North-west beach
Calm clear water.
Robert E Mawere — CC BY-SA 3.0 · LittleT889 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · mwanasimba from La Réunion — CC BY-SA 2.0 · mwanasimba from La Réunion — CC BY-SA 2.0
A small uninhabited island in the Indian Ocean off Dar es Salaam, part of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve and the most visited of its four islands. The boat takes about twenty to thirty minutes from the Msasani slipway, making it an easy day trip away from the city's bustle. The island's shore is mostly rocky, with two small sandy beaches; visitors head for the main one on the north-west, with calm clear water, sunshades and stalls serving grilled fish and drinks. Coral reefs around the island are good for snorkelling, and its inland forest is home to the endangered giant coconut crab, some of the largest in Tanzania, along with birds and small reptiles, with short walking trails through the interior. The marine reserve fee and boat fare are paid at the slipway, per visitor guides. Bring sunscreen and water, check the time of the last boat back, and go on a weekday to avoid the crowds.
Calm clear water.
Over the reefs.
On the beach.
Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve, about 2.5 km north of the Msasani peninsula
By boat from the Msasani slipway in Dar es Salaam, in about twenty to thirty minutes.