5 Best Sights in Beyond Stone Town, Tanzania

Between the Tanzanian coast and the islands of Zanzibar, Chumbe Island is the country's first marine national park and has some of the better snorkeling around. It's home to 400 species of coral and 200 species of fish. There's scuba diving, snorkeling, island hikes, and outrigger boat rides.

The island can only be visited on an organized day trip. Price includes boat transfers, lunch, snorkeling, forest walk, and V.A.T.

This tiny island, just a 20-minute boat ride from Stone Town, was once a prison and a quarantine location, hence its more well-known name of Prison Island. Now it's a tropical paradise that's home to the giant Aldabra tortoise (you can visit the tortoises for a small fee), the duiker antelope, and a variety of birds and butterflies. There's also decent swimming and snorkeling and arranged beach barbecues by tour operators. Note that 70% of the island is private property and thus inaccessible.

You can visit Changuu Island on a tour, or arrange transport with the myriad of little boats that line the beach outside Archipelago Waterfront Cafe. There's no entry fee for the island itself.

Jozani Chakwa Bay National Park, Zanzibar's only national park, is home to this reserve where you'll find the rare Kirk's red colobus monkey, which is named after Sir John Kirk, the British consul in Zanzibar from 1866 to 1887. The species is known for its white whiskers and rusty coat. Many of the other animals that call this reserve home—including the blue duiker, a diminutive antelope whose coat is a dusty bluish-gray—are endangered because 95% of the original forests of the archipelago have been destroyed. There are also more than 50 species of butterfly and 40 bird species. The entry fee includes entrance to the forest and a circular boardwalk walk through mangrove swamps, plus the services of a guide (tip him if he's good).

Early morning and evenings are the best time to visit.

Grab some snacks and plenty of bottled water and head to this charming sandbank that's about a 30-minute boat ride from Stone Town. A lovely, sandy beach and place to snorkel make it a great day trip. You can hire a boat from the harbor to take you there on a negotiated fee for a few hours or, if you prefer to be fully catered to, go with a tour company who will provide the shade and the beach picnic with seafood and drinks as part of their price. Be warned it will get crowded in high season.  There is no shade on the island, so make sure you bring a hat and umbrella. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

This well-worn center is worth a stop if you're traveling with kids. It's a community development project, and your entry fee pays for local farmers to bring in cocoons (most of which are sent to museums overseas) and helps preserve the forest. Guided tours end in a visit to an enclosure filled with hundreds of colorful butterflies and some chameleons.