Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, also known as Jozani Forest Reserve, is one of the most famous and enjoyable tourist locations in Zanzibar. Travel lovers should take a trip to the extraordinary Zanzibar archipelago, where they can visit pristine and heavenly beaches such as Nungwi, Pongwe, Paje, Kendwa, and Jambiani. A vacation in Zanzibar must also include a visit to the stunning Jozani Forest. Here is a guide for tourists who wish to take a day trip to this amazing and unforgettable location.

Where is Jozani Forest?

Jozani Forest is the only national park in Zanzibar, and is located in the south east of the island. Tourists can reach the park by taxi or dala dala. The park spans over 50 square kilometers, and its southern entrance includes a 1 km boardwalk through the mangroves. The park acts as a source of wood, hunting, and farming for the inhabitants of the nearby Jozani village, and many locals work here as tour guides.

Flora and Fauna in Jozani Forest

Jozani Forest offers excellent wildlife viewing and bird watching, as it is home to many beautiful species. The park is home to over 100 species of breathtaking exotic and migratory birds, such as guineafowl, coucals, doves, pigeons, turacos, cuckoos, swifts, lapwings, sandpipers, herons, egrets, bee-eaters, ducks, cormorants, ibises, vultures, kingfishers, owls, goshawks, woodpeckers, robins, swallows, starlings, weavers, and hornbills.

The park is home to over 50 species of butterflies, as well as beautiful and unique animals such as Sykes monkeys, bush babies, antelopes, squirrels, snakes, geckos, chameleons, squirrels, and red colobus monkeys. Jozani Forest is also a breeding ground for sea turtles, and giant tortoises. The flora of the forest is remarkable, as it is home to sycamores, mangroves, acacias, bamboos, jasmine, guava trees, dayflowers, swamp ferns, figs, forest olives, palm trees, mangroves ferns, and red mahoganies.

Things to do

The forest is ideal for bird watching and animal watching, as tourists can find breathtaking flora and fauna. A great way to explore the park is to go on a guided forest walk, where an expert teaches tourists about the surrounding plants, animals, and birds. Tourists cannot go on the walking trails alone, so they must be accompanied by a guide, who takes them on a nature trail where wildlife viewing is ideal. These walks take around 1 to 2 hours, and give visitors the opportunity to learn about the nature around them. Guides can teach them about the region, ecotourism, the medicinal use of the plants, and the different species of birds and animals.

Important things to know

• Accompanied by a tour guide, tourists have to pay an entrance fee of about 7 US Dollars, or 12000 Tanzanian shillings.
• The park is open from 7:30 am to 5 pm, and a good time to visit is when the weather is clear and the tour is less likely to be disturbed by rain. Therefore, the ideal time for a tour is from June to September, i.e. during the dry season.
• The forest was declared a reserve in 1960 and has been a protected zone since 1984, so tourists should ensure that they do not pollute the environment, and should be mindful of their impact on their surroundings.
• Although a guide is needed for guided nature walks inside the park, tourists can explore the mangrove boardwalk alone as it only goes in one direction.

A visit to Jozani Forest is a great idea, as tourists can enjoy the view of the lush vegetation, and can spot stunning flora and fauna on their walks through the park! Jozani Forest is a breathtaking location and a visit here can be memorable and extraordinary for nature lovers and travel lovers!