Matemwe Village Day Tour Zanzibar North East Coast

The Matemwe Village Day Tour is a half-day cultural excursion on Zanzibar’s north-east coast that offers a rare, non-touristic look into traditional Swahili rural life. Matemwe Village is located on the north-east coast of Zanzibar.

The tour is designed to immerse visitors in authentic rural Zanzibari life, with highlights including cultural immersion, meeting local villagers, and supporting women’s cooperatives.

Tour sequence

1.) Beach & Seaweed Farming (30–60 minutes): Starts on the beach where local women harvest seaweed. You can observe the process and try farming it yourself
2.) Village Walk & Handicrafts: A walk through the sandy paths of Matemwe to visit women’s cooperatives making traditional ropes, baskets, and mats
3.) Education & Community (60 minutes): A visit to the Tamani School or other local educational projects, where a portion of your tour fee is often donated
4.) Health & Culture: Stops may include a visit to the local health center or a traditional “witch doctor” to learn about local spiritual and medicinal practices
5.) Swahili Lunch: The tour typically concludes with a traditional Swahili-style lunch prepared by a local family or served at a beach restaurant.

Matemwe Village Tour Itinerary Timing (Approximately 2–3 Hours)

Morning (Flexible based on tide): Pickup from hotels (if not in Matemwe)
0900 Hours – 0930 Hours: Introduction to the village, local school, and community life
0930 Hours – 1015 Hours: Visit to the beach to meet women seaweed farmers and learn about their traditional methods
1015 Hours – 1100 Hours: Tour of local women’s cooperatives, watching handicrafts production, and exploring the village
1100 Hours – 1130 Hours: End of tour, often with a walk along the 20km stretch of beach or a visit to a local market

Matemwe Village Tour Highlights & Activities

Local Lunch: Experience a traditional Swahili-style lunch, often featuring pilau rice, fish, coconut sauce, and fresh tropical fruits
Education & Health: Most tours include visits to a local school (serving roughly 900 students) and a village health clinic or nursery project
Unique Encounters: Some itineraries offer a visit to an ancient healer (Witch Doctor) to learn about traditional herbal medicine and rituals
Village Life: Walk through the village to see traditional mud houses, visit the local mosque, and observe daily chores like basket weaving, rope making, and mat braiding
Seaweed Farming: Visit the beach at low tide to meet women harvesting seaweed. You can try planting and harvesting it yourself while learning how it is processed for international markets 

Matemwe Village Tour Essential Information

Duration: Approximately 3–5 hours for the village tour only
What’s Included: Professional local guide, village donations (included in the price), drinking water, and lunch
Location: Matemwe, Northeast Zanzibar, is roughly a 45–75 minute drive from Stone Town and about an hour from the airport
What to Wear: A modest dress is required out of respect for the village culture (shoulders and knees covered). Use removable shoes or rubber water shoes for walking in the sea

Optional Add-ons (Full-Day Combined Tours):
✓Jozani Forest Tour: A visit to see the Red Colobus Monkeys
✓ Mnemba Atoll Snorkeling: A boat trip to Mnemba Island for snorkeling, dolphin spotting, and exploring the marine park

Matemwe Village Day Tour Zanzibar North East Coast is a half-day excursion in the village, where you will have the chance to experience rural Zanzibar life. You will walk around the village to meet the local people doing their daily chores.

Matemwe is a fishing village with a daily fish market; women are involved in seaweed farming, making ropes, baskets, and mats, and in farming. You will visit a school clinic and other places crucial to village life and development.

Matemwe is a village located on the north-eastern coast of Zanzibar, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, between Mwangaseni and Kigomani. The Matemwe area is a very special part of Zanzibar, close to the Mnemba Atoll. Mnemba is known as one of the best snorkeling and diving destinations in Zanzibar.

From Matemwe, it’s only a 30-minute boat trip away.

This tour takes you to Matemwe village, one of the most untouched by modern life style and mass tourism. Tour includes donations.
* Visit a school
* Visit a sea weed farm
* Get a tasty local style lunch
* See how to make local handicrafts
* Learn about the village life and livelihoods

Matemwe Village Day Tour on the Zanzibar North East Coast starts at the beach (depending on the tide), where you will meet the seaweed farmers. These women work on the shore every day, harvesting seaweed for European and Asian markets.

You will learn about farming and have a chance to try it out yourself! After the beach, you will get to know Matemwe village better. There are two visits to women making local handicrafts, with the option to try them out yourself and buy products from the women’s cooperative.

You will also see the mosque and learn about village life. Now that you know about Matemwe village and its livelihoods, it’s time to visit a local school.

There are about 900 students from Matemwe and neighboring villages, ages 7 to 16. A donation will be made at the school, included in the tour price. Of course, you can donate more if you wish.

Lastly, depending on your schedule and interests, you can choose to visit either a health center or a nursery school project. If you’re full of energy, you can visit both of them.

For refreshment, there is a Swahili-style lunch available by the beach. On this tour, you will learn a lot about village life in Zanzibar and help boost locals’ incomes.

Matemwe Village Day Tour Zanzibar North East Coast Rates Includes:

✓ Swahili local lunch
✓ All entry fees, service charges, and taxes
✓ Donations to give in schools, local clinics, etc
✓ Professional English-speaking local village guide
✓ Pickup from your hotel in Zanzibar Stone Town and drop-off at your hotel

Notes

* Please bring with you removable shoes or rubber shoes for walking in the sea
* Matemwe Village Day Tour can be combined with a snorkeling trip to Mnemba Island!
* Kindly take with you sun lotion, a hat or a scarf, and sunglasses. Dress modestly for the village. And remember, this is a walking tour!

Matemwe Village Day Tour Rates Do Not Include:

* Drinks
* Tips or gratuity
* Travelers Insurance
* Communication charges
* Minimum of 1 person required
* Visas, international airfares, and airport taxes; meals
* Sightseeing not included in the package; optional activities
* Personal expenses such as transfers to/ from the airport (supplement airport transfer cost applies for tours starting from the airport)

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Email: [email protected]
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