Day Tours
Swahili Cooking Lessons
Hang out with locals and learn how we use outdoor kitchens to cook delicious Zanzibari food! Join your Simba & Spice travel guides in their village farm or by the sea, and spend a day learning to cook using local ingredients and traditional tools. At the end of the day, enjoy your feast family-style with community members.
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Martin’s Harvest & Cooking Experience
Simba & Spice’s twist on the usual ‘spice tour’! Join village farmers harvesting spices and cooking a traditional vegetarian meal from scratch! Taste, smell and harvest Zanzibar spices and fruit and learn the importance of community farming to our history and modern life. Learn to cook with our favorite meals, relax in the countryside, and chat with farmers while you eat.
Cost: $75 per person
Group Size: Max 5 guests, private only
Availability: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays or by request (10am-3pm) -
Swahili Cooking with Mama Khadija
Start the day at our small village market where you’ll gather fresh ingredients with Mama Khadija. Then, walk to her homestead and prepare a Zanzibari meal in her outdoor kitchen! Practice your Swahili while learning about traditional cooking with the help of your local translator. This trip is a Simba & Spice favourite and usually lasts well into the late afternoon. After sharing your meal, enjoy a dip in the ocean to finish off the day.
Cost: $75 per person
Group Size: Max 5 Guests, private only
Availability: By request 10am-3pm
More Day Tours
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“Local Life” Stone Town Tour
We spiced up the standard Stone Town Tour! You’ll visit the Old Slave Market Museum and learn about Stone Town as your guide takes you through the labyrinth where locals live. Avoid the usual tourist stops and instead sample sweets, savory snacks, fruit and lunch at our favorite food stalls. This experience is easily tailored to vegetarian and vegan diets.
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“Stone Town By-Night” Tour
Experience night life as a local! Watch the sunset on an active local beach, then visit our night food market to see the evening come alive. Enjoy an evening meal from our favorite Swahili food vendors. Alternatively, if a more active night life is your interest, let our energetic local guides take you for some music and dancing!
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Martin’s Spice Farm Tour
Visit your Simba & Spice guide’s community spice farm! You’ll identify, harvest and taste our favorite spices and learn the importance of organic farming to our history and modern life. Enjoy a homemade vegetarian lunch, including juice and tea, all prepared on-site by our farmers.
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Fiesal’s Secret: Michamvi Day Trip
Explore the unexplored: Michamvi is a local favorite, with white sand beaches and unobtrusive lodging. This beach village is home to Simba & Spice founder Fiesal Ali, and he has created a trip that offers travellers a unique island experience.
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Jitu’s Prison Island Excursion
Our popular day trip gets you off the island and onto the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Travel in a ‘dhow’ (a traditional wooden sailboat) to Changuu (“Prison”) Island and visit the roaming Aldabra Giant Tortoises. Swim while your guide prepares a seafood BBQ lunch on the beach!
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Captain Cholo’s Fishing Village Tour
Kizimikazi, our sleepy south-coast fishing village is active in the morning as fishermen head out with their spears and nets, and seaweed farmers take advantage of low tide. Spend your morning on the ocean with Captain Cholo, observing traditional fishing methods and snorkelling along the coral reef.
