Zanzibar's only national park: groundwater forest, mangroves and the endangered red colobus monkeys found nowhere else
Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park protects the largest area of indigenous forest left on Zanzibar's main island, together with the mangroves and seagrass beds of Chwaka Bay to the north. The ground is low-lying and often waterlogged, which creates a swampy forest of ferns, palms and moisture-loving trees quite unlike the coconut plantations elsewhere on the island.
Most people come to see the Zanzibar red colobus, a striking monkey with a red back, pale belly and a tuft of white hair framing a dark face. Troops feed in the trees close to the park entrance and are used to people, so sightings are almost guaranteed. A short forest trail and a boardwalk through the mangroves make Jozani an easy half-day visit, often combined with a trip to the beaches of the south-east coast.
Jozani was protected as a forest reserve as early as 1960 and became Zanzibar's first national park in 2004, covering roughly 50 square kilometres. In 2016 the wider area was designated a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere reserve, and it is also recognised as an Important Bird Area.
The park was set up mainly to save the Zanzibar red colobus, which lives only on Unguja and is listed as endangered. Estimates of its total population vary, from around 1,000 to perhaps 3,000 animals, and about half live outside protected areas, where they compete with farmers for food. Part of the revenue from park entrance fees has been used to build schools and clinics in surrounding villages, an approach intended to give local people a stake in protecting the forest.
The villages around Jozani depend on farming, fishing and the forest itself, and the red colobus has a mixed reputation among farmers because it raids crops. Sharing park revenue with communities, and employing local guides, has helped build support for conservation. Buying a drink at the café or crafts from the stalls at the entrance puts a little more money into the local economy.
Visits start at the park headquarters, and groups are usually led by a guide along the forest trail and to the areas where colobus troops feed. The monkeys spend much of the day eating leaves in the canopy and around the forest edge; they are habituated and often come quite low, so a standard camera is enough. Afterwards a short drive or walk takes you to the mangrove boardwalk, where crabs scuttle among the roots at low tide.
The forest is also home to Sykes monkeys, bushbabies, the Zanzibar tree hyrax and many butterflies, and birdwatchers can look for more than 40 species. Most visitors spend two to three hours in the park as part of a tour from Stone Town or a transfer to Paje and the east coast.
The park is open year-round and the monkeys are present in every season. The drier months from June to October and from December to February are the most comfortable for walking, while the long rains from March to May can make trails muddy and bring more mosquitoes. Mornings and late afternoons are cooler and the monkeys are often active then.
Checked against the sources on 28 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
Paje and the other villages of the south-east coast are a short drive away, and Stone Town is about an hour to the north-west. Chwaka Bay, with its fishing villages and mangroves, lies along the park's northern edge. Many tours combine Jozani with a spice farm visit on the way back to town.
Tanzania · 10 nights5★ LodgeTanzania · 8 nights5★ LodgeTanzania · 5 nights5★ LodgeThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 28 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
