Mnemba atoll snorkelling by speedboatMnemba atoll — snorkelling the reef by speedboat from Matemwe

• Free cancellationUp to 24 hrs beforeFull refund up to 24 hours before
• 6 hoursBack by 13:00Back at your hotel by 13:00
• Hotel pickupIncludedIncluded from Matemwe and Kiwengwa
• Live guideEN, KiswahiliEnglish, Kiswahili
• Max 8 guestsTwo crew in the water with youTwo crew in the water with you

What you'll do

Out of Matemwe at first light, when the water over the atoll is still glass. Two long snorkelling stops on the reef wall, a break on the boat with fruit and coffee, and back before the wind gets up. The island itself is private — we snorkel the reef around it, which is where everything lives anyway.

• Two long stops on the reef wall, not one rushed one
• Dolphins on the crossing more mornings than not
• Green turtles on the southern bommies
• Back before the afternoon wind

The day, hour by hour

1. 07:00Pickup from your hotel

   Short drive to the beach at Matemwe, where the boat is pulled up.

2. 07:45Out to the atoll· 30 min

   Briefing, fins fitted, and a watch for dolphins on the way across.

3. 08:30First snorkel — the reef wall· 1 hr

   The deeper side, with the best visibility of the day.

4. 10:00Second snorkel — the southern bommies· 1 hr

   Shallower and calmer. This is where the turtles are.

5. 13:00Back at your hotel

   Fruit, coffee and fresh water on the boat on the way in.

Where we pick you up

Good to know before you book

• The marine park fee is $35 per person and is the single largest extra on this site — please budget for it.
• Not suitable for non-swimmers: both stops are in open water off the boat.
• Minimum age 8, and children must be confident in a mask.
• We cancel for sea state more often here than anywhere else. You choose a refund or another date.

Questions people ask

Can we land on Mnemba island?

No — the island is private and closed to day visitors. Nobody in Zanzibar can land you there, and anyone who says otherwise is selling you the beach on the mainland side.

Why is the park fee so high?

It is set by the conservation area, not by us, and it funds the ranger patrols that keep the reef in the state you came to see. We show it separately rather than burying it in the price.