Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
dhow, maximum five people). Alternatively, there's a much cheaper motorised local dhow
that departs Kilwa Masoko between about 6am and 8am most mornings to Pande, and
which will stop on request at Songo Mnara. With luck, the boat returns to Kilwa Masoko
the same day, departing Pande about 1pm. Dhows between Kilwa Masoko and Songo Mn-
ara take about two to three hours with a decent wind.
After landing at Songo Mnara, be prepared to wade through mangrove swamps before
reaching the island proper.
KILWA KIVINJE
Kilwa Kivinje (Kilwa of the Casuarina Trees) owes its existence to Omani Arabs from Kil-
wa Kisiwani who set up a base here in the early 19th century following the fall of the Kilwa
sultanate. By the mid-19th century the settlement had become the hub of the regional slave
trading network, and by the late 19th century, a German administrative centre. With the ab-
olishment of the slave trade, and German wartime defeats, Kilwa Kivinje's brief period in
the spotlight came to an end. Today, it's a crumbling, moss- covered and atmospheric relic
of the past with a Swahili small-town feel and an intriguing mixture of German colonial
and Omani Arab architecture.
The most interesting section of town is around the old German
Boma
(administrative of-
fice). The
boma
itself is being renovated, and is currently off limits, but the street behind is
lined with small houses, many with carved Zanzibar-style doorways. Nearby is a
mosque
,
which locals claim has been in continuous use since the 14th century, and a warren of back
streets where you can absorb a slice of coastal life, with children playing on the streets and
women sorting huge trays of
dagga
(tiny sardines) for drying in the sun. Just in from here
on the water is the bustling
dhow port
, where brightly painted vessels set off for Songo
Songo, Mafia and other coastal ports.
The best way to visit Kilwa Kivinje is as an easy half-day or day trip from Kilwa
Masoko. Overnight options are limited to a clutch of nondescript guesthouses near the mar-
ket, all with rooms for about Tsh3500, and each rivalling the others in grubbiness.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Kilwa Kivinje is reached by heading about 25km north of Kilwa Masoko along a sealed
road and then turning in at Nangurukuru for about 5km further. Shared taxis travel several
times daily to/from Kilwa Masoko (Tsh2000), and the bus between Dar es Salaam and Kil-
wa Masoko also stops at Kilwa Kivinje. Chartering a private taxi from Kilwa Masoko will
cost about Tsh25,000.
Dhows sail regularly from Kilwa Kivinje to both Dar es Salaam and Mtwara, although the
journey to both destinations is long and not recommended; every year several boats cap-
size. Expect to pay from about Tsh6000 for trips in either direction. There are also dhows
