The 800 km coastline has been visited
at various times by navigators from Indian Ocean and Persia. It
comprises:-
-Bagamoyo
-Zanzibar
-Pemba
-Saadani
-Mafia
: BAGAMOYO
Distance:
75kms north of Dar es salaam, 60 kms from Msata, the highway of Arusha -
Dar es salaam road. It is in Coast region.
BRIEF
INFORMATION:
Bagamoyo
was first settled in by fishermen and cultivators. Muslim Diwans from Oman
came in at the end of 18th century. The Name Bagamoyo came from the word
Bwagamoyo meaning "lay down the burden of your heart".
Another
theory of the origin of Bagamoyo is that the name originated from slave
who said that their hearts would forever remain in their land. It was the
German Government colonial administration headquarters and the Governor
lived there in 1897. It was the centre of the 19th century slave trade.
ATTRACTIONS:
HISTORICAL SITES: KAOLE RUINS
Located 5
km South of Bagamoyo. There are the ruins of a once prosperous Arab town,
which was forced into decline by the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th
century. The ruins, dating back to the 12th century include two mosques,
30 tombs. All the buildings, including a house, were built in carved coral
stone blocks. The new part of Kaole is a fishing and farming village, they
were built by Shiraz Arabs.
THE FIRST STONE
BUILDING:
This
building was built in 1860 and was used by the Arabs and German. They used
to keep slaves when waiting to sail to Zanzibar, it has underground path
for slaves to pass to the shore.
THE
FIRST CHURCH:
The first
Catholic Mission in East and Central Africa was built in Bagamoyo in 1868.
This church built by Holy Ghost Fathers, is the oldest in East Africa and
it was here that the preserved body of Livingstone laid before being
shipped to England.
BAGAMOYO ARTS COLLEGE:
Have free
shows of traditional music, dancing, and other traditional entertainment.
GENERAL:
The town
was starting point for the first European explorers on their way to search
for source of the Nile. Livingstone, Stanley, Burton and J. Speke all
passed through Bagamoyo. A house where Henry Morton Stanley lived a
century ago can be seen in solitary splendour near the beach. Excursions
tour along Bagamoyo places of interest like fish market and fish drying
factory.
BEACH
RESORTS:
The beach
that stretches to either side of Bagamoyo is every one's idea of a
tropical paradise. In its day thousands of slaves were shipped on a
regular basis. Resort hotels are fully equipped for water skiing, big game
fishing and scuba diving. One can observe activities of local fishermen.
:
ZANZIBAR
Distance: situated
roughly 40 kms from the continent, located on the west coast of Indian
Ocean, 40 kms East of Bagamoyo.
BRIEF
INFORMATION:
Zanzibar is a small
archipelago consisting of Unguja (commonly referred to as Zanzibar
Island), Pemba and several small surrounding islands. It has total area of
2,332 sq kms.
By 2002 estimates, the
population of Zanzibar, including Pemba was 723,300 and is approximately
1000,000 at present.
You can go to Zanzibar by
Air. There is Zanzibar international airport, with Gulf Air, Ethiopian
airline and Kenya Airways providing direct
international
connections on scheduled basis. Other Airlines such as KLM, British
Airways, Swiss Air fly to Dar es salaam, where connections to Zanzibar are
easily made by local airlines, local air charters or by sea. Or you can go
by sea ferries operate regularly between Zanzibar and many East African
ports. These craft range from sailing dhows to tourist - class twin - hull
fast boats. The fastest boat takes 75 minutes on a calm day.
The majority of Zanzibar
residents practice the Islamic faith and this is reflected in their
lifestyle and culture.
ATTRACTIONS:
STONE
TOWN:
Tours to the
historically, culturally and architecturally important capital town's
destinations. Most of the important buildings and places are within the
town. It was the ancient trading port of the sultans of Oman in the 19th
century. This city is a medina, the only of its kind south of the Equator.
The Anglican Cathedral built on the slave trader, tipputip, the Old
Portuguese fort and the house of wonders.
SPICE
PLANTATIONS:
The spice tour takes
visitors to various plantations and small holdings out in the country. The
great variety of spices and plants grown here is used in food flavouring
and preparation, cosmetics, dyes and medicines, flowers, fruits, coconuts
and other interesting flora can be seen during the spice tour.
NORTH
OR SOUTH EAST COAST:
A combined tour normally
the whole day and includes stopovers and adventure trips. The tour to the
North can be combined with a spice tour, a visit to the traditional
village of Nungwi, the Turtle aquarium, a local shipbuilding yard and a
period of relaxation on a sandy beach, where swimming, snorkelling or
diving is available.
A visit to the historical Bikhole ruins, Jozani Forest Reserve, ZALA Park,
Kizimkazi mosque, a Dolphin watch or pure relaxation on a pristine beach.
It is also possible to take in a tour of traditional village, observing
seaweed farming, octopus hunting and local fishing methods.
JOZANI
FOREST RESERVE:
Located about 35 km south
east of Zanzibar town on the road to Paje, it is the largest area of
mature forest left on Zanzibar. The forest hosts a sizeable population of
the rare Red Colobus monkey, as well as Sykes monkeys, Bush babies, Ader's
Duikers, Hyraxes, over 50 species of butterflies, about 40 species of
birds and several other animals.
SCUBA
DIVING:
Zanzibar is endowed with
very attractive diving sites: most of the diving schools operate on PADI,
SSI and a few on NUI. These companies may accommodate up to 30 divers at a
time and training varies from novice open watercourses, up to Dive Master
Standard. Octopus and moray eel, among myriad other sea creatures and
fish, can be seen during diving.
DHOW
CRUISE AND SMALL ISLAND ADVENTURES:
Cruising around the small
islands on a dhow is a fantastic and memorable experience. The sunsets
viewed from the dhow are evocative and timeless. Lunch and refreshments
served on the dhow are part of package.
CHANGUU / CHUMBE ISLANDS:
Changuu island for its
hundred year old tortoises and its beach, the marine reserve on chumbe
island for its protected coral reefs, Zanzibar channel for its scuba
diving and also stay in a beach hotel for its water sports.
ACCOMMODATION:
There is a wide choice of
accommodation in Zanzibar, ranging from town hotels to beach resorts and
from local - style, budget accommodation to 5 star luxury.
IN
STONE TOWN:
Zanzibar Serena
Hotel
Tembo Hotel
Dhow Palace Hotel
Emerson and Green Hotel
ON THE COAST:
:
PEMBA
Distance: About 80 kms,
north of Zanzibar. 1 h 30 minutes hydrofoil crossing or a 20 minutes
flight and, also by boat from Tanga and Pangani.
BRIEF
INFORMATION:
Pemba has been famous for
centuries for its clove production. Today the Pemba
Channel (2400 ft deep) which separates the island from the continent, has
become indisputably the best place for deep sea fishing, because it is
here that the biggest catch, on the East African coast has been made.
Pemba also has pristine great reefs and a varied fauna including the great
white shark and giant turtles.
An excursion to the
primeval forest of Ngezi for a walk through the luxuriant vegetation
with its giant trees, ferns and endemic species. A minibus or a
motorcycle ride along the East Coast to visit the archeological
sites and the baobab forest of Micheweni.
A dhow or pirogue outing to the creeks or to small islands. A fest
of lobsters, fish, fruit and spices.
ACCOMMODATION:
Manta Reef Lodge, Fundu
Lagoon Resort, and other small hotels.
:
SAADANI NATIONAL PARK
Distance: 115 kms from
Dar es salaam or 50 kms from Bagamoyo town.
BRIEF
INFORMATION:
Sometimes referred as
millennium park, it is a newly established national park formally known as
Saadani Game Reserve. It is the only national park along the Eastern coast
of Africa where the bush meets the beach. Has a total area of 1000sq km.
It borders Indian Ocean to the East.
ATTRACTIONS:
It is the only East
African Coastal park to harbour large mammals and is the only place where
elephant can still be seen bathing in the Indian Ocean. The park is a
paradise for artists and has been well promoted by the works of a German
painter Christine Steinberg-Mund through her paintings, which she did by
spending sometime in the park.
WILDLIFE:
Lions have a history of
peaceful co existence with the fishermen and villagers who live close to
the park. Other wildlife include Elephant, Leopards, Buffalo, Hippo,
Giraffe, Zebra, Antelope, Oryx, Crocodile, Hartebeests.
ACCOMMODATION:
Paradise Holiday Resort,
Livingstone Club, Bagamoyo Beach Resort, Bagamoyo View Hotel.
:
MAFIA
Distance: Mafia Island
lies close to the Rufiji Delta, just a short distance by aircraft flight
from Dar es salaam, the selous Game Reserve or Zanzibar. It is in Coast
region
BRIEF
INFORMATION:
Mafia Island was a
regular stop for 2000 years for Arab and Persian dhows plying the coastal
waters from the Gulf to Madagascar and Mozambique. It is a paradise for
divers, fishermen and water sport lovers. The water is incredible
transparent. The variety of the coral permits an unimaginable quantity of
fishes, barracuda, flying - fish, red mullet, tuna, marlin, etc.
Best fishing season is
from September to March with November to January.
ATTRACTIONS:
The most exciting big
game fishing and diving areas in the world. Diving in pristine coral
reefs, an excursion to Jibondo Island to watch the hand made fabrication
of the dhows, enormous wooden boats. A fishing trip followed by a cook out
on a deserted Island camping excursions by boat to north Mafia and Okuza
and Nyuni islands (south of Mafia) for scuba divers.
ACCOMMODATION:
Kinasi Lodge, Mafia
Island Lodge.
ITINERARIES
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