Getty Images
Time seems to have stood still in Tanzania's sparsely populated southeast. It lacks the development and bustle of the north, and tourist numbers are a relative trickle. Yet, for safari enthusiasts and divers, and for adventurous travellers seeking to learn about traditional local life, the southeast makes an ideal destination.
Among the southeast's highlights: Selous Game Reserve, with its top-notch wildlife watching; white-sand beaches and stunning corals around Mafia island; and the Kilwa Kisiwani ruins, harking back to days when the East African coast was the centre of trading networks stretching to the Far East.
Mafia and the Selous offer a good selection of comfortable accommodation and Western amenities. Elsewhere tourist infrastructure is more limited, although there are some real gems to be found.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Southeastern Tanzania.
See
The Selous is Africa's largest wildlife reserve, and Tanzania’s most extensive protected area. It’s home to large herds of elephants, plus buffaloes, crocodiles, hippos, wild dogs, many bird species and some of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhinos. The Rufiji River is a major feature, and offers the chance for boat safaris, which are a Selous highlight. Visit soon, however, before the Rufiji is dammed as part of the massive Stiegler's Gorge hydroelectric project.
See
The tiny island of Songo Mnara, about 8km south of Kilwa Kisiwani, contains ruins at its northern end – including of a palace, several mosques and numerous houses – that are believed to date from the 14th and 15th centuries. They are considered in some respects to be more significant architecturally than those at Kilwa Kisiwani, with one of the most complete town layouts along the coast, although they’re less visually impressive.
See
At around 822 sq km, Mafia Island Marine Park is the largest marine protected area in the Indian Ocean, sheltering a unique complex of estuarine, mangrove, coral reef and marine channel ecosystems. These include the only natural forest on the island and almost 400 fish species. There are also about 10 villages within the park’s boundaries with an estimated 15,000 to 17,000 inhabitants, all of whom depend on its natural resources for their livelihoods.
See
Today, 'Kilwa on the Island' is a quiet fishing village, but in its heyday it was the centre of a vast trading network linking the old Shona kingdoms and the goldfields of Zimbabwe with Persia, India and China. While these days are now well in the past, the ruins of the settlement, together with those of nearby Songo Mnara, are among the most significant groups of Swahili buildings on the East African coast and a Unesco World Heritage site.
See
The imposing German boma, built in 1895 as a fort and administrative centre, has been beautifully renovated as a hotel. Even if you’re not staying here, it’s worth taking a look and climbing the tower for views over the town. It's just off the B2 (main road).
See
This tiny game reserve is hidden away in the wild hinterlands southwest and west of Masasi. With luck you may see elephants, elands, crocodiles and hippos, though it's more likely you'll see none of these. The main challenge, apart from getting around the reserve, is spotting the animals through the often dense vegetation and dealing with the voracious tsetse flies.
See
If you are in the Majengo area of Mtwara, it's well worth stopping in at St Paul’s Church (800m southeast of the market) to view its remarkable artwork. The entire front and side walls are covered with richly coloured biblical scenes painted by a German Benedictine priest, Polycarp Uehlein, in the mid-1970s. In addition to their style and distinctive use of colour, the paintings are notable for their universalised portrayal of common biblical themes.
See
Sparsely vegetated Jibondo is less aesthetically appealing than Mafia's other islands, and its inhabitants are traditionally unwelcoming towards visitors. However, it is intriguing in that it supports a population of about 3000 people despite having no natural water sources. Jibondo is renowned as a boat-building centre, with much of the wood coming from forests around mainland Kilwa. In Jibondo’s village centre, look for the carved door frame on the mosque, said to come from the old settlement at Kua on Juani.
See
Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park encompasses a narrow sliver of coastline extending from Msangamkuu Peninsula (just north and east of Mtwara) in the north to the Mozambique border in the south. In addition to about 5000 people, it provides home to more than 400 marine species. The plan is for the struggling park to become the core of a conservation area extending as far south as Pemba (Mozambique), although conservation and enforcement measures are sadly lacking.