Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Until the ferry over the Wami River is rehabilitated, there is no direct road access to
Saadani from Bagamoyo.
Pangani
About 55km south of Tanga is the small and dilapidated Swahili outpost of Pangani. It rose
from obscure beginnings as just one of many coastal dhow ports to become a terminus of
the caravan route from Lake Tanganyika, a major export point for slaves and ivory, and
one of the largest ports between Bagamoyo and Mombasa. Sisal and copra plantations were
established in the area, and several European missions and exploratory journeys to the in-
terior began from here. By the end of the 19th century, focus had shifted to Tanga and Dar
es Salaam and Pangani again faded into anonymity.
Today, the sleepy town makes an intriguing step back into history, especially in the area
within about three blocks of the river, where you'll see some carved doorways, buildings
from the German colonial era and old houses of Indian traders. More of a draw for many
travellers are the beaches running north and south of town, which are lovely, with stands
of coconut palms alternating with dense coastal vegetation and the occasional baobab. The
beaches are also the best places to base yourself.
Pangani's centre, with the market and bus stand, is on the corner of land where the
Pangani River meets the sea. About 2km north is the main junction where the road from
Muheza joins the coastal road, and where you should get out of the bus if you're arriving
from Muheza and staying at the beaches north of town.
History
Compared with Tongoni, Kaole and other settlements along the coast, Pangani is a relat-
ively modern settlement. It rose to prominence during the mid-19th century, when it was
a linchpin between the Zanzibar sultanate and the inland caravan routes, and it was during
this era that the riverfront slave depot was built. Pangani's oldest building is the old boma,
which dates to 1810 and was originally the private residence of a wealthy Omani trader.
More recent is the Customs House, built a decade later. Probably several centuries older
is the settlement at Bweni, diagonally opposite Pangani on the southern bank of the river,
where a 15th-century grave has been found.
In September 1888 Pangani was the first town to rebel against the German colonial ad-
ministration in the Abushiri revolt.
THE ABUSHIRI REVOLT
Although the Abushiri revolt, one of East Africa's major colonial rebellions, is
usually associated with Bagamoyo, Pangani was its birthplace. The catalyst
came in 1884, when a young German, Carl Peters, founded the German East
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