EcoKayak Zanzibar

Abdala (guide) and Abdilai (chef) are a dream team of local sustainable tourism. Very rare to find such at Zanzibar! We did a 3 day kajak tour with camping at a remote place (as remote as it can get on Zanzibar). Congratulations and keep on going your way - it's a fantastic and inspiring one!

We had a great time with our tour guide Abdullah. He is fantastic. He knows a lot about island and mangrove forest too.
He seems to be very passionate about his work so he make this trip even more enjoyable.

Great sunset kayak trip! We booked the day before via WhatsApp and added a stop at Jozani forest on the way from our hotel. It was just us on the trip so lots of flexibility. Both the organizer/driver and kayak guide were very knowledgeable.

I had a great day with Eco Kayak! The staff came to collect me at my accommodation in Stone Town and drove to me to Unguja Ukuu. We then walked to the boat and went on a snorkelling trip to a remote island which was beautiful. The corals and marine life were stunning and the area felt a lot more preserved than others. I was served fresh fruit on the boat and then had lunch on another beautiful island which I had almost all to myself with a stunning sand strip. After lunch I joined a kayaking tour in the mangroves with the knowledgeable Abdullah who told us a lot about the mangroves ecosystem, though personally I knew a lot about this as I had worked in mangrove conservation in Madagascar. Nevertheless, the staff were friendly and though the cost of the trip was significant for a single traveller it was reasonable when compared to other experiences on the island. As a kayaker my only feedback is that perhaps the kayaking experience could have been longer and more strenuous, perhaps after snorkelling I would have enjoyed paddling around the islands. All in all, good communication and a recommended experience in a less touristy corner of the island!

Easy to book and great communication via WhatsApp, was also able to arrange transport to and from Menai Bay. The tour guide was charming and very knowledgeable about the mangroves. Delightful excursion, definitely recommend.

I came to Ecokayak based on the recommendation of my Zanzibar homestay family's relatives who have done it themselves. I loved kayaking through the mangroves too! The terrain was very interesting, I got to see interesting creatures, and the staff at Ecokayak were very professional and friendly.

Since the mangroves grow on salty water, the appearance of the land they grow on changes completely during the low tide and the hide tide of the ocean. I got to see both appearances during my tour, because we departed at the low tide, when much of the mangrove roots were exposed, and we came back at the high tide, when almost half the height of mangroves were submerged under sea water. The phase of tide had such a strong impact on how deep the water was from the sandy basin, how fast the current was and in which direction, that riding a kayak was a tangible way to appreciate the force of tide on this ecosystem.

Have you ever seen a crab species with a naturally lop-sided claw? And ants who build their nests by glueing the leaves on tree branches together into an orb? Have you ever felt a hardened sea cucumber relaxing in your hand? I got to experience them for the first time during this eco kayaking tour! And the guide was very knowledgeable about them, eager to tell intriguing stories.

My group was blessed to have an excellent guide, Abdallah. He grew up in Unguju Ukuu village right next to the mangroves, so he was very knowledgeable about the natural ecosystem and the way the locals live here. He was kind, laid back but caring, that I think everyone in my group (certainly myself) felt very comfortable around him. He single handedly led six of us in the group through the whole kayaking journey very well, making stops at places that would be the best to share interesting stories about the ecosystems, and knowing where to spot interesting creatures. Also, ask him about how he learned English and how he is helping others in his village learn English! I'm taking inspiration for my own life from what he has been doing.

After the tour, I was planning to get dropped off at the nearest Dala Dala (local bus) station and return to Stone town that way. The co-owner informed me that today was the last day of celebrating the major holiday (Eid) so the Dala Dala back to the Stone town will be full but that he could personally drive me back. He did, and indeed, town after town, I saw so many villagers queued up to catch a Dala Dala but nearly all Dala Dalas we saw on the road were completely full. If it wasn't for him looking after me, even though the kayaking was over, I would've had such a difficult journey back to Stone town. This is to say, I have confidence that you will be in good hands with Ecokayak, with the staff who will look after your best interest!

We had a great day kayaking through the mangroves. Our tour guide Abdullah was the nicest guy and so knowledgeable. He taught us all about the mangroves and the history of Zanzibar, he was also good at spotting sea cucumber and sea urchin. Would highly recommend the tour and especially with Abdullah.

It was an amazing trip among the mangroves. Abdallah is a great local guide with profound knowledge of the area, ecosystem and great stories about the surrounding flora and fauna. I strongly recommend their services

Amazing!
We can recommend this kayak tour to everyone. Abdallah, our guide, knew a lot about the mangrove area as it is basically his backyard. He has taught us a lot about the mangroves with enthusiasm and passion. He is such a nice, respectable guy and we really enjoyed spending time with him.

The nature is beautiful and kayaking through the thick mangrove bushes was somewhat magical. A nice fruity lunch was prepared for us by Abdallah, which we enjoyed on a small deserted mangrove island.

Thank you so much for the fun experience, you're doing great!

Much love from Jitske & Juma

Hi had a great time with EcoKayak. I found booking and communication over WhatsApp simple and was picked up the following morning on time to go snorkeling and kayaking in the mangroves. The snorkeling was amazing and visiting the sanbank, we saw dolphins and enjoyed seeing them, keeping a respectful distance. Abdullah is an incredible guide and I really enjoyed learning about the local nature and Zanzibar in general. I had a lovely seafood platter for lunch and then we went kayaking. I was expecting to join a 'tour' so to find this was private was great. The mangroves are so peaceful and beautiful. I would highly recommend.

We had a very unique day with Ecokayak out of the traditional tours that can be proposed in Zanzibar. We left the small village of Unguga uku on a boat to do a first stop on the inhabited island of Nyemembe to drop the chef and the food for the lunch. Then head to another island for an amazing snorkeling, there were a few boats and snorkelers but it definitely worth the dive. Coral is really healthy and there are plenty of fishes.
Then we continued and stopped at a large sandbank with amazing view and we used the kayak to paddle around. Finally we returned to the Nyemembe island for a very good seafood bbq prepared by the chef and served at the deserted terrasse of the Rhila restaurant (that closed months ago). Experience was unique to lunch in a place which used to be a trendy restaurant and now deserted. We had a great view on the sand bank below and spotted dolphins.
Overall we felt privileged living this experience and Abdullah who was our guide is a local fisherman and really nice person.

The company provided a driver and a guide for the trip. The guid Abdullah was mindful and knowledgeable of the area. Gave us interesting facts about the mangrove trees and a an enjoyable experience.

Amazing kayak ride through the mangroves around Menai Bay. The tour guide Abdullah was great explaining the history and habits of the Zanzibar archipelago's inhabitants and the mangrove ecosystem.

We came for the Full day program we had a very nice lunch , our guide was very kind he informed us very well . He has very good kayak , other company has very bad , this is professional .

Great trip and experience with an amazing guide Abdallah, who does really great job for the environment and society 🫶🏼 Support this guy if you want good future for people here.

Had an afternoon tour of the mangroves. Wonderful experience. The mangroves are beautiful, the water is clear, the creatures who live there are varied and interesting. The kayak featured a stop on a remote island to rest and eat fruit and chips brought by our guide. They care deeply for the conservation of the mangroves and we actually planted some new mangroves. The sun was setting over a stunning view. Was out for 3 hours in our 2 person kayak. Do recommend.

We had a very nice day with Abdallah. We asked for a tour to uzi island and kayak without lunch. We first went to the uzi island by truck and visited the village with Mr. Abdulla who showed us around and told us some initiatives that he has worked on with different foreign volunteers. Very inspiring. After a break with delicious fruits, we went to kayak with Abdallah. We had to wait long for the tide to get high enough but Abdallah told us some history of zanzibar and also his own story. We did kayaking with sunset and he explained different types of mangroves and what he’s done to protect mangroves from deforestation. Kayaking is always fun for me but first time in open reef so quite wavy but manageable. After kayaking, we went to his English class that he gives 6 days a week to kids in his village. It was a heart warming experience and we went back the next day just to practice English with the kids. I strongly recommend the tour if you like kayaking and want to hangout with local people!

Eco kayak Zanzibar was an amazing experience. We had a really good time and learned a lot of new and interesting things about the mangroves while enjoying a beautiful view😊
I would recommend this absolutely to everyone going to Zanzibar👍🏾

Super nice experience - recommended to go for sunset! The tour and the guide were great.

To add to this, a friend of mine left his sandals in one of the kayaks and they were nice enough to deliver them to him the next day on the other side of the island!

Thanks again.

I recommend everyone to EcoKayak for kayaking in Zanzibar, kayak is a beautiful adventure, one of the best activities you can do while staying in Zanzibar and EcoKayak will make it smooth and easy for you, Easy accessible, reasonable price, best service on board...I have been recommend many of my friends and those who did it have never regret. Good job guys.