As the sun sets over the forest canopy, a whole new cast of characters emerges. Our night tours use red-light torches to observe animals without disturbing them.
Why Red Light
Most nocturnal mammals cannot see red wavelengths clearly, so a red torch lets us watch them without flooding their eyes or triggering flight. It also preserves your own night vision so the stars overhead remain part of the show.
The Cast of Characters
Highlights include the tiny galagos — better known as bushbabies — with their enormous eyes, and the elusive African civet marking its territory along familiar paths. Barn owls hunt silently overhead, and the fruit bats commute from their daytime roosts to the mango trees.
If you are lucky, you might hear the low chuff of a bushpig somewhere in the undergrowth. If you are very lucky, you might see one.
Sounds of the Forest
Sight is only half the experience. The night is a soundscape: cicadas layered under the whoop of a distant hyrax, the ticking of geckos, the rustle of something small moving through leaves.
Our guides pause often, torches off, just to let you listen. It is often the favourite moment of the tour.
Practical Details
Book early: these small-group tours sell out weeks in advance, and there are only two departures per month. Wear closed shoes, long sleeves against mosquitoes, and bring a light jacket — even Zanzibar nights can cool quickly.
Children over eight are welcome. The tour lasts about ninety minutes and ends with warm ginger tea back at the visitor centre.
AI-generated continuation. Content is not saved to the article.
