Day Trip · 1 days · Private
Nungwi Turtle Sanctuary and Kendwa Beach Half Day
The natural tidal lagoon at Nungwi where rescued green turtles are kept and released, the dhow yards where boats are still built by hand, and an afternoon on Kendwa.
- Duration
- 1 days, 0 nights
- Group
- Private
- Activity
- Conservation visit, beach, dhow building
- Starts
- Zanzibar
- Ends
- Zanzibar
- Best months
- All year. Nungwi and Kendwa keep swimmable water at low tide, unlike the east coast.
At the northern tip of Zanzibar, a natural tidal lagoon connected to the sea by underground channels has been used for decades to hold and rehabilitate green turtles, most of them bought back from fishermen or recovered from nets. You can feed them seaweed, and get into the water with them.
Being straight about what this is. It is a small local conservation project, not a research institution, and the enclosure is a natural lagoon rather than a tank. Rehabilitated turtles are released, and hatchlings are released from the beach in season. It is worth seeing, and it is worth going in with accurate expectations rather than the ones a brochure would give you.
The rest of the half day. Nungwi is still a working boat village. The dhow yards on the beach build and repair boats by hand with tools that have not changed much in a century, and you can walk through them and watch. Then Kendwa, twenty minutes down the coast, which unlike the east coast keeps deep swimmable water at low tide, so you can actually swim whenever you arrive.
Who it suits. Families, half days, and anyone staying in the north who wants something to do that is not a full-day boat trip. It combines easily with the Nungwi and Kendwa sunset dhow cruise in the same afternoon. See all our Zanzibar tours.
Trip highlights
- A natural tidal lagoon holding rescued and rehabilitating green turtles
- Feed the turtles seaweed, and swim with them if you want to
- The Nungwi dhow yards, where boats are still built and repaired by hand on the beach
- Kendwa beach, which keeps swimmable water at low tide when most of the island does not
- A short half day that fits around anything else you have planned
- Easy for children, with almost no walking and no long boat ride
Day by day
Day 1 The turtle sanctuary
Hotel pickup and the drive to Nungwi. At the lagoon a local guide explains where the turtles come from and what happens to them. Buy seaweed to feed them, and get in the water with them if you want to.
Day 2 The dhow yards and Nungwi village
A short walk along the beach through the boatyards, where dhows are built and repaired by hand. Your guide explains the timber, the tools and why the shape has not changed.
Day 3 Kendwa beach and back
Twenty minutes down the coast to Kendwa for swimming time, then back to your hotel. Four to five hours in total. If you would rather stay for the sunset, tell us and we will arrange a later pickup.
What is included
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Zanzibar
- Private vehicle with fuel and a licensed English-speaking guide
- Turtle sanctuary entrance fee
- A local guide at the sanctuary
- Drinking water
Not included
- Seaweed to feed the turtles, sold at the sanctuary for a small amount
- Lunch and drinks
- Flights, visa and travel insurance
- Tips
Before you travel
Pickup and meeting point
We collect you from your hotel anywhere on Zanzibar: Stone Town, Nungwi, Kendwa, Paje, Jambiani, Michamvi, Matemwe or Kiwengwa. Pickup times shift by up to an hour depending on where you are staying, and we confirm yours the evening before. Drop-off is at the same hotel.
What to bring
Swimwear and a towel, both for the lagoon and for Kendwa. Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat. A small amount of cash for the seaweed and for anything at the beach. Shoes you can walk on sand in.
Safety
The lagoon is shallow but the bottom is uneven and there are turtles moving in it. Follow the guide on where to enter and how to behave around the animals: do not chase them, do not stand on the coral, and let them come to you. At Kendwa the swimming is open sea with no lifeguard. Boats carry buoyancy aids for everyone on board and we ask that children wear one for the whole trip. Tell your guide before departure if anyone is not a confident swimmer. Sea conditions decide whether a trip runs; if the captain calls it off we move you to another day or refund the trip, and that decision is not negotiable.
Questions about this trip
Can we swim with the turtles?
Yes, in the lagoon. It is shallow, the turtles are used to people, and a guide is there throughout. Do not chase or ride them; let them come to you.
Is this a genuine conservation project?
It is a small local one. Turtles are bought back from fishermen or recovered from nets, held in a natural tidal lagoon and released when they are fit. It is not a research centre and we would rather you knew that going in.
Why Kendwa and not the east coast?
Because Kendwa keeps deep water at low tide. On the east coast the sea can go out several hundred metres and swimming becomes impossible for hours. If you want to be certain of a swim, the north-west is where to go.
Is it good for children?
Very. Feeding turtles, boats being built, and a beach you can actually swim off. There is almost no walking and no long transfer.
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Where this trip goes
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