Jozani Chwaka Bay

Jozani is Zanzibar's national park, and it is worth saying plainly that it is not managed by TANAPA — Zanzibar administers its own protected areas, as it does its own tourism licensing. It was gazetted in 2004, protecting the largest remaining block of indigenous forest on Unguja along with the mangroves and salt marsh of Chwaka Bay.

The reason most people come is the Zanzibar red colobus, Piliocolobus kirkii, which exists on this island and nowhere else on earth. Once close to extinction, the population has recovered to a few thousand and the troops near the forest edge are thoroughly used to people — close views are near certain, which is unusual for a primate anywhere.

The other half of the visit is the mangrove boardwalk at Chwaka Bay, a raised walkway through tidal forest that explains more about how this coast works than any amount of beach does. The park is small, easily done in half a day from Stone Town, and the entrance fee goes to Zanzibar rather than the mainland park system.