks off bright and early, which, to be honest, is a good thing because you get to the locations before they get too crowded. A driver, you know, picks you up from your hotel in a car that is actually quite comfortable. Our pickup was from the North, and the drive itself was a bit of a nice way to see the island wake up. You basically see villages and lots of greenery along the way. Anyway, you get to the launch spot and see your private dhow, which is a classic wooden sailing boat that is really just so Zanzibar. It’s apparently a very traditional kind of boat, and our captain was a local guy who really knew his stuff.
The boat ride over to Mnemba Atoll takes a little bit of time, maybe like 45 minutes or so, depending on the ocean conditions. But honestly, it’s not just a ride; it’s part of the whole feeling of the day. You are just out on the Indian Ocean, with the wind kind of guiding the sail, and the water is this shade of blue that is seriously hard to believe. As you get closer, you sort of start to see Mnemba Island, which is a private island that looks like it’s straight out of a postcard. Just so you know, you can’t actually step onto the island itself since it’s for guests of the super high-end lodge there. But that’s okay, because the real magic, you know, is under the water around it.
The dhow drops anchor a little ways from the shore, in a place that is literally buzzing with sea life. The crew basically gives you all the snorkeling gear you need, which was all in pretty good shape. I mean, jumping into that water for the first time is a feeling that is actually amazing. The warmth and clearness are just, like, totally perfect. We were pretty much immediately surrounded by schools of fish that had all these amazing colors, like yellow, blue, and striped ones too. It was sort of like being dropped into a massive, natural fish tank. We even saw some dolphins from the boat on our way, which was a very lucky and incredible start to the entire day, you know.
Swimming with Gentle Giants at the Turtle Aquarium
Okay, so after all that wonderful time in the open ocean, the next stop is usually the Baraka Natural Aquarium in Nungwi, which is just a short boat ride or drive away. Now, when you hear ‘aquarium’, you might be thinking of, like, glass tanks and stuff, but this is a very different thing. It’s basically a natural tidal pool or lagoon, which is connected to the ocean. It was started by some local people as a kind of conservation project, which is really cool. They rescue sea turtles that have been accidentally caught in fishing nets, let them get healthy again, and then release them back into the big ocean. So, you are actually sort of contributing to a good cause by visiting.
The main thing
