Zanzibar Operators

[doublea]

Hey All. I searched for Zanzibar and didn't find much recent or applicable information.

I'll be on the island (with lodging already, but a car, can travel) in November for 4 days, and would love to spend a day or two half days diving. Can anyone recommend a safe but well priced dive Operator to look into? Any must do dives or other pertinent information?

 

[doublea]

Nobody has any recommendations on Zanzibar diving?

I saw another thread but it is just on PADI Divemaster..

 

[inventor]

Did a quick search here, found this and several other threads.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/africa/337341-zanzibar-recommendations.html

Try a quick search on Zanzibar and you should find some more. Never been there, just trying to help out. Sitting around the house bored today. Enjoy the trip and post pics!

And thanks, until today I thought Zanzibar was just an old name for Madagascar.

 

[stefo2]

I guess it's too late now, but in case you have postponed your trip for some reason, here are my recommendations: One Ocean in Stonetown and ScubaDo in Kendwa (north-west). They run trips to Mnemba Atoll, but with only a couple of days you would want to be lucky for one to coincide with your stay. If you want to make sure that you dive Mnemba, you will probably have to find an operator in Matemwe who goes to the Atoll daily.

 

[Kate in Africa]

If it's not too late, Doublea, there is a good operator doing daily trips to Mnemba atol from Matemwe Beach Village (MBV) hotel. Mnemba Atol is definitely worth a visit.

If you're staying up at Kendwa/Nungwi area, though, as Stef says, you can get the 90 min speedboat round to Mnemba with ScubaDoo.

Hope you have/had a great time!

 

[minchia]

I also have a Zanzibar dive questions. I'm going to be going to Zanzibar in March. I will be staying at the Matemwe Beach Village and diving with the One Ocean dive shop at the Mnemba Atol. I will also be staying in Nungwi and I'm looking for a dive company there. One dive company that I wrote said they do trips to the Mnemba Atol from Nungwi but the trip leaves at 9am and doesn't return until almost 5pm. That seems like a long time for only a 2-tank dive. Does anyone know how the diving is at any of the local reefs near Nungwi and can someone recommend a dive company that is reputable that can take me out to the local reefs if the diving there is good?

I thought about using Scuba Do in Kendwa since some posts say that company has a fast boat that goes out to the Mnemba Atol but I won't have a car so I don't know how I would get to Kendwa from Nungwi in time for a morning dive trip.

Any advice on Zanzibar diving and specifically my questions above would be helpful.
Thanks!

 

[Kate in Africa]

HI Minchia

If you're already planning on diving Mnemba from Matemwe several times then I'd suggest just doing local reefs from Nungwi while you're there. The diving isn't absolutely stunning, but there are a good few reefs to explore and certainly enough to keep you entertained for a few days. I think there is a dive shop at Ras Nungwi resort that you could use, but if you would like to use Scubadoo, Kendwa is only a short distance around the headland from Nungwi. I am sure transport could be arranged easily, and you're right that they have a fast boat - but even so, the travel time to Mnemba from Kendwa is around 90 minutes (which is why a 2 dive package from Nungwi is a whole day trip).

Tumbatu reef off Kendwa is lovely, as is Hunga (sp). And I think the Nungwi house reef is nice for a pootle around, though I haven't dived there myself.

I hope you enjoy it - and try to make it down to Kendwa Rocks beach bar one night for sunset - it's spectacular!

Kate