Stillness is not silence. In Jozani, even the shadows speak.
About 40 minutes south of Pongwe Beach Hotel, the road narrows. The trees lean in. You start to hear the forest before you see it — a kind of breath, an undercurrent of birdsong, and the rustle of something moving just out of view. This is Jozani Forest, Zanzibar’s only national park and a sanctuary of biodiversity, memory, and rhythm.
It’s not designed for spectacle. There are no signs shouting wonder. But walk slowly enough and the forest unfolds itself in layers — of life, of story, of time.
The Ones Who Watch You First
You don’t find the Zanzibar red colobus monkeys. They find you.
Before the path opens fully, before the guide begins their talk, you’ll feel it: the presence of something watching. High in the branches, a rust-colored face peers through leaves. Another leaps soundlessly from tree to tree. Their movements are acrobatic, but somehow quiet — as if the canopy were built for them alone.
These monkeys are found nowhere else on earth. They don’t mind humans. They come close, curious but calm. You’ll see mothers with babies, teenagers chasing each other through fig branches, elders resting in the heat. Each carries a piece of the forest’s story — and of its survival. There was a time not long ago when extinction seemed certain. Now, their numbers are rising again.
Read more: A Local’s Guide to Zanzibar: 7 Must-Visit Attractions Beyond the Beach
A Forest with Many Names
Locals don’t call it Jozani. They name the parts they use: msitu wa msonobari (mahogany woods), miti ya dawa (trees of medicine), eneo la mapigo ya bahari (the place where the tides breathe).
This is not one forest, but many.
- The swamp forest is thick and damp, with spongy roots and hanging moss.
- The high forest rises into towering mahogany, eucalyptus, and wild fig.
- The mangroves, reached by a long boardwalk, twist their roots into brackish water, filtering salt and holding the land steady.
Each ecosystem holds its own population: birds with iridescent wings, blue duikers (small antelope), rare butterflies, and even the Zanzibar leopard — thought extinct, but occasionally glimpsed in blurred photos or hushed local stories.
You won’t see everything. That’s part of the honesty here. But you’ll feel it all.
What the Forest Teaches
The official tour begins on a wooden boardwalk, with a trained guide who is usually from the nearby Pete village. But the forest has its own way of narrating.
You’ll learn that:
- The soil is sandy but rich in iron.
- The red colobus eat unripe fruit and poisonous leaves — plants that would kill others.
- The fig trees breathe in patterns: soaking water through roots at night, releasing vapor by morning.
Your guide will crush a leaf and ask you to smell it — eucalyptus, lemon, or something sharper, like mvule, used to ease headaches. In the mangroves, you’ll see crabs dart sideways and fish weave through roots. The guide might pause and tap a tree’s bark, showing how it bleeds sap used for dyeing fabric or healing wounds.
Jozani is a pharmacy. A classroom. A home.
Related: Zanzibar’s Natural Remedies: Spices, Oils & Traditional Healing
Practical Details
- Location: 38 km south of Stone Town, 45 min from Pongwe
- Hours: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM daily
- Entry Fee: ~$10 USD (includes a guide)
- Duration: 1.5–2 hours
- Bring: Closed shoes, insect repellent, water, and a respectful pace
- Best Time: Early morning or late afternoon for cooler weather and active wildlife
Need help getting there? We’ll arrange everything. Just ask at the Pongwe Beach Hotel front desk.
Read next: How to Get Around Zanzibar as a Couple
What to Photograph (and What to Feel)
- A red colobus in mid-leap — wait until their tail arcs
- Mangrove roots reflected in still tidal pools
- Shadow play across the boardwalk
- A quiet portrait under fig trees, hands resting on bark
- Moments between — where silence and sound coexist
Full photo guide: Picture Perfect: A Honeymoon Photo Guide to Zanzibar
Where Stillness Continues
After Jozani, most travelers continue down the coast or head back to town. But for guests of Pongwe Beach Hotel, the return is part of the rhythm. You’ll arrive to quiet surf, a chilled drink, a shaded hammock.
The forest may stay with you — in the scent of leaves, the sound of rustling palm fronds, or the weight of a slow breath in your chest.
At Pongwe, that stillness doesn’t end. It changes shape.
