TANZANIA'S COASTAL CIRCUIT

 

Mafia Island Marine Park & Kilwa

Area: 882 km²

Mafia Island is only a 30-minute flight south of Dar es Salaam and 20km off the Tanzanian coastline. Chole Bay and Kitutia Reef, two of the eight offshore marine parks are incorporated into the marine park.

The sea around Mafia hosts an outstanding mosaic of tropical marine habitats ranging through coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and inter-tidal flats. Most of the marine park is less than 20 metres below tide levels.

For the expert and the novice diver or snorkeller, Mafia Island Marine Park offers dramatic underwater viewing with a wide variety of choices only 30 minutes from the hotel. Visibility is 20 to 25 metres from October to February dropping to 5-10 meters from June to September.

Over 2,000 species of fish from 150 families exist in the Western Indian Ocean and new species are being identified. Whether diving or snorkeling, their behaviour, colours, relationships to each other and to other marine organisms are an endless source of fascination.

Kilwa

The Ancient city state of Kilwa is only 10 minutes south by plane.

Amongst the most beautiful of cities, and elegantly built was the description of Ibn Battuta who arrived at Kilwa in 1331.

Battuta describes the city, its gardens, orchids and the mosque. The palace had many rooms and open courtyards as well as a circular swimming pool. Below the cliff was a gradually descending slope where boats would anchor at the palace.

Flora / Fauna

Coral reefs, sea grass beds, mangroves, inter-tidal flats, coastal forest.

Habitat

Dugong, gold-striped fusilier, cigar wrasse, queen coris, goldbar wrasse, grouper, barracuda, rainbow runner, blackspotted ribbontail ray, bluespotted ribbontail ray, eagle ray, manta ray, yellowfin tuna, kingfish, mackerel, bonito, cobia, reef shark, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, comores lesser flying fox, duiker, bush pig, mongoose, elephant, shrew.

 

saadani & bagamoyo

Area: 1,062 km²

Saadani is Tanzania's first national park fronting onto the ocean and here you may see elephants and lions in the sand. The number of species of animals in the park is amazing.

To the south of Saadani and 45km away, lies the historic slave town of Bagamoyo. To the north is Pangani, one a lesser-known slave outlet and an explorer starting point.

Flora / Fauna

Coast, river, forest, savanna, mangrove.

Habitat

Giraffe, buffalo, warthog, waterbuck, reedbuck, hartebeest, wildebeest, red duiker, greater kudu, eland, sable antelope, yellow baboon, vervet monkey, elephant, lion, leopard, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, hippopotamus, crocodile, mangrove kingfisher, lesser flamingo, green turtle.

 

ZANZIBAR

Few names evoke such romantic associations as this 85km long segment of coralline reef in the Indian Ocean, 40 km from the mainland of Tanzania. Steeped in history, the old town is a maze of narrow streets with whitewashed houses and magnificently carved brass-studded teak doors, quaint shops and bazaars.

The Islands of Zanzaibar, once fiercely contested by Arabs and Europeans, have their own special allure. Approached from the sea, the House of Wonders dominates the main island's skyline. Inland, particularly on Pemba, are the cloves for which the islands are famous.

Narrow streets mark the ancient stonetown of Zanzibar, with cars, motorbikes and bicycles whizzing around corners.

Zanzibar, and much of the coastline, has pristine white sand beaches.

Zanzibar once produced over 90% of the world's cloves, three quaters of this on Pemba. Cloves are a bud from the harvest and some trees are now 150 years old. While Zanzaibar is mainly known for cloves, the Islands produce about 50 other spices, including aniseed, bey leaves, black pepper, cardamon, chilli, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry leaves, dill seeds, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon grass and tumeric.

Jozani National Park

Lying in a shallow trough on the fossil coral bedrock, this mature tropical forest is an hour's drive southeast of Zanzibar town.

The seasonal flooding, wooden freshwater lake and very high water table are vital components of this unique forest swamp.