Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bus
To Nangurukuru (the junction with the Dar-Mtwara road; Tsh2000, one hour) and Kilwa
Kivinje (Tsh2000, 45 minutes), shared taxis depart several times daily from the transport
stand on the main road just north of the market. The transport stand is also the place to hire
taxis or
bajajis
for local excursions.
To Dar es Salaam, there is at least one bus daily (stopping also in Kilwa Kivinje), departing
in each direction by about 5.30am (Tsh11,000, seven hours). Buses from Kilwa depart from
the eastern edge of the market area, and should be booked the day before. Departures in
Dar es Salaam are from Mbagala (take a dalla-dalla to 'Mbagala Mwisho'), along the Kil-
wa road, which is also the end terminus for this bus on its run up from Kilwa. Coming from
Dar es Salaam it's also possible to get a bus heading to Lindi or Mtwara and get out at
Nangurukuru junction, from where you can get local transport to Kilwa Kivinje (Tsh700,
11km) or Kilwa Masoko (Tsh2000, 35km), although you'll often need to pay the full Lindi
or Mtwara fare. This doesn't work as well leaving Kilwa, as buses are often full when they
pass Nangurukuru (from about 11am).
To Lindi, there's at least one direct bus daily (Tsh6500, four hours), departing Kilwa about
6am from the market just south of the Dar es Salaam bus booking offices; book a day in
advance. There are no direct connections to Mtwara; you'll need to transfer at Mingoyo
junction.
Around Kilwa Masoko
KILWA KISIWANI
Today, Kilwa Kisiwani (Kilwa on the Island) is a quiet fishing village baking in the sun
just off shore from Kilwa Masoko, but in its heyday it was the seat of sultans and centre
of a vast trading network linking the old Shona kingdoms and the gold fields of Zimbabwe
with Persia, India and China. Ibn Battuta, the famed traveller and chronicler of the ancient
world, visited Kilwa in the early 14th century and described the town as being exception-
ally beautiful and well constructed. At its height, Kilwa's influence extended north past the
Zanzibar Archipelago and south as far as Sofala on the central Mozambican coast.
While these glory days are now well in the past, the ruins of the settlement - together
with the ruins on nearby Songo Mnara - are among the most significant groups of Swahili
buildings on the East African coast and a Unesco World Heritage site. Thanks to funding
from the French and Japanese governments, significant sections of the ruins have been re-
stored, and are now easily accessible, with informative signboards in English and Swahili.
History
The coast near Kilwa Kisiwani has been inhabited for several thousand years, and artefacts
from the late and middle Stone Ages have been found on the island. Although the first set-
