Chumbe Island Coral Park

The forest around the island is lovely, and I’d suggest staying for two nights. It feels like you’re by yourself here, with very few guests and an eco lodge that lets you be close to nature. We saw sting rays, sharks, star fishes and plenty more. There’s a great range of corals, so it’s a lovely spot for snorkeling or just swimming.

It’s clearly better value to stay overnight. The island is wonderful for relaxing and being in nature, with a beautiful local beach. Snorkeling was the highlight for me. The seafood could use more variety and better preparation.

The staff made our honeymoon stay feel special. Vera was so helpful and shared a lot about the island’s work, and we enjoyed talking with her about all sorts of things. Margaret took us on the forest walk and up the tower, and was passionate and full of information. Ali worked hard looking after us at meals and at the bar. J2 was a great crab walking and snorkeling guide, and took us out again in the morning and evening, when we were lucky to see lots of marine wildlife. My wife and I spent two nights at Chumbe in November, and the conservation work here to protect the fragile local ecosystem is commendable. The snorkeling was more enjoyable than anywhere else we visited in Zanzibar. We saw so many different species, which says a lot about the conservation work. My wife spotted black tipped reef sharks several times, and we both saw turtles, pufferfish, clownfish and parrot fish, plus many others. We had an amazing time.

Snorkelling was truly awesome. The island is absolutely beautiful, though the natural views seemed to do most of the work for our stay. The guiding could be better, and the forest walk takes up a lot of time without offering much, so I’d skip it. Beach combing would be a great alternative.