Other sights in Tanzania
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
Isimila
In Isimila in the late 1950s, archaeologists unearthed one of the most significant Stone Age finds ever identified. The tools found at the site are estimated to be between 60,000 and 100,000 years old. Although the display itself is not particularly exciting, the surrounding area is intriguing, with small canyons and eroded sandstone pillars. The main pillar area is accessed via a walk down into a steep valley (about one hour round-trip), for which you’ll need a guide (small tip expected). Visits are best in the morning or late afternoon, before the sun gets too high. A small museum in which all the Stone Age finds are to be gathered is being built (entry is included in…
reviewed
-
Stone Town
If Zanzibar Town is the archipelago's heart, Stone Town is its soul. It's magical jumble of cobbled alleyways make it easy to spend days wandering around and getting lost - although you can't get lost for long because, sooner or later, you'll end up on either the seafront or Creek Rd.
Nevertheless, each twist and turn of the narrow streets brings something new - be it a school full of children chanting verses from the Quran, a beautiful old mansion with overhanging verandas, or a coffee vendor with his long-spouted pot fastened over coals.
Along the way, watch the island's rich cultural melange come to life: Arabic-style houses with their recessed inner courtyards rub…
reviewed
-
Jakobsen’s (Mwamahunga) Beach
The best place for relaxing is Jakobsen’s (Mwamahunga) Beach, which is actually two small, beautiful coves reached via steps down a vegetated section of hillside about 5km southwest of Kigoma. There are a few bandas for shade, the water is bilharzia-free and the overall setting – especially if you visit during the week when few people are around – is idyllic. There’s no food or drink. Head west from town along the road past Kigoma Hilltop Hotel, keeping right at the small fork until the signpost, from where it’s about 3km further uphill and signposted. Via public transport, catch a Katonga dalla-dalla at the roundabout near the train station and ask the driver…
reviewed
-
Bagamoyo Town
With its cobwebbed portals, crumbling German-era colonial buildings and small alleyways where the sounds of children playing echo together with the footsteps of history, Mji Mkongwe (Stone Town) as it's known locally, is well worth a leisurely stroll.
The most interesting area is along Ocean Rd. Here, among other buildings, you'll find the imposing remains of the old German boma (colonial-era administrative offices), built in 1897; a school, which dates to the late 19th century and was the first multiracial school in what is now Tanzania; and Liku House, which served as the German administrative headquarters until the capital was moved to Dar es Salaam. Directly on the…
reviewed
-
Sukuma Museum & Bujora Cultural Centre
If you’re interested in learning about Sukuma culture, the Sukuma Museum & Bujora Cultural Centre makes a worthwhile day trip from Mwanza. The centrepiece is an open-air museum where, among other things, you’ll see traditional Sukuma dwellings, the house of a traditional healer, a wooden trough used for rainmaking potions and a blacksmith’s house and tools. There is also a large map showing the old Sukuma kingdoms, and nearby a rotating cylinder illustrating different Sukuma systems for counting from one to 10. Traditionally, these systems were used by various Sukuma age-based groups as a sort of secret language or symbol of initiation. Each group – girls, boys, women,…
reviewed
-
Amboni Caves
Long the subject of local legend, these limestone caves are one of the most extensive subterranean systems in East Africa and an intriguing off-beat excursion for anyone with an interest in spelunking. Now home to thousands of bats, they were traditionally believed to house various spirits, and continue to be a place of worship and ritual. The caves were originally thought to extend up to 200km or more, and are said to have been used by the Kenyan Mau Mau during the 1950s as a hide-out from the British. Although a 1994 survey concluded that their extent was much smaller – with the largest of the caves studied only 900m long – rumours of them reaching all the way to…
reviewed
-
Tongoni Ruins
The ruins – which are surrounded by rusted barbed wire and set between baobabs overlooking nearby mangroves and coastline – include the crumbling remains of a mosque and about 20 overgrown Shirazi pillar-style tombs, the largest collection of such tombs on the East African coast. Both the mosque and the tombs are estimated to date from the 14th or 15th century, when Tongoni was a major coastal trading port. Although most of the pillars have long since toppled to the ground, you can still see the recessed areas on some where decorative porcelain vases and offering bowls were placed. There are also about two dozen more recent, and largely unremarkable tombs dating from the…
reviewed
-
Saadani
About 70km north of Bagamoyo along a lovely stretch of coastline, and directly opposite Zanzibar, is tiny Saadani, a 1000-sq-km patch of coastal wilderness that is one of Tanzania’s newest national parks. Unpretentious and relaxing, it bills itself as one of the few spots in the country where you can enjoy the beach and watch wildlife at the same time. It’s easily accessed from both Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar as an overnight excursion and is a good choice if you don’t have time to explore further afield.
reviewed
-
SAA NANE Game Reserve
This little reserve is on a tiny island just off Capri Point. While it could be a peaceful getaway from the dust of town, it is sadly marred by a dejected-looking collection of caged animals, and not recommended. A boat departs several times daily from next to Hotel Tilapia (Tsh1000, 15 minutes). There’s no food or lodging on the island. The reserve’s office is on Capri Point Rd, about 200m north of Hotel Tilapia.
reviewed
-
Village Museum
The centrepiece of the open-air Village Museum is a collection of authentically constructed dwellings illustrating traditional life in various parts of Tanzania. There are Ngoma (drumming and dancing) performances from 4pm to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday, plus occasional special afternoon programmes highlighting the dances of individual tribes.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Misali Island Marine Conservation Area
In 1998 the island and surrounding coral reef were gazetted as the Misali Island Marine Conservation Area, with the goal of maintaining the island’s ecosystems in harmony with usage by local fishers. There are underwater and terrestrial nature trails, and you can arrange guides at the visitors centre. Camping is not permitted.
reviewed
-
Ngezi Vumawimbi Forest Reserve
The forest is now part of the protected Ngezi Vumawimbi Forest Reserve, with a short nature trail that winds its way beneath the shady forest canopy. If you want to see Scops owls and other nocturnal birds, it’s possible to arrange evening tours in advance with the caretaker.
reviewed
-
Kalenga Historical Museum
The small Kalenga Historical Museum contains Mkwawa’s skull and a few other relics from the era.
reviewed
-
Bagamoyo Living Art & Handicraft Design Centre
This little centre
reviewed
-
A
Baths
Built by Sultan Barghash in the late 19th century, these were the first public baths on Zanzibar. Although they’re no longer functioning and there’s no water inside, they’re still worth a visit, and it doesn’t take much imagination to envision them in bygone days. To get in, you’ll need to ask the caretaker across the alley to unlock the gate.
reviewed
-
Zanzibar National Museum of History & Culture
One of the most prominent buildings in the old Stone Town is the elegant Beit el-Ajaib, now home to the Zanzibar National Museum of History & Culture. It’s also one of the largest structures in Zanzibar. It was built in 1883 by Sultan Barghash (r 1870–88) as a ceremonial palace. In 1896 it was the target of a British naval bombardment, the object of which was to force Khalid bin Barghash, who had tried to seize the throne after the death of Sultan Hamad (r 1893–96), to abdicate in favour of a British nominee. After it was rebuilt, Sultan Hamoud (r 1902–11) used the upper floor as a residential palace until his death. Later it became the local political headquarters of the…
reviewed
-
B
Anglican Cathedral
Constructed in the 1870s by the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa (UMCA), the Anglican cathedral was the first Anglican cathedral in East Africa. It was built on the site of the old slave market alongside Creek Rd. Although nothing remains of the slave market today, other than some holding cells under St Monica’s Hostel next door, the site remains a sobering reminder of the not-so-distant past. Services are still held at the cathedral on Sunday mornings; the entrance is next to St Monica’s Hostel.
reviewed