#redcolobusmonkey

Amongst the best things to do in Zanzibar is to explore the Jozani Forest where you can spot red colobus monkeys; set off on such unforgettable adventures from The Residence Zanzibar for encounters with this rare African primate.

We woke up a bit late today and had to get ready quickly for our excursion. The hotel organised a driver for us, Dullah. Dullah was a large, jolly guy and we loved his car. The car is a large, white minivan with very comfortable seats, tinted windows and passenger-controlled air conditioning.

Our first stop was the Jozani national forest. It houses the endangered Zanzibar red colobus monkey, which is only found on the main island of Zanzibar. We joined a group of other tourists for a short walk through the forest. Unlike the previous primate treks we’ve been on, there was a set path for us to follow. However, the path was not very easy to navigate as there were bits of coral rock and tree branches sticking out of it. Interestingly, the subsurface of Jozani is coral rock, the same kind of rock that is used to build the buildings in Stonetown. ‘Coral rock’ is limestone with coral embedded in it.

After a few minutes, we came across a Sykes monkey. One even came right up to J and ran off before running away. S got within six inches of one, which was hanging onto a tree at head level and was able to see it. Next, we saw the famous Zanzibar red colobus monkey. It’s a really funny-looking animal, see picture below. They are apparently called ‘colobus’ because they do not have opposable thumbs.

We then hopped back into our car with Dulla and were driven to a mangrove forest. S has seen mangroves before as they grow in Florida. They are able to grow in salt water, brackish water and mud. It was really interesting to see their roots coming out of the mud. Our guide explained that they are protected by the government as they protect against erosion. Our guide said there were no bad spirits here and, more importantly for J, allegedly there are no mosquitoes, standing water aside.

Dulla then took us to the Rock restaurant. It is one of the main attractions on the island. The Rock is a small restaurant built on top of a large rock. It is located on a beach and is only accessible by foot during low tide. By the time we arrived, it was heading toward mid-tide. We ended up having to take our shoes off and waded up to our knees in water (and sea grass) to get to the restaurant. We were seated at a nice table next to the open-air lounge area, so there was a good breeze. There were a lot of tourists. We heard Russian, German, American English, Italian, French and some other languages we could not identify (probably Eastern European).

The menu was mostly seafood. S had the fish carpaccio and crab spaghetti. J had the warm octopus and vegetable salad and the beef filet skewer. The portion sizes were large and the food was decent. J even went for a dessert, the flambéd pineapple, so she could try the Zanzibar vanilla ice cream. It didn’t taste like straight vanilla – it tasted like cinnamon.

By the time we were ready to leave the Rock, the tide had come in a bit more and the water around the Rock had gotten too deep, so it was no longer possible to walk all the way back to the beach. We ended up getting onto a long boat, which the boatman turned around so we could walk out on the other side. That still involved stepping into a foot of water and walking to shore. Apparently when the tide comes in further, the boat actually has to take you to shore, as opposed to walking through it.

Dulla drove us back to the hotel. We went to the bar to have a couple of drinks and catch up on admin.

Dinner was at the Beach House, a nearby restaurant owned by the Park Hyatt. We started with a couple of cocktails, which were delicious and reasonably priced. We were given some spicy popcorn to nibble on while we waited for our mains. S had the Zanzibar Mix Urojo soup, which is a tasty broth accompanied by a selection of items to put into your soup, including a ‘mishkaki’ chicken skewer, potato, tomato, casava, hardboiled egg, red pepper and some sauces. The server was impressed when S finished it. J had the kuku wa kupaka, which was cooked chicken thighs and legs in a coconut sauce. The food and wine were good. We finished with two more excellent cocktails. J’s delicious Gin & Tonic had hibiscus and passionfruit in it. She even got the recipe from the bartender so she could ask the Park Hyatt bartender to make it. This was necessary as we closed the bar and had to return to the hotel. The Beach House bar is better than the Park Hyatt bar.

Unfortunately, when we returned to the Park Hyatt, the bartender told us he didn’t have the ingredients to make the G&T. J ordered an African or ‘masala tea’ instead. The bartenders clearly aren’t used to making this tea as it was really just milk with some tea bags in it. S went with a safer choice – a classic Tom Collins, but said it was quite sweet.

You've heard of Zanzibar Island, also known as a “spice island,” a short distance from the coast of Tanzania. Aside from spices and beautiful beaches, did you know that Zanzibar is also home to a rare species of monkey?

The Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey, also known as the Kirk's Red Colobus Monkey, is a species of less than 6,000 individuals that live on Zanzibar's main island and a couple of secondary islands in the archipelago.

Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey eating a leaf

This species of monkey is vegetarian, and they spend most of their lives in trees and thick tree canopy areas. They're active during daylight hours.

Red Colobus Monkey foraging for food

Very little is actually known about the lifespan of these unusual monkeys. They are under threat of survival from deforestation. They have a couple of predators, including chimpanzees and hawks. Their full adult weight is under 25 pounds (12 kg). 

Mature Red Colobus Monkey Once they reach adulthood, in about 4 years, the monkeys achieve their trademark reddish-brown coloring. Juveniles and young monkeys are black and white in color.  Next time you think about visiting Zanzibar Island, let me know; I'm happy to help you get the most out of the experience and to see these beautiful creatures!

Until next week,