hardventure february 18,2013 opt1.indd

A break to new and exciting adventurous sights in Tanzania A focus on the least known tourist attractions of TanzaniaIssue No. 2 December 2012

Lindi | Mtwara | Ruvuma

Tourist Attractions in the Tourist Attractions in the

SOUTHERN ZONESOUTHERN ZONE

| Least known tourist attractions

Tanzania Tourist Board 2

Focus on Southern Zone

HARDVENTURE TOURISMMap of Tanzania



HARDVENTURE TOURISMM

ap o

f th

e So

uthe

rn Z

one

N

Tanzania Fact File

Southern Zone Cultural Cruise

Mtwara Region

Ruvuma Region

05

45

51

06

23

38

ContentsSouthern Zone ready for more visitors

Editorial comment

Lindi Region

Focus on the least known tourist attractions in the Southern Zone


| Least known tourist attractionsHARDVENTURE TOURISM

Tourists taking a break at Msimbati Beach, Mtwara in loin dress, a formal garb by coastal Swahili males

The ruins of the 15th Century Great Mosque or Friday Mosque, in Kilwa, Lindi Region, the largest then in Equatorial Africa

A human pyramid by Makonde carvers, the

symbol of Mtwara

Scenic view of Mbamba Bay Beach, Ruvuma region with

canoes of area resident shermen



This is the second edition of HardVenture, a tourism news magazine. Its

maiden edition was launched in Dodoma, early in August 2012. In that

edition, HardVenture reached out to numerous sites in the Lake Zone

in which the least known tourists’ attractions exist, some of them in

remotely placed villages and islands.

In this second edition, HardVenture has turned its focus on the least known tourists’

attractions vastly available in the Southern Zone whose composition include the

three regions of Lindi, Mtwara and Ruvuma. The Zone, formerly thought as a

sleeping giant, is quite vibrant and ready to host more tourists!

The Zone has improved its road network and airports as a result it receives more

scheduled ights and charter-plane services. Hotels and other accommodation

facilities are also going through continued refurbishment and expansion to cater for

increased arrivals.

A wide range of these facilities and the beckoning attractions are highlighted in

the 60 pages of this edition and they include a collection of ruins, beautiful sandy

beaches and dunes, wildlife, marine parks, untold lifestyles of the earliest and

tallest humans that lived and roamed the bushes and beaches of Lindi and Mtwara

regions, and the magni cent viewpoints and rolling country side of the Ruvuma.

Physical checks indicate that the number of visitors to the Southern Zone has

increased as more tourists ock to the sea and lake resorts in Lindi, Mtwara, Kilwa,

Songea and Mbamba Bay towns.

Therefore, it is our anticipation that our stakeholders are sending desired changes to

the Southern Zone by exposing its then unknown tourist attractions to the outside

world, improving hotels and transport facilities as well as visitors’ services in the

Zone.

TTB can perform much better and improve the livelihood of the Southern Zone

residents by consolidating revenue collections through increased number of

tourists’ arrivals not only in the three designated southern regions alone, but also in

and across Tanzania as a must see destination.

Aloyce K. Nzuki, PhDManaging Director

HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Publisher Tanzania Tourist Board

P.O.Box 2485Dar es Salaam

Tel: +255 22 2111 244/5Fax: +255-22 211 6420

www.tanzaniatourism.go.tz

Editorial BoardDr. Aloyce K. Nzuki

Managing Director, TTBMs. Devota K. MdachiDirector of MarketingGeofrey E. Tengeneza

Principal Public Relations Of cer

Editorial Technical CoordinatorSavor Tanzania Limited

Tel: +225 713 234722 +255 716 158 969

E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

Advertising CoordinatorSavor Tanzania

Tel:+255 754 366 447Design and Layout

Savor Tanzania Limited

Reprints: Permission is required

to reproduce articles, photos and

artwork from this publication.

Please contact Managing Director

Tanzania Tourist Board

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: +255 22 2111244/5

Southern Zone ready for more visitors

Main cover photo: Lindi Beach

Welcome to HARDVENTURE

TOURISM




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

BEFORE, setting off to Lindi on the Dar-Lindi highway, which is still under construction, a friend had suggested that an air travel to the southern coastal town could have been less tiring. After

debating for sometime, we resolved that I should travel the 330 km by road. So, I left the Ubungo upcountry bus

terminal at 5 o’clock September 1 aboard Machinga Line, one of the major transport companies that offer rst class road transport services for southern bound/ travellers and tourists. I spent the rst two hours dozing off. It was around 7 o’clock when we were jolted from slumber as the bus rolled at Nanjirinji, one of the busy centres along the

Geographical Location

LINDI region borders Coast and Morogoro on the northwest and Ruvuma and Mtwara regions on the south. Much of

the western part of the region is in the Selous Game Reserve, a wild game reserve whose size is equivalent to Switzerland. It is located at 9:30 degrees latitude and 38:30 degrees longitude. The word Lindi means a oating buoy or buoyant! It has also a funny meaning, a pit latrine pole! It occupies land surface area of 67,000 square kilometresAccording to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the population for Lindi Region was 791,306 and it is estimated that its residents can clock close to or above one million and so now.Due to its geographical position, adjacency to the Indian Ocean shoreline, the weather in Lindi is tropical and humid. The best time to visit the town/region is between the months of May and September, when the weather is relatively cooler. If you want to explore the attractions in Lindi that could be

the best time to do. A set of six letters (KLMNRS) have been curved from the alphabet family to de ne a complete set of a unique geographical pro le of Lindi, which between 1885 and 1919 was the major seaport for the German colonial administration in the portmanteau Tanganyika. The letters include:

K: Stands for the Kilwas and home tothe Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara ruins which are UNESCO’s World Heritage sites and Kilwa Kipatimo and Kilwa Masoko, on the mainland.

Kilwa was once the East African trading city port linking the kingdom of onamutapa in Zimbabwe to the Middle East, Persia (Iran), Turkey, Indonesia and China. Whereas Kilwa Kipatimo, was the launching pad of the liberation struggle for the portmanteau of Tanganyika.

L: Stands for Lindi, the region’s name and the name to its administrative head town which to some locals means a town which oats while others say Lindi means rmly anchored object.Lindi as a seaside town was an important port for early traders and travellers. The geographical shape

of Lindi relatively looks like an olive leaf; a symbol of friendliness, a trait shown by its residents. But there is another L that stands for Liwale a district in Lindi which was one of the early trading towns whose origin is a Shirazi word, liwal later corrupted in Kiswahili to read Liwali, an arbiter or a judicious of cial!

M: Represents Mtama, a vibrant constituency and home to Sudi, a world class historical site in the early days of trading activities and political administration and also the only site currently used by sherladies/women in the region.

N: Is for Nachingwea, one of its six districts whose ruins of an abandoned railway line and its position as the rear launching pad for the liberation of Mozambique, makes it stand tall in the annals of history.

R: Stands for Ruangwa, a newly formed district and constituency as well as a hub of inter-districts’ road transport.S: Denotes Selous game reserve, the largest wildlife conservation area whose size is like the size of Switzerland and World Heritage Site.

LINDILINDIMuch to off er, much to see

Land of Tendaguru and little harmless dragons



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

highway. It were the voices of vendors mostly boys and females that awoke us.

Each and everyone tried to elbow outthe other by shouting on the top of his or her voice to catch the attention of the sleepy looking passengers. The boys and the few female vendors were selling a variety of snacks and bites such as boiled maize, roasted chicken, buns, and fresh fried sea sh.My seatmate and I opted for a piece of boiled maize for snap breakfast.

Our next stop was at Kibiti, where thebus veered off a-29 km rough sectionof the Lindi-Ikwiriri road. The section

could be one of the most traitorous while the bus doing the 60 km stretches on Kibiti- Ndundu-Somangaroad. Sometimes the bus engine coughed up and gave loud hiccupsbefore it spluttered into life again.

Sometimes passengers could lamentand curse. But it was ‘all cheers’ as the bus rolled at Somanga because it was the end of the rough section of the road. Slowly the bus veered into an outpost electronic weighbridge.

An electronic panel of the weighbridgewas facing us, and clearly showed thenet weight of our bus to the delight ofthe travellers. It was unloaded.

A collection of Lindi attractions: The gorgeous Kitunda Beach, (top), PC’s House which was the of cial residence of the German Provincial Commissioner (below left), and the ruins of the Great Mosque, Kilwa Island (below right)


Shortly, we were on a tarred 33 km section on the Somanga-Masaninga/Matanda road, midstream Nangurukuru resort (nearly 75 km away). Nangurukuru is also known as Njia Nne, literary means four ways because it is perched at the junction of the roads to Kilwa Kisiwani on the east, Liwale on the west, Lindi and Mtwara on the south and Dar es Salaam, to the north.

At Njia Nne a.k.a Nangurukuru, our bus stopped for at leastten minutes to allow voyagers to have breakfast and access wash rooms. Remember it was on September 1, when the implementation of a ban against roadside ‘relieves’ commonly known as kuchimba dawa took effect.

Kuchimba Dawa is whereby passengers disembark from the bus to venture out into nearby bushes to answer a call of nature! So it was a huge task for Lindi-Mtwara bound passengers on how they could manage to sti e any urge or call of nature from Dar es Salaam to Nangurukuru, the only designated point for such a service on the 75 km route.

At least two decent facilities are in place for use. It is also at Nangurukuru, where passengers managed to access cold

A day in life of shermen at the Kitunda Ferry, Lindi

Old German Boma ruins in Lindi, with trooping roots of g trees trying to support it from curving in




beer or beverages to jolt their sleepy bones and to wash downchicken braai!

Luxuriant vegetationFrom Njia Nne to Lindi via Mbwemkulu (95 km), we enjoyed a luxuriant vegetation scenery. But at some areas, we couldwitness, bush re as its lips devoured ercely and mercilesslythe traditional tropical forests and the tall savanna grasslands! A bad habit dies hard! Well. It was around 5 o’clock, almost 12 hours when our bus completed doing the whole 330 km road safari to Lindi!

As the bus rolled into the town, we could notice that Lindi was a small town. The roads were clear and clean. Vendors and bodaboda operators at the bus terminal were jolly, perhaps in anticipation of making business by the new arrivals. I couldn’t wait much for my hosts. I was deadly tired so I boarded one of the bodabodas, and directed the driver to take me to a seaside accommodation facility, where my hosts had made the booking.

It was a standard class hotel, off the old German port. It was a quiet place suitable for the 4 days I was to stay in Lindi for the HardVenture documentary or special assignment.

I had a non-eventful evening. I spent most of the early evening hours in my hotel room making contacts to hosts, sources and area authorities ahead of my schedule the following morning.

Tendaguru beds home to dinosaurIt is a remote hilly and historical site perched 20 kilometres on the northwest of Lindi, off the Lindi-Dar highway. To reach there you have to hire services of an operator of a bodaboda and a photographer, of course, after paying Tshs 20,000 fee for the full day tour services.

Tendaguru which in Kimwera dialect means steep hill, is a bushy site considered to be one of the greatest paleontological ndings in history and home to the Tanzanian fossilisied dinosaur bones.

However, the unkempt track road, led our team to only a few metres from the excavations or cavernous site where a German mining engineer had managed to uncover the Tendaguru dinosaur materials, over 100 years ago.

Apparently no tangible activities are being undertaken at the hillside site.

However, between 1997 and 2000 there have been some follow-up exploration expeditions to Tendaguru by paleontologists.

More than a dozen diferent dinosaurian materials including of the famed Tendaguru Brachiosaurus brancai specie, also known as Giraffatitan brancai were uncovered from the unattended site there after shifted to German where it is kept in a museum of Natural History.

The beauty of Lindi beaches




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

The Giraffatitan brancai, previously classi ed as Brachiosaurus brancai, is believed to be the tallest and heaviest dinosaur ever known. It is said to be 12 metres (39 ft) tall and 22.5 metres (74 ft) long.

It weighs between 30,000 and 60,000 kilogrammes, equivalent to 70,000 and 130,000 Pounds under an imperial measure system then used when the discovery was made about 105 years down the line! Some remains of little pieces of bones and fragments could be seen as on September 2, 2012.

Legends recall of seeing lights ickering on the Tendaguru as well as, its sister ranges of Nangaro hills. Apparently, the London and Berlin natural museums, respectively, have the custodianships of the dinosaur skeletons from Tendaguru.

Hon Said Mtanda, the area Member of Parliament for Mchinga was a member of a delegation of of cials from the Government of Tanzania that made visits to the German museum of natural history, presumably, to ascertain the presence of such a high pro le national heritage.

More viewsLarge crew of workers were involved in the excavation of the dinosaurian remains but the activity was interrupted by the WW1 until in 1924 when an expedition from the British Museum of Natural History returned to Tendaguru.

“The expedition team leader was William Cutler, a Canadian

national who died at Tendaguru after only eight months of hard work,” Dr Nassoro Ali Hamid, the Lindi area district commissioner said recently.

The area DC identi ed one member of the expedition as legendary Lous Leakey, who later discovered fossils of the early straight walking humans at the Olduvai Gorge, and foot prints at Laetoli, in the nearby Ngorongoro Crater, about 60 years ago.

More attractions in Lindi Lindi once a seaside town built by the Germans in the late 1919s, looks like a hide-out as the Kitunda bays or ferries (mikono ya bahari) separate the sea and the mainland, efectively shielding the seaport against any impending enemy attacks from the sea.

However, Lindi was an important centre for ivory trading, beeswax, mangrove poles and rock salt. Ironically rock salt is still mined from sites also known as salt pans along the Kitunda bay and some areas that lie on the fringe of the town, about 15 km along the Lindi-Mtwara highway.

The 10km long Kitunda bay, runs from the main sea in the east down to the southern tip of Lindi town or the ‘abandoned’ port while the Kitunda hills, with thin forest and sparsely tropical trees, appear in the back grown overlooking the ‘abandoned’ dock, and the former old German Boma, and the colonial Provincial Commissioner’s House or simply PC’s House.

Kilwa Kisiwani Resort, is among the insititutions that provide transport and accommodation facilities and services between the Island and Kilwa Masoko on the mainland, and beyond.



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Kitunda hills also bisect the two ferries or bays; namely Sudiferry/bay further down to the south and Kitunda ferry/bay.

The sheltered waters of the Kitunda bay form the eastern boundary of Lindi township as its left tributary snakes across the old port on the south opposite to the Lindi-Mtwara highway.

Sudi Bay/Ferry or the sher-ladies shorelineAt Sudi bay, visitors can meet groups of sher-ladies fully involved in an economic activity then considered unbecoming to a Swahili woman. The women are using trawlers in shallow waters off the main sea at Mgao village and they were quite at home when asked for a photo shoot.

Sudi is also a world class historical site with huge presence of socio-economic and political information, such as the 1880’s Light House, which is still intact. Dr. Hamid, (the area district commissioner) was proud of the myriad tourists’ attractions that exist in Lindi.

“Lindi in terms of tourists’ attractions is like a sleeping giant, but the giant has awakened from brief slumber,” he said sampling out what he thought were the ‘dormant’ tourists’ attractions in his area.

The Shari TombThe Shirazi migrants from Middle East, presumably Iran (then Persia) were among the early foreign settlers in Lindi, whose traces and foot prints have left indelible marks on the existing historical and tourist attractions in the Southern Zone, especially, in Kilwa, Lindi and old Mikindani which is also known as Mtwara urban.

Among them are the collection of ruins of old mosques and tombs of a spiritual leader, as well as Sultans of Omani, on Kilwa Kisiwani (Island).

However, the identity of a spiritual leader in Lindi, unlike Mtwara, remains elusive because the tomb has been partially curved in due to strong sea waves buttering. The single tomb is located 5km across the bay, east south of Lindi.

Seaside graveA 10-metre long unmarked grave at Mwitange village across the Kitunda bay also makes a fascinating visit. In the dilapidated grave, also threatened by sea waters, lie the remains of presumed Lindi borne giant to have ever lived in town, according to an area cultural of cer. Part of the unmarked grave was visible as of September 03, 2012.

Life goes on in the ruins of Kilwa

Gereza Fort on Kilwa Island and lone Hippo (below) at Nalende pond, Lindi

Reconstruction activities of the Great House, Kilwa Kisiwani




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

The Arab HouseA visit to the 19th Century structure showed the turning point of Arab in uence. Only scant information is available of the one storey building ruins located on the east of the pristine 20 km-Lindi beach stretch. Area residents could easily identify it as ‘Alabuhausi’ corrupted Kiswahili word for Arab House.

The ruin overlooks the water front at Kitunda bay, just a stone’s throw from the back yard of the main soccer pitch, Ilulu downtown Lindi. Some area of cials could link the Arab House, to the of cial residence of Tippu Tip a.k.a Hamed Bin Mohamed el Marjebi (1837- 1905), a notorious slave trader of Zanzibari origin, also known as Toppoo Tib or Toppu Tob, a moniker he acquired from the sounds produced by his guns when hunting down slaves. The house is also linked to a Moroccan traveller Ibin Battuta.

The Moroccan trader is believed to have visited Lindi on hisway to Kilwa Island in1331, it’s highly unlikely he could haveused the Arab House but some authorities in Lindi, believe that Ibin Battuta might have been there anyway!

PC’s House is another water front 2 storey building whose roof and partial walls have curved in. The former occupant of the ruins is linked to a German provincial commissioner for the Southern Province, who lived there between1880s and early 1900s. Legends believe that the Germans might have chosen Lindi as potential hide-out and administrative headquarters for the entire southern province right from Mbamba Bay on the shores of Lake Nyasa to Lindi. Kitunda hills, could yet provide a nice viewpoint to visiting tourists.

Custom HouseThe old custom was also a warehouse for the German EastAfrica Company. It is built close to the remains of a Fortress.Many of the buildings from the colonial period have fallen into either partial or total ruins. However, at the time of early September visit, it was only the Police Station which was still in use.

Two storey building ruinsAnother dilapidated building believed to be either a Fortress or Boma, is perched at an area adjacent to the present day police quarters, the of cial residence for policemen and women in Lindi Urban.

The building is also next to Customs House and the old harbour. No impeccable information is available over the actual identity of the building ruins, although some area residents said it might have been used as a collection house from which slaves would change hands. It is also overlooking the Kitunda bay and the Kitunda Hills.

Its doors are extremely too short, about a metre tall. The size of its windows is about one square foot. Some of its walls have curved in and part of its roof is also curving in.

On top of the dilapidated roof stands a huge g tree as its strong roots troop down into the ground like the tendons impliedly supporting the old building like pillars. However, an area cultural of cer was upbeat, the building was a German Boma which is disappearing behind trees that are growing out of it.

More neighbourhood ruinsNext to the 2-storey building ruins, there are two more ruins. The one on the left looks every inch like a residential house of former senior colonial of cers. The one on the right had its annexure transformed into a courthouse for the Lindi resident magistrate.

The ruins of an abandoned Lindi seaport stand in the foreground. Sections of the building have been refurbished and transformed into a tax administration block.

Reconstituted skeletons of the Tendaguru uncovered dinosaur on display in a Berlin German Museum of Natural History



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

However, The wharf and light house, have all gone, but the beach is still vibrant as scores of shermen and shmoms conduct their daily livelihood chores from there.

Fishmoms operate food stalls, primarily for the shermen and tourists who would like to taste the juicy soup from freshly boiled (cooked) octopus believed to provide ‘stimulant’ to male. But there is no any medical evidence to support the myth or realisation.

Fishing villageThe abandoned Lindi seaport has mutated into a vibrant shing village. Hordes of shermen are found in the area throughout the day and night either mending ( xing) shing nets, coming ashore or just rowing boats to sea for yet more shing expeditions. It is nice for a shing tour while in the company of native shermen in traditional dhows or boats. You could either just pedal the boat to sea and back for recreational tours.

Asian architectureAn early Asian community migrants in uence in Lindi whose major trade included grains, sisal and

cashewnuts are prominent Asian-inspired architectures that dot the township.

Sandy BeachesClear sandy beaches, fresh young coconuts dotting swaying palm trees, and the golden glow of tropical sunshine spice up the sandy beaches of Lindi.

“It might be sidelined, but its rich history, German colonial past interwoven with area residents cultural insights, and national heritage and the strong Arabic in uence of the Swahili Coast, make Lindi an interesting place for tourists,” Janson Murray, a tourist from England said recently. “(Lindi) is hustle free. No road pesters begging every visitor for everything,” he added.

“The streets are open, clear and safe for you to walk up and down for your own pleasure.

I’ve been here (in Lindi) for the previous four days. It is quiet, peaceful and nice to holidaymakers,” he said.

“Such hustles are not in here (Lindi)!” The Briton, said, he would proceed to Mtwara to enjoy his holiday.




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Mnali BayAn encounter with the African giant bats at the bay-like island was just an exhilaration of seeing the birds come out of the mangrove forests and venture out into a y-past like parade while forming an image in the sky that could resemble the pistol-shaped map of Africa. Before the sun could set over the mangrove hide-outs and after the bats had eaten to the full, the bats could perform a y-past parade but sometimes they could y in spontaneous gaiety as they set out for the night hunt for food!

Rondo hillsA visit to Rondo hills or plateau we thought would be enjoyable and paying, if the visitors paths would cross with the Africa bush little dragons as they are harmless creatures and they would shy away after sighting humans. They prefer exclusivity, Dr Hamid, the area DC, said assuringly. However, our team enjoyed solitude and coolness on the beach below the plateau. The bush is made up of mahogany, planted teak and wide species of other tropical hardwoods.

Later in the evening, we joined area residents, of the Anglican faith, as they were conducting bible reading sessions from an octagonal church for yet another photo shoot outs. The eight sided and eight angled house of prayers, was built in 1912 by the Germans.

Salt pans/farmsBefore our departure, we set out to the salt pans/farms, about 5km, from the town of Lindi to interact with area residents as they harvested rock salt near the Indian Ocean coastal line.

A rudimental technology is subconsciously applied by groups of females who trapped the saline sea water into open elds or pans and there the water could soon evaporate, leaving behind plates of rock salt, which the women would scoop and crash to obtain raw salt, widely used in rural households in both Lindi and Mtwara regions.

Yet, I as a visitor could take a break later in the evening to Jiwe la Mzungu in Mtama constituency, and to the mythical German Fort in Liwale district for sight seeing activities.

Jiwe la Mzungu, literally the White man’s stone, is a geographical beacon pitched on the seashore in Mtama, about 50 km south of Lindi. If the storyline of Jiwe la Mzungu, could be taken seriously, it could consign Lindi and Mtwara, the two regions that make up the southern zone, to the territorial jurisdictions of the sovereignty of Mozambique!

More intriguing with the 19th Century German Boma (fortress) in Liwale, is a blurb that its concrete pillars are believed to be standing on humans esh, who were forcefully buried alive. Why such a ritual!

No scienti c evidence again could be gathered, hence the human–pillar storyline is but, just a good myth! Wanembo, we will meet again.

Photo and Text by HardVenture Sta Writer

The sprawling Mkapa bridge over the Ru ji River, serves as a link between the Southern Zone and the rest of Tanzania/Courtesy skyscrapercity.com



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Getting thereA visitor can conveniently reach each of the major towns in Lindi Region by either road, sea and air transport services. A eet of road transport buses operate daily passenger vehicle services to Lindi from Dar es Salaam.

Visitors can also reliably make daily connections between Lindi and Mtwara regions by road transport. There is a steady inter-regional network between Lindi and its underlying districts.

The Akukweti airport in Lindi is currently under expansion, but it can be accessed through light aircraft by charter services.

Road transport bookings to Lindi can be done from either Dar es Salaam or Mtwara. Air charter bookings to Lindi can also be done from either Dar es Salaam or through general booking of ces of respective service charter providers.

It is highly advisable that visitors to Lindi should use road transport service to sample the beautiful landscape, and cultures as passenger service vehicles roll past numerous villages along the southern highway.

What to doLindi region boasts of pristine beaches ideal for sun bathe, motor sport, hiking, strolling, diving, shing, shing sport, swimming and excellent snorkeling. To visitors with air of an archeology, history, don’t miss out in the savory of a collection of ruins, formerly beautiful buildings dating

between the 12th and 19th Centuries. Stay under a shaded open sand beach as lunch with freshly barbecued sea or fresh water sh is cooked and served for you.

The octopus freshly boiled soup, preferably taken in the morning or evening is linked to aphrodisiac. Try it, you may not regret.

Take an evening out in the nearby villages for story telling and kitchen tours and cultural interactions held in traditional African households’ settings, where the grinding stone, pestle and motor are the most used tools in the preparation of our from grains or tubers as staple food for area families.Sail on a traditional dhow across the sheltered waters of the numerous bays and sea beach villages in Lindi.

Keep an eye out for wildlife; the pond swimming hippo, the little African dragons, the gaiety bats, butter ies, eagles, and the rare visitors such as humpback whale, marlin and tuna.

AccommodationThere is wide variety of accommodation facilities in the Lindi urban and its suburbs which include; waterfront hotels, restaurant facilities in the region and all bask in a lap of luxury.

Most hotel facilities provide bedding and breakfast to visitors. Room fees rates are quite competitive. Hostels with spacious suites and guest houses services are also available.

Photo/ www.coastalair.com

three day-stay in the

Kilwa Islands

It was around 11 o’clock, September 3, when our Lindi- Mtwara bound bus rolled at Kilwa junction, a bus stop also known as Nangurukuru or Njia Nne. I dropped from the bus and walked a cross the road to an open air bus

terminal where other Kilwa bound travellers, were waiting for commuter buses (daladalas), that could take them to Kilwa Masoko, the district’s administrative head of ce on their way to the Island, 2 Km off shore.

From no where a friend who works for a gas exploration rm at Songo Songo Island, one of the off Islands, rolled her RAV4 car a few metres from where I was standing. “Mbuli! Mbuli!” She called out abbreviating my name. I looked out to nd out. It was Sarah a long time friend and college mate.

I’m not happy, and I’ve been telling Sarah that abbreviating my name makes it to sound as if I was a goat in our dialect. Sarah knows, but she has never stopped teasing me anyway! After an exchange of greetings I told her I was travelling to Kilwa Island for an assignment. I jumped into her car, and we set off to Kilwa Masoko.

When we were about to arrive at (Kilwa) Masoko, Sarah wanted to know whether I had obtained a permit from the district cultural authorities to visit the Island, an 11th Century and former thriving seaport. “A permit to visit my

country!” I interjected. “Yes. You need one, and of course after you have paid some Tshs.500 fee! Foreigners pay Tshs, 1,500 (equivalent to $1). ’’ She remarked to my utter astonishment.

Well, Sarah took me to the of ces of Kilwa Seaview Resort of cials, whom she said would take care of my visit and transport to and from the Island, as well as other off shore Islands such as Songo Mnara, Songo Songo, Sanje ya Kati, Sanje ya Majoma, and Jewel Islands off Kilwa Kivinje, some 25 Km from the mainland.

At Seaview resort, I was entrusted into the hands a guide who would take me around the Island and to its collections of ruins for a day’s tour.

It was about noon, and the day was getting hot. I told the guide, we would rather make the visit the next day so that I could spend the rest of the day with a former friend. While at Kilwa Masoko, Sarah, gave out a list of the uniqueness of each and every Kilwa, namely:

Kilwa Masoko, the most relatively developed town and the district administrative centre. In Masoko, you could trace the foot prints of early Arabic and European explorers such as the Moroccan Ibn Battuta and Portuguese, Pedro Alves Cabral and Vasco da Gama.

My| Least known tourist attractions



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Kilwa Kivinje, which was an early slave and ivory trading town, some 29 Km further north of Kilwa Masoko.

At Kivinje, you could follow the foot prints of slave caravans off to the interior via, Mbwa Maji in Dar es Salaam onward to Bagamoyo, some 70km north of Dar es Salaam.

Sarah, who has been living in Kilwa Masoko for the past three years, described the main tourists’ attractions in Kilwa Kivinje as, the German Fort and an early market hall, all form part of the collections of ruins on the three Kilwas, including Kilwa Kipatimo, the launching pad of the MajiMaji War in 1905-07.

Kipatimo is in between Kilwa Kivinje and Masoko and It is a predominantly Christian community.

Kilwa Kisiwani (Island) and the off shore Islands of the 11th and 15th Century’s city.

September 4, 2012At about 9 o’clock, Jamilla, the guide and I set out across the 2 km channel to Kilwa Kisiwani or rather Kilwa Island aboard a motorised boat. The Island is located 300 Km South of Dar es Salaam and some 33 km from Lindi, its

regional headquarters, further south for a full day tour. Upon arrival I was taken around the Island, and I was amazed of its numerous collections of ruins.

At the end of the tour, I had managed to visit a collection of eight spectacular ruins that bear witness to the pre-European architectures on the current day Tanzanian coastline such as:-

The Great Mosque or the Friday Mosque. Jamilla said that the mosque was built in the 15th century and that it might have been the largest then on the East African coast.

The mosque was excavated between 1958 and 1960 and some of its parts reconstructed. The oldest parts that remain are outer sections of the side walls and the northern wall.

The façade of the mihrab (the aspect that points towards Mecca or Qibla) was built around 1300 and it has domed chamber that was supposed to have been the sultan’s room for prayers. The water tanks and the slabs of stone that were used for rubbing clean the soles of the feet of the worshippers before they could enter the prayer house are still in existence.



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Cultural tourists in Kilwa Kisiwani (Island)

Our next stop over was at the Great House, a large single-storey building believed to be the of cial residence of the sultans that ruled the Island alternatively until the 1880s when the Germans brought an end to the Arab admnistration on the Island.

The remains of one of the sultans are said to reside in one of the four graves that exist within its walls. The once beautiful building has examples of reception rooms, an amphitheatre of latrines and cylindrical clay ovens and courtyards.

Small Domed MosqueSome 150m southwest of the Great House is the Small Domed Mosque. By appearance, it is the best preserved of all the buildings in Kilwa. It is an ornamental building with beautiful domes. A long narrow room on its east is believed to have been a Madrassa.

Makutini Palace (Palace of great walls)It is a forti ed 15th Century building. It is to the west of the Small Domed Mosque and it is roughly triangular in shape. Its longest wall, that stretched parallel to the coastline, is in ruins. Inside the complex there is a grave like the one in the Great Mosque also believed to be one of the sultans residential home.

Gereza FortThe Gereza Fort that was originally built in the 14th century collapsed. Apparently the building that is in existence at the site today, was built by the Arabs from Oman in the 19th Century on the site of the original Gereza Forts on exclusive orders from the Imam of Muscat. It is a large square building built of coral set in lime. Its walls, with circular towers at the northeast and southwest corners, are very thick.


Author (2nd right) in life jacket sets to sail across the 2km channel to Kilwa Kisiwani (Island)

The House of PorticoThe ruin has an impressive entrance of ne wood carving. Only small remains of the House of Portico, once a large building could be seen today at the ruins site. Seen on its three sides is the portico steps from which the structure got its name. Its doorway has a decorated stone frame.

Jangwani MosqueThe ruins of this stone building are concealed under a series of mounds to the southeast of the Makutini Palace. The mosque was said to be unique for having ablution water jars set into the walls just inside the main entrance.

Malindi MosqueIt is another historic building worth visiting while on Kilwa Kisiwani. The Mosque stood east of the Gereza Fort. It is said to have been built and used by immigrants from Malindi in Kenya.

Husuni KubwaHusuni comes for an Arabic word husn, which means Fort. Therefore husn kubwa means great fort. According to my guide, this building is assumed to be the largest pre- European building in equatorial Africa.

It is between a distance of 1 and 2km to the east of the main collection of ruins on top of a steep cliff.

It is certainly an exceptional construction with over 100 rooms and a large conical dome that reaches about 30m above the ground.

The mosque has 18 domes on octagonal piers, separated by high barrel vaults.

The piers are decorated with bowls of white porcelain set in the plaster.




A shing vessel rests its hull on the shores of Kilwa Masoko

Husuni NdogoThis is a smaller version of Husuni Kubwa, separated from each other by a small gully. It is said to have been built in the 15th Century with its walls as thick as 1m. It has two towers, one on the east overlooking the sea and another on the west overlooking the mainland.

September 5We travelled to Songo Mnara and the off islands, 25 Km from Kilwa Kivinje. My guide said the Germans ruled the Kilwas from Kivinje, equally the British had its district head of ce in Kivinje, until 1949, when they shifted to Kilwa Masoko. Many interesting old buildings dating back to the 19th Century as well as the colonial period are reminiscent of other early cities on the east African coast.

A handsome old German boma, stands ashore as does the covered market. Several dilapidated houses stand along the main street. There is an old mosque in the centre

of the old town, and to its east there is a cemetery with tombs and pillars. You can reach Kivinje by commuter buses (dala-dalas) that ply between Masoko as well as Nangurukuru.

It is from Kilwa Kivinje, where visitors could trace the slave route to the interior! Then there is Songo Mnara and off shore islands-home to the petrogenic gas elds.

We were taken around the elds, to nd out how the extracted gas is piped to Dar es Salaam. Adjacent to Songo Songo is an island known as the Jewel Island and the surrounding smaller islands, all of them being important marine bird breeding sites.

Access to the Island is by dhow, and there is usually one service each day transporting workers to gas eld. Dhows would take around three hours each way and an arrangement could be done in Kilwa Kivinje.

The ruins of the great Mosque Kilwa. Photo/joemeganafrica.blogspot.com


There is a wide range of accommodation by lodge operators as well as standard and ordinary guest houses in Kilwa. Some lodge operators can

package your trip to any site in Kilwa. Some ordinary restaurants dot the whole road stretch from Njia Nne (Nangurukuru), Mnara, Somanga, Njinjo and Nanjirinji.

You could travel to the Kilwas, by chartered ights, road transport from Dar-Nangurukuru, and board (daladala) commuter buses to either Kilwa Masoko or Kilwa Kivinje. From these mainland towns, you can arrange to hire motorised dhows to and from the Islands, or just board local dhows or join SongoSongo gas eld workers when travelling to and from the gas site.

The Kilwas are signi cant for sights seeing and tracing early Omani, Portuguese and German architectures, most of them in ru-ins. Attempt to trace footprints of the Washangani ethnic tribes at Sanje ya Kati Island, now on Un-esco’s extinct card. Catch up with fairy tales of early traders and Eu-ropean explorers such as Arabs, Indians and Persians (Iranians) who criss-crossed the Islands as early as the 8th Century.

Some traces of slave caravans could be traced from Kilwa Kivinje. Remember the ruins and other marine parks are scattered in and a cross the Islands and mainland towns, therefore, a good half day

could be so exciting. Sometimes you would need to carry with you enough water, some shades and hats to protect you from the sun rays. Make interaction with organ-ised cultural groups while in Kilwa. Upendo group a cultural troupe performs traditional dances to large groups of tourists. You can also meet Changamoto Cultural Group for live traditional dance performance. You can take short walks to ebony forests (threatened African black wood) specie. To divers, take your time out in Kilwa with a good dive, sun bathe and shing tours. If you are interested in salt mining, take a walk in and around the nearby salt pans and mangrove forests.

What to do

Accommodation

Getting thereSeptember 6My guide hired a motorised boat transport from Kilwa Masoko to visit a group of Islands 10 km south of Kilwa Kiswani because we couldn’t catch up with a local boat from Kilwa Masoko. Like the rest of Kilwas, Songo Mnara, has its share of a collection of building ruins. The settlement is surrounded by the remains of a wall and the main mosque that could be distinguished by its herringbone stonework and it has a double row of high arches at one end.

The Palace which was a 2-storey of cial residence of the Sultan, has tall walls. Its doorways are faced with thin stonework. To the east of the palace, there is a room with a vaulted roof and porcelain bowls set into the stonework. There are also three smaller mosques, two of which are built around the tall walls.

About 3km southwest of Songo Mnara, there is an area known as Sanje Majoma which also contains the ruins of a number of once-beautiful houses, complete with courtyards and stone arches. The uninhabited Sanje ya Kati, whose residents, were Washangani, who in the 13th Century, strongly resisted foreign control, but they are on the Unesco’s extinct card.

In the evening, we parted with my guide, as I retired to my guest house for a night, ready for my return journey to the hustles and bustles of the metropolitan Dar es Salaam!

By Nyambuli Chitama




Motorised cruise boat oats on the Kilwa Island water channel

Untold tourists attractions in focusMtwaraMtwara




Geographical Location

MTWARA region is one of the 26 regions of Tanzania Mainland. It is the southern-most region.

It lies between longitudes degrees 38 and 40:30” east of Greenwich. It is also situated between latitudes degrees 10:05” and degrees 11:25” south of the Equator. It borders Lindi region to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east

and separated by the Ruvuma River from Mozambique in the south.

To the west it borders Ruvuma region. The region occupies 16,720 sq. kms or 1.9% of Tanzania Mainland land area of 945.087 sq. kms. It is the second smallest region after Kilimanjaro. Sunrise is at 06:18 hrs and Sunset at 18:20 hrs. The majority of the indigenous people of the region are of Bantu origin.

The most dominant groups include the Wamakonde of Newala, Tandahimba, Masasi and Mtwara rural.

Other groups included are the Wamakuwa of Masasi and Mtwara rural, and the Wayao who live in Masasi. Compared to its neighbouring regions namely; Lindi, Ruvuma, Morogoro and Coast (excluding Dar) Mtwara is the most densely populated region.

Raw cashewnuts dot on a cashew tree, the icon of Mtwara Region

“Nothing in my life had prepared me to bear witness to astounding and magni cent tourists’ attractions and sites that opened up before my eyes until I recently visited Mtwara, a member of

the Southern Zone of Tanzania.

Like in the fabled ‘la isla bonita’ or the beautiful island where every one would like to take a break and sample its wonderful attractions, Mtwara, a dove tail shaped Bay at

the tail end of Tanzania, is a must see destination that has so much to offer to foreign visitors and Tanzanians.

Anyway, no visitor can competitively discuss about the beauty of Mtwara, without making reference to the Mikindani Bay or the old town that was among the rst German sea ports/docks, south of the then Tanganyika.

When in Mikindani Bay, it is reminiscent to listening to the




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

The DistrictsDistricts that form Mtwara regioninclude:• Mtwara Urban (including,Mikindani,

the old town)• Mtwara Rural• Newala• Masasi• Tandahimba

Road networkFully completion of Dar es Salaam- Kibiti-Lindi-Mtwara road would further improve the hustles on road transport to and from the Southern zone regions. The completion of the Mkapa Bridge over the Ru ji River has made road transport especially to Lindi and

Mtwara regions and to their districts, fast, smooth and ef cient. Excavation of natural gas at Mnazi Bay yet promises supply of reliable and adequate electricity for the hospitality industy, domestic, industrial, and other commercial activities in the tworegions in particular, and the Southernzone in general.

Tourists enjoy cool breeze on the Msimbati Beach, 25 km from Mtwara

lyrics of the classic, ‘Sitting on the Dock of the Bay’ as they rolled on one’s mind behind the roar of the sea waves as they rush and crash on your feet at the sandy Mikindani beach.

Sometimes, it is as if you were absent minded. Yes. You are on the beach once described by David Livingstone as the most beautiful lagoon on the coast!“ I was sitting in the morning sun,and I was still sitting therewhen the evening came.Waiting the ships, dhows and canoes roll in.Then I watched them roll away again.I was sitting on the Dock of the Bay.Mikindani Bay!”It can be extremely wonderful as such magni cent tourists’ attractions and sites open up before your eyes in Mikindani.

What is in the name Mikindani anyway?

Does Mikindani, mean anything, or rather, what is the origin of Mikindani, so I put that question to my guide, an active octogenarian, Mzee Kidume Mohamed, a.k.a the mobile encyclopeadia of Mikindani.“Legends say that very long time ago,” he recalled, “some Arab traders/sailors were looking for a hinterland dock where they could anchor and possibly replenish their supplies before continuing on with their journeys in search of ivory or the despicable humans trade; slavery!” “As they were looking for the seashore, which, anyway was not far from the then little shing village, the (Arab) sailors, met some local shermen up in the Bay and asked them about the location of the dry land in Kiswahili. Arabs sailors: Nchi iko wapi? Literally, where is the dry land?

Fishermen: (pointing down to the west, replied) Nchi iko ndani. Literally, the dry land is further hinterland, or rather the shoreline/dock is just down there.

Arabs sailors: Michindani! They applauded joyful. “Aureka!” Mapata Michindani…(meaning great! We have stumbled on the dry land, Michindani!) Great! Then they set sailed off westwards until they arrived on the shore of the fairytale dry land ‘Michindani’ dock.

However, ‘Michindani’, might have been corrupted or improved into what is today’s Mikindani, a name that has stuck on the historic port town like glue, Mzee Kidume said. However, the locals, including the octogenarian guide, could not suggest or recall any other name to the fabled ‘Michindani.’

My previous discussions with authorities in Lindi and Mtwara, suggested Mikindani Bay was just an old harbour located south of Tanzania and within the easy reach of its superb beaches and a marine park such as the present day Mnazi Bay situated some 5km off the old town and the tombs of the nobles and graves of the giants.

Like any other sea-side resort, Mikindani, offers a wide range of activities to the world such as game shing, diving, sunbathe, beach motor-sport and Safaris to the nearby Selous game reserve further south. Such safaris could be organised from the refurbished Old Boma in Mikindani.

Similar safaris have also been organised from either, Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha or Zanzibar, and even from as far as Mombasa, Kenya.

The 60 km Safari, takes visitors through cashew farms, forests and valleys before they could arrive at the great Ruvuma River and home to hippos, crocodiles and bird life of wide variety and to the Mnazi Bay Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park (MBREMP) in the Ruvuma region.

Mikindani, like any early Swahili coast city was a fascinating medieval town with winding streets, allays, children standing door-ways ready and willing to let in visitors. There is also array of exciting blends of African, Arabic and European architectures.

At some point, visitors could become dumbfounded and awe struck at the spectacular tourists attraction, sights and sounds, as they stand at the oor of the Bay gazing at the specks of the numerous attractions that kept opening up in an endless horizon.

However, so overwhelming were the moments and the sights of all the natural heritages as they unfolded one after another before your eyes. At several occassions, I couldn’t hold my emotions. Tears rolled down my cheeks freely as I struggled to pull my emotions together, anyway!

Mzee Kidume, the guide with sharp re exes, suggested we should venture out in the surrounding vibrant lush green bushes of Mikindani to sample the ‘dormant’ tourist attractions, before, we could return downtown to marvel the abundant wonders that featured on Mikindani’s plate.

A consensus was struck. With everything sorted out, our team set out at around 1 o’clock, Thursday, September 6th towards the nearby bushes!

After a 10 minutes drive, our car stopped at an old fresh water bore hole, built in 1913 by the Germans, according to its plaque.



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

A kilometre and a half, after the Mikindani heartland on theMtwara-Dar road, we arrived at the U shaped Mchuchu hills.

1913 bore holeWe found a number of Mikindani women fetching water at the bore hore that supply water to hundred of thousands of Mikindani residents not connected to a water supply network managed by the of cial Mtwara urban water and sewage agency (Muwasa).

The bore hole is perched at the foot of the slightly U shaped coral rocky Mchuchu hills.

Interestingly, the source of the fresh water is neither a well, nor bore hole perse, but an underground source of water to the Mikindani residents and a group of horticulture small holders in the valley. According to our guide, Mchuchu hills sit on an underground fresh water table whose amount is in unspeci ed millions of litres of pure drinking water.

What the Germans did, Mzee Kidume, told us, rigged deep into the belly of the hills until they arrived at a trapped water table and thereafter, slid into a-two inch water pipe that served as an escape route, on which the water would use to travel from the womb of the hills and emerge on

the land surface where it has been conveniently tapped and harvested for 109 years running. In fact, if Mchuchu hills could be rigged randomly, water could be spew out randomly, as well.

Apparently, the two Germans constructed water sources at the slopes of Mchuchu hills which are the reliable supply points of fresh water to thousands of residents in and around the entire old city.

One of them, a low pressure water supply point is on the northern ridge of the hill, while the second point described as of relatively high pressure, is on the southern divide, down the green lush valley, slightly a hundred metres apart.

This second source, is tted with a 5-inch water pipe which supplies water to all households downtown Mikindani. No tabs are tted to the Mikindani fresh water sources as a result, the pipes discharge water at a constant pressure level nonstop since they were commissioned in 1913.

Five TombsFurther west of Mchuchu valley, there are ve tombs believed to be of nobles and highly respected Islamic spiritual leaders and women who were buried there between 90 and 100 years ago. One of the tombs is of


Women fetch water from a German water supply point constructed in 1913, (see plaque inset) by rigging through the Mchuchu Hills water bed in Mikindani

Sheikh Ahmad Mohamed Gazali, an Arab of Makonde descendant.

According to our guide, if Sheikh Gazali was a spiritual leader from say any Christian denomination, his title could be equivalent to bishopric; a senior clergyman in charge of church activities in a metropolitan city or region!

Two of the other tombs belong to two female members of an African noble family (dynasty) that lived in Mikindani over 200 years or so ago.

They were believed to wield strong in uence in Mikindani particularly on social and early Islamic teachings. The noble ladies were identi ed as the late Binti Ngano Barakati, and her daughter, late Shemshi Binti Mohamed.

These tombs lie wall to wall (next to each other). Our guide could not tell exactly the age of the Islamic scholars neither of the noble women at the time of their deaths.The remaining tombs contain the remains also of two other respected Mikindani Islamic scholars, according to the 88 year guide, the former Jumbe (area executive of cer) for Mikindani until the formative years of the independence of Tanganyika.

The guide identi ed the late scholars as indigenous sons of Mikindani. He named them as Sheikh Hassan bin Hassan Nanyidange, and Sheikh Saleh Abdulrahman Mandoha.

The tombs are unmarked, but they are fairly maintained and during our last visit, the tombs had been ‘white washed’ by a new single coat of white paint.

Horticultural siteMikindani residents, most of them, women and youth are practicing commercial horticultural farming in the valley, relatively on smallholder mixed farming basis alongside their traditional palm tree plantations.

Our guide told us the palm trees, were as old as 90 years of age or slightly younger. The craggy coral rocks, gnarled trees and the tall palm trees with dotting young coconuts, and vibrant lush grasses are home to various species of birds and monkeys in the valley.

Some troops of playful monkeys could be seen jumping from branch to another as we arrived in the valley. Even at the presence of humans in vicinity, the sounds, clicks and ashes of the camera, the animals remained less disturbed.

The cacophony of jungle sounds would remind us that the hills and the valley are habitats to every kind of small wild creatures: the playful monkeys, mongoose, rats, birds, snakes, ants, grasshoppers and wild cats.

Nearby, two men dozed off the cool sea breeze under an advancing evening tree and mountain shade!

Water pump houseSome 200 metres down from the 1913 bore hole, on the left ridge of Mchuchu hills, stands the ruins of a small house also built by Germans and later an old corona-make water pump was tted in to supply water to workers in then Mikindani sprawling sisal plantations, 10 kilometres from the old city.

The water pump, has so far been brought down (removed), but the building stands intact to bear witness to early architectural designs and the iconic coral rocks civil engineering in Mikindani Bay.

Underground loungeTwo metres deep in the back yard of the ruins of the pump house, there was an underground cave bar and lounge which was earlier used by the Germans and later by the British as a picnic hide-out and merrymaking during weekends and holidays.

The interior décor of the circular-shaped lounge was of hand made coral stones furniture, that included, a round family table, six stools and chairs.

The coral rocks from which the furniture was carved were scooped from Mchuchu hills, precisely, a short distance from the site where the romantic lounge was erected .

However, the walls of the lounge have curved in, virtually burying the romantic beer drinking joint with all its trappings of luxury underground or beneath the legendary Mchuchu hill beds.

Only a small opening of an inverted U could be seen after the walls curved in sealing off a drinking and feasting facility that had remained active for nearly half a century!

It was about 4 o’clock, when we emerged from the bush, and our guide suggested we should head northwards of Mikindani Bay.

After several windings and turns in narrow streets, our guide directed the driver to come to a stop. We disembarked from the car and stood before an old building that looked every inch like a warehouse.

This is Mirumba. It was notorious for keeping slaves after they had been bought at an active open air humiliating (slave) market downtown, the guide announced. We could notice, the building had two small holes up its tall wall that served as ventilation outlets, a trade-mark to early prison-house structures.




The slave-house overlooked the old German port/dock at the Mikindani Bay some few metres from the sea shore. From here, the slaves were shipped to Europe and Far East aboard ships, motor-boats, dhows and other early maritime vessels to begin despicable life in bondage of slavery, the octogenarian guide said. In the mid 60s, however, the slave house was refurbished and transformed into a sisal warehouse.

Prison House ruinsFrom the slave house, we later visited the nearby ruins built about 132 years ago. The 1880 two-storey building once served as a prison, general postal of ce, a custom of cers’ mess for members of the prison and police forces is located south of the old city.

The ruins had some features that looked every inch to a general post of ce as well a jail house. Some of the vindalised features included telephone booth, letters box on its eastern entrance and a small window that used to be a bonded warehouse also located next to the eastern entrance overlooking the main Mtwara-Dar road.

A former slaves collection house ni Mikindani which in 1962 was refurbished and transformed into sisal warehouse


Three out of the ve Tombs of Islamic spiritual leaders in Mchuchu Valley o the Mikindani Old town, Mtwara Urban.

Again, by the look of things, It came to light that the second small window was the only outlet through which inmates could meet and communicate with relatives and family members, during designated visiting days.

Reputed dwellingA few blocks away, and further to the east, stood the reputed dwelling place of David Livingstone, a Scotish doctor-explorer who arrived in Mikindani on 24th March 1866.

Livingstone, stayed in the small dwelling of two oors, until 7th April, when he set out for his last trans-Tanganyika journey presumably in search of the source of the Nile, which cost him his life on April 30, 1873 in a village in the nearby Zambia. The house is currently repaired by a British Charitable trust, Trade Aid. A plaque has been embalmed on the left corner of the reputed dwelling showing dates of Livingstone’s arrival and departure, and the number of days the Briton explorer stayed in the old city, presumably

interacting with all the sundry in Mikindani in the company of the two Wayao boys, Abdalla Susi and Joseph Chuma, commonly known as Chuma and Susi.

They were the two Wayao gentlemen, (Chuma and Susi), again who carried the remains of the former Scottish medical doctor from Chitama village in Zambia to Bagamoyo for onward transportation to London for burial.

He was buried on April 18, 1874, approximately a year after his death! Chuma and Susi, had managed to embalm Livingstone and mummi ed his remains. How courageous were Susi and Chuma? What a feat to illiterate Africans? Once again tears could roll down your cheeks!

Later, we opted to take a break and settle on the sandy pristine beaches, east of Mikindani Bay for an evening cool breeze after a hot half day itinerary in the bush to witness ships, dhows canoes and rafts roll in and out of Mikindani Bay.




Former residence of David Livingstone where he stayed for two weeks in 1886. The building in Mikindani old town is being refurbished by the UK charity, Trade Aid

Thereafter, it was time to visit the iconic Mikindani Old Boma

and later pay homage to the forgotten Nubi soldiers whose graves are located in the Old Boma’s back yard.

We paid homage to the forgotten Nubi soldiers from the Sudan, who died in Mikindani while ghting for the British during the WW11.

The graves’ head stones are unmarked. Anyway, we managed to count a couple of graves in the Old Boma’s backyard cemetery.

We were compelled to say a short prayer in honour of the unremembered soldiers from the Sudan. RIP gallant Nubians! It was vividly touching. We left the cemetery, but our hearts were still with their untraceable families back in the Sudan.

We signed off for an evening of nyama choma, by visiting a near by water pump perched on the slopes of Bismarck viewpoint hills whose concrete was also used as an open air drinking and feasting lounge.

The roof-top also served as an observatory point by the Germans and later the British during working days, Mzee Kidume could recall. The major water pump built in 1913 to supply fresh, safe and clean water to Mikindani as well as to catch up with captivating dhow views oating on the sheltered waters of the Mikindani lagoon.

The roof of the two-metre tall concrete building is also concrete where rectangular slabs have been erected to serve as furniture (tables and chairs).

At Old Boma, Mzee Kidume, who once worked in the historic building was back at home as he skilfully rolled back history as if everything had happened yesterday.

This room was a bank (room), Mzee Kidume said pointing his walking stick, to a strong room with some defaced Dutch words inscribed on its black metal door.

“It was the Southern Provincial Bank,” he recalled and went on narrating how the bank would open and close after its daily banking services.

Portraits of Mwalimu Nyerere and Chief Mkwawa Senior (right on opposite page) hang on the wall inside the refurbished Old Boma Hotel in Mikindani. The Hotel operators have designated two high standard suites in honour of the two former leaders.




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

“At the start of (banking) business, which was around 8 o’clock, the colonial DC would arrive here in the company of two of cials. The DC would come unlock one of the strong room’s three padlocks.

“In fact, he unlocked the rst padlock at the top of the door, and a provincial police of cer would follow to unlock the second one at the middle, while Bwana Fedha; the Treasury/ Pay Master, would unlock the third door’s padlock tagged at the bottom end of the door,” Mzee Kidume, recalled.

Ironically, the bank room was closed and the three padlocks still dangled on its black metal door at the time I visited the facility early September.

No one was readily willing to con rm, whether the bank room is still in use by the Old Boma new operators who have refurbished and converted it into a world class hotel.

Mzee Kidume, took us around the facility, giving yet exciting explanations. Two rooms have been named after Mwalimu Nyerere, and Chief Mkwawa formerly known as Chief Mkwavinyika Munyigumba Mwamuyinga (1855– 1898) or the conqueror of many lands.

The chief’s head was decapitated and taken to a museum in Germany after his foot troops armed with spears and a few guns, killed a German Commissioner Emil von Zelewski, only a month after Zelewski and hundreds of askaris had attacked Chief Mkwavinyika’s base in Kalenga.

On the other hand, Nyerere, the founding father of Tanzania, and a revered Pan-Africanist, died on October 14, 1999.

Another room is designated to Susi and Chuma, the two men who accompanied Dr David Livingstone, from his reputed dwelling in Mikindani, on his last journey across the hinterland.

In 1861, Livingstone had negotiated for the release of Chuma from their slave masters. Susi joined Livingstone sometime later.

Livingstone, Damquart, the rst German Governor to arrive and stay at the Old Boma, Gen Lettow von Voberk, and John Cairns, author of the book, Bush and Boma (1959) in memory of his life and indigenous Africans whom he interacted with while working at the Old Boma as a colonial of cial, have each been designated special rooms at the facility.



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Miseti Beach now thriving shing village




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

A human pyramid by Makonde carvers in Mtwara

Mzee Kidume, however, con rmed that Nyerere used the designated room, whenever he visited Mtwara in the formative years of the independence of Tanganyika.It was sometime in 1962, when Mwalimu Nyerere’s, administration abandoned the Old Boma, to sever link with the colonialisation past, Mzee Kidume could recall.

Treasure stroveUp at the viewpoint at Bismarck hills, about 300 metres from the Old Boma, we were led to an aging baobab tree, under which, the area residents, including our guide, believe the eeing Germans had deposited (buried) huge chunk of treasure, including millions of rupees, then the German’s legal tender (currency). Freshly dug-out soils could be noticed around the baobab to bear witness to the endless such of the hidden treasure.

But no success stories on the hidden treasure could be told. Mzee Kidume had the view that some charm portions were lased on the treasure strove site to block any bid by outsiders of laying ngers on the hidden riches, a myth suppported by area legends.

Graves of giantsWe spent the last two days criss-crossing the tropical forests and thorny bushes in a village known as Miseti, eight kilometres north of Mikindani. We were searching the burial sites of humans believed to be the tallest ever who lived and roamed in the bushes and beaches of Miseti, over hundreds years ago.

After a tiresome search, we stumbled on a site partially covered by thorny bushes, south of Miseti village, and fty metres from a sandy beach still used by local shermen.

We managed to locate at least 10 grave stones. Some of the graves’ head and hind stones were placed between 12 and 15 feet apart to indicate presumed length of a single grave! In between, there were also some graves whose head and hind stones were placed too close, precisely three to four feet apart.

Such graves were presumed to be of children, Happy, a lady cultural of cer from the Mtwara Urban municipal council, in which Miseti village is located, could testify.

Happy, (left) a cultural of cer from Mtwara Urban, and Yusuf Kaliwaya, a community leader for Mikindani, demostrate the length of a grave of one of the giants that lived in Miseti Village, over 200 hundred years ago. The giants have gone into extinction

13 feet



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Carvers at a SIDO site in Mtwara is an ideal place for cultural tourists who would need artfacts souvenirs




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

“For 6 years running, Happy in her capacity as the Council’s cultural of cer, has been taking visitors to the thorny bushes in search of the graves.

Not all the giants might have died of natural death or otherwise. Some migrated else where, the cultural of cer said.

When Happy was asked why did they migrate she linked their migration to superstition or witchcraft beliefs known as Uyuvi in the ethnic Makonde dialect.

Similar views were supported by the village authorities and elder citizens. Binti Salehe, an elderly grandwoman in her 90’s, told us that so many many years ago, more children from the families of the giants, were dying en masse, in most cases, from accidents linked to drowning. The children mysteriously drowned whenever they went to swim or undertake shing activities in the presumed shallow waters on the Miseti shore. When, male parents went out to conduct rescue searches they met similar fate. They also drowned.

The deaths, linked to Uyuvi (witchcraft) scared them (giants) stiff, and therefore they resolved to migrate the village (Miseti) to save their dear life as well as the lives of their children, old Binti Salehe recalled. The graves of the Miseti giants are scattered in unsecured area whose size is equal to the size of two football pitches.

It is an interesting site to visit, and listen to the numerous hair raising stories evolving on the Uyuvi beliefs which scared stiff the early dinosaurian humans of Mtwara and Lindi, thereafter forcing them into migration and presumed extinctions.

In Lindi it was only a single grave linked to the extict giants that exists in shing Mwitange village when we visited the site in early September, although it is under real threats of being washed away by the splashing sea waves.

Towards the evening on the eve of our departure, we had a brief interaction with some cultural tourism groups downtown Mtwara.

At Umoja grounds, we met a group of Makuwa dancers rehearsing ahead of an annual cultural festival planned for October.

We also met Makonde carvers at the Mtwara Sido and the Catholic Parish sites. These sites bene t visitors with a air to cultural tourism.

Phone call from DCIt was around 7 o’clock evening, when Meckland, the driver informed me that, the area DC Wilman Ndile, would like to meet me before my departure the following day.

I was delighted because, the DC had had a tight schedule for the whole week.

When we met and having listened to the objective and mission of the HardVenture Tourism Magazine, the newly appointed Ndile was humbly apologetic.

We brie y held warm discussions on wide ranging issues related to hard tourism; its packaging, promotion, funding and marketing.

Wrap upAnyway, to make my expository expedition in and around the Old town as well as the new town, Mtwara urban, formerly a sisal plantation site successful, sincere compliments should go to the area Member of Parliament, Mohamed Murji.

Presumably Murji could be nominated for ‘plume’ or ceremonial title of the tourism lone-ranger for the Mikindani in particular and Mtwara in general.

It was Murji who had also introduced Mzee Kidume to me describing him as seasoned tour guide who knows Mikindani as if the locality was his personal effects.

Murji is also doing commendable job towards the identi cation and conservations of historical and tourism attractions in Mtwara urban.

Happy, a young cultural lady of cer from the area municipal council did commendable job during the last two days of my itinerary, rst in the heart-land of the old town and in and around Miseti village in search of the graves of the giants.

Of course Meckland, Murji’s private secretary and driver needs special mention. The youngman was at the wheels whenever we needed him.

Sometimes he would take us back to the hotel when it was quite late in the evening. It was Meckland who also stood in as a photographer and sometimes an errand boy!

Mi nikwaha (Good bye) for now!

Photo and Text by Lucas Mnubi



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Getting thereMtwara region, presumably, enjoys scheduled ights services than any other member of the Southern Zone.

Major national airlines, such as Precision Air, and FastJet, an African low cost airline, operates between regional town and the rest of Tanzania major towns and cities.

Air charter bookings to Mtwara can be done from Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, and Zanzibar, or any general booking of ces by each and respective charter service provider.

A eet of passenger service vehicles, some of them in provision of high

class transport services ply along the Dar-Lindi-Mtwara highway, and charge competitive fare rates.

Visitors to the Tanzanian end coastal town of Mtwara, which is one of the fast growing cities and municipalities, are advised to use road transport, an opportunity that would allow cultural interactions with natives and also wide viewing of the countryside.

What to doMtwara region like the two other members of The Southern Zone, boasts of pristine beaches suitable for sunbathe, motorsport, hiking, strolling, diving, shing, swimming, excellent snorkeling and shing sport.

Fishing as a sport in Mtwara is undertaken in a designated deep sea, where once a sh is caught is labeled or tted with an electronic device then let loose at the sea.

Similar expedition could be conducted a year later in an attempt to nd out whether shes caught and labeled the previous year can be re-caught!

Simply; sh, swim, snorkel, dive or just enjoy a cruise over the sheltered waters of the Mikindani Bay, once described by Dr David Livingstone, as the best lagoon on the coast.

You can take a break to Miseti bush land, eight kilometres from the urban district and bear testimony to the graves of the tallest humans that lived in the underlying village over 200 years ago.

Listen to hair-raising stories by Miseti legends as they unravel the myth over Uyuvi that forced the giants into migration and subsequent extinction.

Go out in to the nearby villages during one of the evenings yet for more story telling, kitchen tours and cultural interactions during initiation ceremonies.

A section of Mtwara-Dar highway in Mikindani

Photo/www.precisionair.com




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Some common words spoken by the four major tribes in Lindi and Mtwara

Adventurous visitors can board traditional dhows and sail across the sheltered waters of the numerous bays and beaches, either with or without local anchorman.

Visitors can also keep an eye for wildlife species such as hippos while reconnected to the Selous Game Reserve, further south and also for the humpback whale, Marlin and Tuna sh species which seasonally visit Mtwara and Lindi.

Experienced instructors can provide courses for beginners in diving, as well as other divers who want to explore the exquisite and unspoiled coral reefs.

AccommodationA good number of hotel facilities that include swimming pools surrounded by Frangipani and Flame trees are available in Mtwara urban and its suburbs, suitable for visitors who want to enjoy their sundowners and wonderful views of coconut groves either from the sunset or sunrise terraces.

Some of these facilities are on the water fronts and with clean sandy beaches and dunes, dotted with restaurants, drinking joints and lots of tasty barbecues. You can make accommodation bookings from Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Zanzibar. Some hotels in Mtwara host websites to facilitate online bookings.

Welcome : Karibu Chair : ChiteenguI love you : NdakusataSorry : NgosileGood Morning : Habari syakundali/

Habari chiekundaliGood Afternoon: Habari syamusiGood Evening : Habari syaliguloRoad/Path : mwitalaNo : MenaSitaki : NgakusakaNinataka : NdakusaYes : eyoHome : Kumsi

Tea : ChaiBreakfast : Vyakutaunila chaiFood : ChakulyaI am Having food: (Ndakulya)Njoo tule : KutulyeDrinking Water : Mesi gakung’wa (Nguvenda Mesi gakung’wa)Father : BaabaMother : MamaGrandmother : BibiGrandfather : AmbujeChild : MwanacheBoy : NchandaGirl : Mwaali

Good Morning : Habari jaliambaGood Afternoon : Habari jamuiGood Evening : Habari jaligloRoad/Path : MpandaNo : NgapingaYes : EloTea : ChaiBreakfast : MbeayataunilaFood : Mbeshalya

Drinking Water : Mbe Mashi ganywaFather : AbabaMother : AmamaGrandmother : AbibiGrandfather : AbabuChild : MwanaBoy : JwashireGirl : Jwandonya

Kiyao words

Kimwera words

Kimakonde words

Kimakuwa wordsGood Morning : Habari jaani jowechisuGood Afternoon : Habari jaani jotanaGood Evening : Habari jaani

nchonchochiloRoad/Path : MtalaTea : Ichai (Kimurya Ichai)Welcome for tea : (Karibu na ureke Ichai)Breakfast : IfutariFood : YoolyaDrinking Water : Mashi ouryaFather : Ababa/atithi ( My father) : Athumwa nagaHome : UwaniMother : AumaMy mother : AnumwanakaGrandmother : Akwiya/AbibiNo : NgavaSitaki : Akituna miNinataka : KinotunaYes : EloGrandfather : ApwiyaChild : MwanaBoy : MiraoGirl : MwaliWelcome : AkaribuGood bye : Mi nikwahaChair : IhicheWalk : WetaWalk around : Weta kacha

Good Morning : Jauliamba/NilamkaGood Afternoon : Jamui/SalamaGood Evening : Jalyulo/Salama Road/Path/KubarabaraNo : Nanga

Ndiyo : EloTea : ChaiBreakfast : ChakutaunilaFood : ChakulyaDrinking Water : MediFather : Baba

Mother : MamaGrandmother : BibiGrandfather : BabuChild : Mwana/VyavanaBoy : MnumeGirl : Mmae



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

GGGGGeeeoooggraaphhhicccal Looccaatiionnnn

UVUMA region lies between latitudes degrees 9:35’ and degrees 11:45’ South of the Equator and between

longitudes degrees 34:35’ and degrees 38: 10’ East of Greenwich.

It borders the Republic of Mozambique to the South and shares Lake Nyasa with the Malawi Republic to the West. Mtwara Region is to the East.

To the North East is Lindi region and in the North the region borders with Morogoro and Iringa regions respectively.

Ruvuma region has a total surface area of 67,372 square kilometres. It has ve districts, namely: Mbinga, Songea Rural and Urban, Namtumbo, and Tunduru.

TTTeeemmmmmpperaatuuureeeRuvuma region has a mild temperature averaging 23 degrees celcius., depending on altitude and season.

The months of June, July and August are chilly with the temperatures dropping to degrees13C. Within the areas surrounding Matengo Highlands in Mbinga district, October and November are the hottest months with an average temperature of degrees 30C.

RRRRRaainnnnfaallExcept for bad years, the region experiences adequate rainfall annually. The rainfall pattern depicts one long season which begins in November and ends in May each year.

HHHHHuummmmidditty The humidity is about 88 percent during the day in the months of March whereas in the evening it may drop down to 37 percent in the month of October.

EEEtthhhnnnnicc GGrooouppsThe 10 larger ethnic groups in Ruvuma region include: Wamatengo, Wangoni, Wayao, Wanyasa, Wandendeule, Wamakua, Wapoto, Wamanda, Wanindi, Wamatambwe and Wabena.

Wamatengo are the largest ethnic group in Mbinga district; The Wanyasa, Wamanda and Wapoto reside along the shores of Lake Nyasa together with a few Wangoni. Wangoni constitutes the larger ethnic group in Songea Urban.

EEEcoonnoommic accctivvityyRuvuma Region is mainly an agrarian region with over 87 percent of its population residing in rural areas and actively engaged in land based production.

The regional major economic activities are agricultural farming, livestock keeping, lumbering, shing, beekeeping, mining and trade. Agriculture is the mainstay and leading economic activity. The region’s major staples include maize, cassava, paddy, sweet potatoes, legumes, millets and sorghum; while coffee, tobacco, cashewnuts are the major cash crops.

Sun ower, soya beans, simsim(sesame), nger millet and groundnuts farming is also practised in Ruvuma.

Ruvuma

The rolling Matengo HighLands and its magni cent Mmbuji Rock (Inset).

Photos/Prof. Joseph Mbele




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

road safari to Songea in particular, and Ruvuma region in general, could be extremely exciting. Throughout the 976 km distance you are at home with the luxuriant tropic vegetations and the rolling countryside. As you

approach the town from the north you could see the iconic and beautiful Matogoro Mountains, Mpandangindo and Wino hills as Lukumburu Mountains stand in the fore and background horizons, jointly or each forming sensational viewpoints.

Further south, yet some other beautiful hills could be seen. I asked a fellow passenger, a middle aged man, seated next to me, what were those blue highlands in the horizon? He affectionately named them as Mara hills. Mara in Songea? Incidentally Mara ascribes to the name of a river and region located at north east of Tanzania! “Yes. It is Mara hills,” he said, and explained that they form part of the border between Songea township and Mbinga.

“Songea, he said, is a pleasant place surrounded by attractive rolling countryside and hills, which are good for walking in. The Matogoro peak, which is part of the Matogoro forest reserve, could be vividly seen and within reach to the southeast of the town. Take one of the tracks leading off the road to Tunduru and you will enjoy ne views from the mountain top,” he said.

“If you would get some time then drive southwards from Songea, via Mpitimbi, past Namatuhi village towards Mhukulu and Mitomoni villages, hardly 50 km from the basin of Ruvuma River, and hence the border with Mozambique, quite more beautiful hills could be seen; Lumbingu, Lundamwende, Manole, Mpinganjuchi, Chiwulunge, Litembo, Nambunju, Kipululu,” the man, who identi ed himself as Jacob Haule, a Matengo, said as I was completely lost in the unfolding long list of hills similar to a blurb in the “storyline of country with thousands hills.” The bus was doing quite over 70 km per hour, and soon we were in

Songea. We said farewell to each other, Haule and I wishing we could meet if our paths cross once again.

In discussions that evening with one of the room maids, cheerful Regina, made me yet an oral description of the beckoning tourists’ attractions sites in the Songea. Regina, who was born and grew up in Songea 30 years ago, has an eight year experience in the hospitality industry. She was conversantly at home in her descriptions of the existing historic and toursts’ attractions in her hometown. She could cite attraction sites such as mystic (the great) cave, virgin forests, wildlife reserves, beaches, rivers, the lake, an estuary marine park north of the River (Ruvuma), the rocks of Mbinga and Tunduru, war museum, the 12 busts of slain chiefs and memorial monuments, among others, and the shortlist seemed endless. If an array of such attractions were put together and strategically marketed, they could position Ruvuma region as a unique destination some 976 kilometres, southwest of Dar es Salaam, I thought as I laid on my back in my hotel bed, trying to recollect Regina’s attributions of what she thought were the least known tourists’ and natural attractions that exist in abundance in the Ruvuma.

The following day, I decided to kick off my tour in Songea, by paying tribute to the men and women buried in a mass grave some 105 years since the last gun of the German machine fell silent, symbolically putting an end to a 2-year bloody war of resistance against colonial settlements, and harsh working conditions in cotton plantations of the Songea. Paul Casmir, a curator at the Maji Maji (war historical) museum and a man of middling height, brie y stood in as our host. Reading from a written text, Paul started off rolling back the 105- year history as if everything had happened few hours or so ago. “ It was a small group of courageous men from the Ruvuma ethnic tribes, most of them brandishing traditional weapons such as chikopa (leather

A banner invites visitors to the Maji Maji War Historical Museum in Songea



HARDVENTURE TOURISM | Least known tourist attractionsHARDVENTURE TOURISMDD

shield), Chinjenje (axe), and chibonga or rungus ( st-like clubs), who stood in the Germans’ door-way resisting foreign occupation and colonisation, forced labour, tax and land acquisition,” he said.

Twenty four months down the line and on February 27, 1907, the hostilities dust of cially settled down on Songea consigning the war to unprecedented ending. However, it had in icted high death toll on the two warring sides. An assortment of traditional war ‘lethal’ machine alongside some ri es (musketeers) and ammunitions captured from Germans, are on display in the Museum.

Over 200,000 men and women from Songea and its neighbourhood including Chief Songea Mbano, who was the leading eld commander died during the war better known as Maji Maji! The death toll of the Germans had also risen to 400 troops. Fifteen of them were Berliners, the rest conscripted natives.

So, it wasn’t like a Sunday School picnic as any Dick and Tom would think. It was really bloody war ferociously fought on the beautiful soils of Songea Paul! I said in disbelief. The Museum, stands on the designated memorial ground about one Kilometre, east of Songea town. “Well, does the name of the town (Songea) has any link to the slain Chief Songea”? It was my next question to the curator.

Yes! Yes! The town was renamed after the slain Chief. The gallant Chief Songea Mbano, was publicly be-headed by Germans on February 27, 1906, three days after his contingent of nearly 100 troops were also publicly executed by being hanged and thereafter buried in a mass grave at a site designated as the Heroes Square. Deep in the middle of a garden the tree used for the execution of nearly 100 native troops on February 22, 1906, is also still in existence to bear witness to past black history of

the Songea. The site of the mass grave or the Heroes Square is located in the Museum’s back yard.

It is rmly secured by a two-foot base made of concrete slab with a number of short water metal pipes tted around it to discharge waters during rainy seasons. Regional authorities have designated February 22 to 27, as special commemoration days in which all ethnic tribes in Ruvuma, take part in the annual event by showcasing richness and diversity in their cultural insights and traditional dances (ngomas). Some traditional dances commonly known as ngomas, that feature in the cultural festival include, Ngoma ya Ligihu or Ingondo (dance), a heroes dance usually performed after a war bravely fought. Apparently, Ligihu is performed at the end of a good harvest. The Lizombe dance, a nerve easing ngoma is performed in ceremonies such as marriages and religious related events, and other anniversaries of national importance.

Other ngomas performed during the annual festival include Mganda, in which dancers’ costumes except shoes are all white; notably, a pair of white shorts, and long-sleeve shirts, and pair of white stockings, a whisker and a pair of black shoes. The dancers would gyrate proudly and yet leisurely to avoid sweating. Mganda dance is performed by Wamanda, while Wamatengo from Mbinga spice-up the event by two sets of ngomas; Kioda and Lingwamba, a friend who attended the inaugural Songea 2011 Cultural Festival could recall. Next to the museum, stands the Mwalimu Nyerere’s monument, and in the adjacent, there is another monument depicting a foot soldier whose left hand holds aloft a machine gun. The monument was built in 1979 in commemoration of the men and women from Ruvuma who died during the 1978/79 punitive war against Idi Amin, the disgraced despot of Uganda. The 12 busts of slain former area chiefs have been erected surrounding the Heroes Square, a gesture




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Wangoni Warriors dance during the annual cultural festival in Songea

symbolically showing the chiefs have taken an all-round defensive position to ‘secure’ the Square or Grounds, against further invasions!

To wrap up a rst full day hike-tour in the bustling metropolitan Songea, we visited a number of sites; the Commonwealth memorial cemetery, the 1900 German Boma which was the decisive battle line between the Germans, and the natives; the citadel of the Dutch Oustafrika Rule that incorporated Rwanda and Burundi as well as a former German court house.

Thereafter, we had to retire to my hotel to compile the days’ ndings. Next on agenda (the second day), was a full day drive-tour on a rough track to the bush in the company of area guide, Marcus Ndimbo. Our destination was to climb Matogoro mountains and the adjacent Mpandangindo hills. At the imposing Matogoro, we attempted scaling up its outstanding rocks. After some unsuccessful attempts, we resolved to settle on the Motogoro crest, about 800m above the sea level to catch a glimpse of the rolling countryside villages, tobacco farms, and maize elds, before we had to retire to the hotel after having our lunch on the mountain peak, with one of its boulders serving as a mat!

The third day, September 8, we took a 50 km car-drive to the basin of Ruvuma River, which served as the of cial border with Mozambique for freshingly new sightseeing. Beautiful hills like kopjes stood all the way. Lumbingu, Lundamwende, Manole, Mpinganjuchi, Chiwulunge, Litembo, Nambunju and Kipululu came into closer viewing. Along the fty kilometre stretch, Marcus, the driver cum guide, had to cross eight bridges slapped across eight rivers and the numerous streams of the Songea! On our way back to Songea, the Ndanje, Lihiga and Lihuhu hills could be vividly seen. South East, on an earth road we passed a village known as Litora where we had brief interaction with the villagers and also caught glimpse of some more high points of the

Nakawale, Mpingi and Milola mountains, that stood east of the iconic Matogoro mountains.

The fourth and last day in Songea was more of adventurous. We had to travel to Tunduru, 70 km, to catch the glimpse of the historical (Tunduru rocks), and the 45 km coastline that forms part of Mnazi Bay proper, in the neighbouring Mtwara , and Mnazi Bay and Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park (MBREMP) in Ruvuma.

The MBREP is an exciting project whose aim include the conservation of threatened sh species such as dugong, turtle and coelacanths and sustainable economic activities for the livelihoods of the residents in about 11 villages, tourists and tourism stakeholders. The Estuary forms a wide river mouth of the Ruvuma River into which the tide of the Indian Ocean ows and it is perched to the northern portion of the (Ruvuma) River and (Ruvuma) basin, respectively.

Some strict conservation activities are undertaken at the Estuary Marine Park, the second in Tanzania, after the Ma a (Marine Park), in Coast Region. Some more tourism activities that could be performed at the MBREMP, include: Scuba diving, snorkeling and swimming, windsur ng, sport shing, overnight boar moaring, construction, camping and sea plane tourism.

As we were returning to Songea, we veered off the road to make brief stopover at a cave gate deep in Msamala Forest, some four and half kilometres (4.5km) from the Songea municipal hall. Marcus said the Great Cave as it was formerly known, was used by Chief Songea and his ghters to stage fatal attacks against the Germans. The ‘Spandau’ was also used as an arsenal and warehouse for the storage of clothing and rations supplies. The MBREMP, and the Great Cave are some of the historical attractions worth visiting whilst in Ruvuma!

Photo and Text by HardVenture Staff Writer



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

GGeeeettiinggg thhereVisitors to Ruvuma can reach there either by road or air transport. A year in-out road network connects Songea, the regional administrative town with the rest of Tanzanian major towns. Charter-plane services are also available between district towns such as Songea, Mbinga and Mbamba Bay. Visitors travelling by road to Ruvuma have the advantage of enjoying the breath taking scenery of the rolling country side dotted with hatched huts, maize and rice elds, coffee and tobacco plantations, towering palm trees criss-crossing rivers and streams, and tens of rolling mountains.

WWWhhhatt toooo ddoRuvuma region pristine beaches in Mbamba Bay can be ideal for sun bathe, strolling, swimming and shing tours or sport, viewpoints and rock climbing. Venture out in the evenings for story telling, folk-lore, kitchen tours and cultural interactions with warm and generous Ruvuma residents. Sail aboard a traditional canoes across the sheltered waters of the Mbamba Bay, and interact with

underlying village shermen and potters. Take a break to a marine park at MBREMP research centre to catch up with the rare sh species such as dugong, turtle and coelacanths. Of interest in Ruvuma is the presence of local institutions that include initiation ceremonies, and communal working and age grouping or Chikudi, as it is known in the native dialect. Therefore, visitors can freely interact with area residents for an African rhythm, dance and the drum in any of the area pubs, where they can be served with freshly roasted meat, sh and chicken and traditional cuisine and wash it down by a glass of a wide range of brands such as lagers, gingers, beverages and spirits.

AAcccccooommmmmoodattionThere is a wide range of accommodation in the urban and suburbs, as well as waterfront facilities all basking in the lap of luxury. There are also some hotels and guest rooms with an interior décor of hand curved beds and some other local handcrafts. Bookings can be done in Dar es Salaam or from any major towns and citiesacross Tanzania.

It was a cool evening September 2, when an old friend called to tell me whether I was prepared to travel to Ruvuma, on a special assignment that could take

a week or so. After some clari cations, I thought the journey could be worth because I would reconnect with Mbamba Bay, a little tourist spot south of Mango village where I grew up, nearly half a century ago.

However my last visit to Mbamba Bay was in 2008, and the September visit to my hometown came four years after.

Generally, Mbamba Bay some three decades or so ago as we grew up, was just a sleepy little town on the shores of Lake Nyasa, deep south west of Tanzania. Now it is a beehive of activity township on the foot of the Matengo highlands.

It has a low key ambiance and attractive beach resort fringed by palm, banana and mango trees. It is also a bus terminal and gateway to neighbouring Malawi and other town. As a result, an immigration of ce and police station have been pitched in town

to take care of passport formalities and to oversee peace and order to thousands visitors and a huge population of shops and stores operators, sprawling residential estates owners, public and private of ces, a post of ce, chain of guest houses, drinking joints and restaurants respectively.

Equipped with such facilities and attractions, Mbamba Bay is a nice spot to spend a day or two holidaying or just waiting for a ferry to take you to the next destinations such Itungi and Nkhata Bays in neighbouring Mbeya Region.

So some vivid thoughts of reconnecting to my childhood Mbamba Bay to which my last recent visit was some four years ago were reminiscent to fond boyhood memories of nice beach for sunbathe and amateur shing. During my childhood, I could hear adventurous stories of Mbamba Bay, the lake port that also connected lake-farers to other ports like Itungi, are very hard to go away. It was from the Mbamba Bay port where hundreds of labour immigrants from across east Africa used to board a ferry

boat; MV Ilala, on transit to South Africa, or Zimbabwe where they would work as mineworkers.

It was also at Mbamba Bay where a eet of passenger buses owned by TeeTeeCo, an acronym for Tanganyika Transport Company, plied to and from Dar es Salaam, 650 km north east of Songea, the Ruvuma regional headquarters, through the notorious Lukumburu mountains.

Most of the passenger buses operated by TeeTeeco and another local rm Mwananchi Transport, were of the old British Leyland models.

The drivers of the buses, and their voyagers, could toil up the Matogoro mountains and the notorious 12 km Lukumburu zig-zag route via Mbinga a coffee grower-town, to Songea and beyond.

However, Mwananchi, normally served the Mbamba Bay route. My maiden visit to Mbamba Bay was in 1970 when I was either going or coming back from school,

A shing village under the Livingstone Mountain bed at the Mbamba Bay sprawling beach, Tanzania




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Mbamba Bayunder the mountain bed

LeisureLeisure

a, as

et o, rt

m, ma us

by hi d

s, d

ag to

d sit as ol,

the prestigious Likonde Seminary. My fellow seminarians and I passed through the town on our way to Mango, our home village, which was also, another lake-side town further north of Mbamba Bay.

Therefore, on September 5, after spending a day and a half in Songea and Mbinga, I boarded a bus to Mbamba Bay, and soon we were ascending the notorious Matengo highlands. As I looked, down the window, I could see villages dotted across the lowlands. I thought of dropping there and catchup with Matengo folklores down in the villagers, but my driver told me there could be no any early connection to Mbamba Bay until in the next afternoon hence I abandoned the idea.

So, having reached the top of these cool, wind-swept highlands, we started descending to the land of the Nyasa. The vegetation changed from ubiquitous coffee trees, pines and eucalyptus trees to mangrove, bamboo, and mango trees.

As we hit the lowlands, I began to look for the Lake. The road meandered slowly, crossing valleys and even a river or two, and some roof thatched hamlets. Then we entered Mbamba Bay. It was unbelievable, visiting a town I had last seen almost fty

years earlier (save the short visit in July 2008). As the bus cruised into town, I noticed that Mbamba Bay was still a small township. I checked into a lake view lodge, a facility perched on boulders on the outskirts of town for both the Lake and bush views.

Lake Nyasa is a marvel to behold. Its pristine beach offers endless stretches of pure, ankle-deep sand, beside the clear water through which you can see the colourful sh swimming.

During the day, with the sun shining bright, Lake Nyasa sparkles on the shore, and in the distance, all you could see is a vast expanse of blue water. At night, all you could hear is the roar of the waves- -sometimes muted, sometimes loud-as they rush and crash on the rich sandy beach or on nearby rocks.

A stroll on this beach is a magical experience. The morning air is fresh and cool. You can walk on this beach watching the waves as they come rushing to your feet, or you can admire the sh darting about in the clear water, with their shadows racing on the bottom of the Lake. Canoes parked on the beach, nets spread out on the sand, sh drying

on stalls, women washing clothes and utensils, and children swimming and splashing in the water-all these add to the charm of Mbamba Bay.

There are a number of places in Mbamba Bay for a snack or a drink. For example the Nyasa View Lodge-the Bush House, and the Four Ways Pub, in pink and blue paints.

You can leave behind the hustle and bustle of cities and be in Mbamba Bay, where the day is slow and the streets are there for you to roam at will, and just a stone’s throw away is the beckoning Lake Nyasa.

Mbamba Bay may be a little town, but being there, you feel it has a heart that is big and warm.

For northbound visitors, self drive or just hired 4wds from the Liuli Mission, could be needed from local transport rms or the area (Christian) religious organisations. For visitors who leave or make entry of Tanzania via Mbamba Bay, there is an immigration of ce next to boat landing site to take care of passport formalities.

Photo and Text by Joseph Mbele

Kimanda dialect How are you – mwoniliCome in – karibu kunyumbaSorry - chondiWater - machiFood - chakulaRoad - ndelaFather - dadiMother - mauBrother - mhachauSister - ndomboAfternoon - musi

Evening - kimihiNight - nikiruThank you - usengwiliChair - kideguTable - mezaHouse - nyumbaChurch - kanisaMarket - kulisoko

Kingoni dialectWake up - kuyimukaSleep – kugona

Chair - libehiRoad – NdelaWater – Masi or MalengaGuide - NintagatilaiMother – Mau Father - Bambo Afternoon - YakhwelaGoodmornig - Mwonile or habari ya lukelaSorry – Pepai Bambo/MauThank you - Usengwile/ ZikomoCome in – Karibu mugati

Some common words spoken by the two major tribes of Ruvuma



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Getting therePublic transport links Mbamba Bay with the rest of Tanzania by good road network as well as reliable air ights to and from the destination across Tanzania. Most air ights provide chartered services.What to doSightseeing, visiting historical sites for research or documentation, or just feel the insights of cultural tourism on hike-tours or as you interact with the friendly and generous area residents.

Accommodation

A wide variety of accommodations facilities such as restaurants, bars, and the cottage, provide meals and drinks to visitors.

Accommodations are either in single or double, each decorated room combines cultural-decor and comfort with the latest amenities.




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Current TAWIRI projects

Distribution of Reasearch

Centres and Stations



HARDVENTURE TOURISM

Administrative capital Dodoma

Commercial capital Dar es Salaam

ClimateTanzania’s climate is predominately tropical. Coastal areas are usually hot and humid, but on the beaches a sea breeze cools the air considerably. The average day temperature is 30°C. Tanzania has two rainy seasons – the long rains from late March to June and the short rains from November to January.

Tanzania Fact FileTanzania Fact File

The long rains fall in heavy downpours, often accompanied by violent storms, but the short rains tend to be much less severe.

The hottest time of the year is from December to March, before the long rains begin. The coolest months are June, July and August, when the weather is often overcast. In high-altitude areas such as Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Highlands, temperatures can fall below freezing.

Visa Issuing Centres and authoritiesA Visa may be obtained at the United Republic of Tanzania Mission abroad or Consulate and also on arrival at all designated entry points. In case of Referral and Multi Visas, applications should be sent to the of ce of Principal Commissioner of Immigration Services Dar es Salaam or at the of ce of the Commissioner of Immigration Services Zanzibar.


Tourism News


ZARA TANZANIA ADVENTURES | http://www.zaratours.comPhone: Toll free +1-866 550 447; UK: +44-20 3287 7384; Tanzania: +255-754-451000

Fax: +255-27-2753105 P.O. Box 1990; Moshi, TanzaniaEmail: [email protected]/[email protected]



Visa FeesStandard rate for ordinary Visa Fee is USD 50, for Multiple Entry Visa is USD 100 and Transit Visa is USD 30 except for the following Nationals with their speci c Visa rates in brackets; USA-(USD 100) and Ireland-(USD 100).

O cial languages

Kiswahili and English

CurrencyThe Tanzania shilling (Tsh or TZS), divided into 100 cents, is the national currency.

BankingBanks and bureau de change are available at airports and in all major

towns. Banking hours are from Monday - Friday 8.30 am - 3.00 pm, Saturdays 8.30 am - 1.30 pm. A few branches in the major towns are open until 4.00 pm. Please note that banks are closed on Sundays. Credit cards and travellers’ chequesCredit cards (Access, MasterCard, Visa, American-Express, and Eurocard) are accepted only at major lodges, hotels, and travel agents. A surcharge may be added for this service. ATM and 24-hour cash machines are available in branches of major banks. Travellers’ cheques in pounds sterling or US dollars are recommended, though it may be dif cult to exchange them outside the main cities

Time Local time is GMT + 3 hours

Electric Current 220 volts AC50Hz

CommunicationsInternational Direct Dial is available. The country code for Tanzania is +255. The outgoing international code is 00 for the United States, or 000 for all other countries.

Public call boxes in post of ces and main towns operate on a card system, available from most small shops. Several cellular phone companies operate in Tanzania and roaming lines work near most major cities and towns. Internet cafes are plentiful in major city centres.

TT

aa

nn

zz

aa

nn

ii

a a

FF

aa

cc

t t

FF

ii

ll

ee


HealthTanzania has a tropical climate and different bacteria, ora, and fauna than most visitors are accustomed to, so it is advisable to take a few health precautions when travelling to make sure that your trip goes as comfortably and smoothly as possible.

Malaria is usually top on the list of visitors’ worries, and prevention goes a long way towards keeping you protected. Make sure to visit your doctor to get a prescription for the anti-malarial drugs that best suit you.

The yellow-fever vaccination is no longer of cially required when entering Tanzania; however this is still a requirement if you wish to visit Zanzibar. Other vaccinations should be considered. For more information, contact your doctor well in advance of your visit.

SecurityTanzania is a safe country to travel in. Tanzanians are warm-hearted and generous people and are eager to help visitors get the most out of their stay. Tanzania is a politically stable, multi-democratic country.

As in all countries, a little common sense goes a long way and reasonable precautions should still be taken, such as locking valuables in the hotel safe and not walking alone at night.

Public holidaysUnless otherwise advised, the public holidays in Tanzania remain the same every year. *Islamic Holidays change from year to year and may vary 1-2 days, depending on the sighting on the new moon.

New Year - January 1 Zanzibar Revolution Day - January 12 Eid El Fitr - March 29* Good Friday - April 6Karume Day - April 7Easter Monday - April 9Union Day - April 26 Workers’ Day - May 1 Industrial Day - July 7 Farmers’ Day - August 8 Nyerere Day - October 14Eid El Hajj - November 4*Independence Day - December 9 Christmas Day - December 25 Boxing Day - December 26

TT

aa

nn

zz

aa

nn

ii

a a

FF

aa

cc

t t

FF

ii

ll

ee


Tourism News


T

a

n

z

a

n

i

a

F

a

c

t

F

i

l

e

Best times to visitNorthern Tanzania : July to MarchSouthern Tanzania :June to MarchZanzibar and the coast : June to MarchWestern Tanzania : May to March

Getting There

By air

Tanzania has three international airports: Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA), formerly known as Dar es Salaam International Airport (handles most international ights), Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) and Zanzibar International Airport. Julius Nyerere International Airport, is located 15 km southwest of Dar es Salaam, and it takes approximately 25 minutes drive to reach it by car from downtown.

Airport facilities include duty-free shops, car hire, post of ce, banking and bureaux de change, a bar and restaurant.

Kilimanjaro International AirportLies 40 km from Arusha and it takes approximately one hour drive to reach it by car. Facilities include curio shops, a post of ce, a bar and a restaurant.

Shuttle bus services to the airport run regularly from both Arusha and Moshi.

Zanzibar International AirportLocated approximately 7 km from the centre of Stone Town and takes approximately 15 minutes to reach by car. Facilities include a restaurant, bureaux de change and curio shops.

International airlines Air India, Air Malawi, Air Mozambique, Air Zimbabwe, British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, South African Airways, Swiss Air, Yemen Air and Air Turkey International.


TT

aa

nn

zz

aa

nn

ii

a a

FF

aa

cc

t t

FF

ii

ll

ee

A AGstfat

Pcforwju

Ts(crBs

Tbb(etH1TgIbtbdo


Domestic airlinesThere are also local scheduled ights from all three above mentioned international airports to all Lake Zone regions. These include: Precision Air, Air Tanzania, FastJet, and Coastal Aviation, among others. Your tour operator can arrange your travel requirements on request.

By roadFrom the north, paved roads connect the Kenyan capital of Nairobi with Arusha and cross the border at the Namanga post.

A number of shuttle buses, leaving twice daily between the two cities, also follow this route. The trip takes approximately 4 - 6 hours.

From the south, the road from Malawi enters Tanzania at Karonga before continuing onwards to Mbeya. There are no viable bus services along this route.

It is possible to cross the border from Uganda at the Mutukula border post, but transport options are equally limited. Internal roads connect Arusha and Dar es Salaam to major towns around the country. Roads

to major tourist destinations are either already paved or under construction.

At the time of writing, paved road extends from Arusha to Tarangire National Park and almost to Karatu, on the way to Ngorongoro Crater.

There are a number of reliable bus service operators running throughout Tanzania. For road safety avoid driving at night.


| Least known tourist attractionsHARDVENTURE TOURISM |||||| LLLLLeaeaeaeastststst kkkkknononownwnwn tttouououriririststst aaattttttrararactctctioioioonsnsnsHHHHHAAAARRRRDDDVVVEEENNNTTTUUURRRREEE TTTOOOOOUUUURRRRRIIIISSSSSMMMMMDDDD

Southern ZoneSouthern Zone CULTURAL CRUISECULTURAL CRUISE

AN A-Z MERRY-GO-ROUND OF THE SOUTHERN ZONE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

A A : Ababa, Amama, Abibi or Ambuje, the four words that respectively refer to Dad, Mom, Grandma and

Grandpa, might be the commonly spoken words a visitor would like to beware when addressing senior family members in some parts of the Southern Zone.

Please remember to respect the cultural values of the southerners, for example, when one makes remarks such as Akituma mi, which humbly means NO! It is as just that.

Then, why don’t we make a stopover to an Arab House (corrupted into Kiswahili by area residents as (Alabuahusi) at Kitunda Beach down town Lindi for sight seeing?

The lone, 2-story dilapidated building is overlooking the sandy beaches of Mkondo wa Bahari (ensuing water-bay), is linked to the notorious Zanzibar slave trader, Hamed Mohamed el Marjebi,( 1837-1950) nick named, Tippu Tip, because of the sound of his guns when hunting down slaves. Ibin Battuta,(1330- 1331) an Arab traveller from Fez in Morocco is believed to have used the house during his visit to Kilwa Island and other African cities.

BB: Bamvua stands for a Kiswahili word signifying deluge or oods caused by high tides of the sea. The less harmless bamvua ( oods) would invade households in lowlands, usually at night

causing less apprehension, as it is part of culture for the residents whose houses are located near to either Mikindani, and Mnazi Bay in Mtwara or Kitunda Bay in Lindi.

Don’t ignore visiting some of the bushes from which men and the youth venture out to gather honey or tubers like cassava known in the local dialect as Ming’oko which make part of a family meal or delicacy.

It is in some these bushes where cemeteries of humans who are believed to be the tallest are located.Some graves have remained uncovered while, some of them are identi ed by pieces of black grave stones.

The graves could measure between 12 and 15 feet long on the ground! What about the evening roaming bats of Mnali bushes or Mnali bay in Lindi that can manage to y into a formation that resembles the map of Africa. Wow!

Make a date to these fascinating sites, of course, by the aid of an area guide and meet village elders and listen to the stories of the giants and bats, while on a full day cultural tourism cruise.

Baa! Buli..! Is a common exclamation, used by the Wamakonde to indicate a surprise when one feels somebody is trying to pull his or her leg!

Still on the cruise liner that can take you to the Old Boma in Mikindani where you lay my ngers on a book titled Boma and Bush, in which the

author, and long serving worker at the Old Boma, John Carns, recalls his warm relations with the indigenous Tanganyikans.

As you cruise further to southwest, make a date at Songea, where you will be introduced to the 12 Busts. The cement busts of the 12 famous pre independence leaders of Songea, who gave the Germans a run for their money during the Maji Maji war 1905-1907.

The busts, garlanded with owers are erected around a large ground on which the Maji Maji Historical Museum also stands.

Once upon a time an anonymous once wrote! “When the sea or lake meets sand, beautiful things can happen.” They can happen whether you were on the pristine beaches of Lindi, Mtwara or Mbamba Bay in the Ruvuma. Beaches are like the Valium of the travel world.They soothe, they relax, and they make a visitor realize that “real life” occasionally needs escaping these silvers of sand against the ocean or fresh water lake are a reminder that the world can be quite beautiful.

Beaches on the Southern Zone can offer endless stretches of ankle-deep sand, beside the clear water through which you can see a variety of colourful shes and other marine life swimming joyful.

During the day, with the sun shining bright, beach waters sparkle on the shore, and in the distance, what you see was an expanse of bluish water.

At night, visitors could hear the roars of the waves--sometimes muted, sometimes loud--as they rush and crash on the rich sandy beaches.

Tourism News | Least known tourist attractionsHARDVENTURE TOURISM


Cultural Tourism

| Least known tourist attractionsHARDVENTURE TOURISM |||||||| LLLLLeaeaeaea tststttst kkkkknonononownwnwnwnn tttttoooououristHHHHHHAAAARRRRRDDDDVVVVVEEEEENNNNNNTTTTTUUUUURRRRREEEEE TTTTTTOOOOOOOUUUUUURRRRRIIIIISSSSSMMMMDDDDD

C: Coral reefs illustrate the early civil works of early visitors to the East African Swahili coast, particularly in and around Lindi and Mtwara, Ma a,

Zanzibar and Pangani. Majority of the coral rocks buildings visited were built over 100 years down the line, have either crumbled or curved in, while others are still in use.

During the cruise, you cannot afford to miss a number of cultural tourism villages along Lindi-Mtwara highway and in and across the two regions, as well as in Ruvuma, such as Mnazi, Mnolela, and Madangwa, Liuli, Lituhi, and Matengo, that have taken a leading role.

There are also annual cultural tourism festivals hosted at Umoja Grounds downtown Mtwara, and the Maji Maji historical grounds in Songea in which all ethnical tribes in the Zone showcase their cultural richness and traditional dances.

The annual festivals are held in October for Mtwara, and February for the Songea event. We missed out cultural ceremonies such as initiations (Jando na Unyago,) in which girls and boys are introduced to familyhood roles when they grow up. We had to cruise to the Sido grounds and at the Mtwara Catholic Parish, where two separate groups of carvers are involved in the carvings of the iconic Makonde carvings and I got a feel of the cultural tourism insights of these craftsmen. We wrapped up our cruise to Tunduru for further interactions with Makonde carvers.

DD: David Livingstone reputed dwelling place, is a 2-storey corner house building, pitched at the end of an alley deep in the Old town, Mikindani.

A plaque, denoting the days, dates and year (1866), the Scottish medical doctor cum explorer stayed in the dwelling before he begun his long and last journey across the vast Tanganyika, from the south-east to the western tip and beyond, is embalmed on the left corner of the building now under repairs by ‘Queens’ charitable trust from Fordingbrige, UK, The Trade Aid.

Dances. Remember to savour traditional and sensational Sindimba dance by Wamakonde, Ligihu war dance and Lizombe by Wangoni, Mganda by Wamanda, and Kioda and Lingwanda by Wamatengo.

Some creative groups in Songea perform traditional dances to tourists to spice up cultural tourism programmes and annual arts festivals.


HARDVENTURE TOURISM



EE: Elo or Eyo, are two different but friendly words spoken by all the four major ethnic tribes found in the Southern Zone, meaning Yes or warmth acceptance and consent. Avoid trading on people’s toes, until an Elo or Eyo greeting is solicited and given out freely. Then there is the historical eight bridges spanned on the eight rivers of Songea! On average, one bridge is built after every 6.02 km as you travel southwards from Songea towards the Mozambique border.

FF: The Five Tombs at Mchuchu valley have signi cant spiritual and cultural history in the Old town, Mikindani. Located at reclusive locality, alongside, horticultural farming, the tombs are worth a visit. When we visited the hilly site, we

were told, three of the tombs were of Islamic scholars, and two revered indigenous old women buried at the cemetery, between 1902 and 1913. Don’t forget crossing or visiting the numerous ferries, usually by traditional dhows, rafters and canoes, as well as state of the art ferries.

The ferries would carry visitors across the sheltered waters of the bays and gulfs in Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma.

There are also the fossilised records at Nangaro and Tendaguru beds, 20km off the Lindi-Dar highway, which indicate that birds evolved from the ‘theropod’ or the ‘terrible lizard’ that has made some people to associate dinosaurs with lizards.

Then, there is a number of German Forts in the whole of Southern Zone and each has fascinating accounts that evolves on myths, and sometimes realisations.

While, we were in Lindi, we were told to include in our schedule a date at Machole, 5 km from Lindi, where we bore witness to some of the freckles of nature as a fresh water point , completely overrun by sea waters during high tides, but when the sea ebbs, the natural fresh point emerges out proudly for visitors to sample its fresh liquid. Wow!

We also visited the cemetery of the forgotten Nubi soldiers from the Sudan, who fought for the British during the WW II. The fallen Nubi soldiers were buried in a solitary cemetery in the backyard of the Old Boma in Mikindani.

Some parts of the graves of the famed Nubians are visible but many others have curved in.

Fordingbrige is the physical base of the UK charity organisation, apparently involved in a number of community based projects in Mikindani and are operating from the refurbished Old Boma.

GG: German old ports in Mtwara, Lindi, and Songea, built in 1880s, make spectacular viewing. The Lindi port is still in use, but

on small scale level, while the old Mtwara berth, stands in ruins.

The ports have huge history over ivory trade, cash crops transportation and human traf cking (slavery) to Europe and the Far East markets.

An array of more German structures or fortresses all built concurrently in the1900s await your arrival in Mikindani, Lindi (in ruins), Liwale and Songea.

East of the Mnazi Bay, an excavation of natural Gas deposits goes on. It was rewarding when one of our authors, visited the site of Songosongo Island, off the main Kilwa Kisiwani to witness some of the latest technologies at work.

H: Hospital ruins downtown the Old town, Mikindani, bear witness to human’s neglect. However, what stands in site of what was a beautiful

building of the southern provincial hospital, is part of portico steps of the once 2-storey 1880s building! Hanging site. Yes! Are you aware of the existence of a hanging site in Ruvuma region located in downtown Songea?

Take a break to the site and receive some hair-raising historical narrations from a curator particulaly how the 12 chiefs and 200 foot soldiers who had ercely resisted foreign invasions were thereafter executed in public and their remains buried in a mass grave!


Cultural Tourism


II: Iftar? Yes! But this time around, it is not the usual Iftar, the light meal served by Moslems to mark the break of fasting during the holy month of Ramadhani. But the Iftar or Ifutari, in Kiswahili to the Wamakuwa ethnic tribes simply is tea. Yes! Therefore, if a Mmakuwa family invites you for an

Ifutari in Kumusi (at home), don’t wait until 7o’clock in the evening! You are invited for a morning tea!

J: Jaliamba or Jaani Jotana is but simple greetings in the Southern Zone. Jaliamba means Good Morning, while Jaani and Jotana is Good Afternoon! If you are a quick language learner, try the tongue twister: Jaani nchonchochilo for

Good Evening!

WvisshboM

LL: At a distance of 70km from Mtwara, down south there is a source of fresh water known to the area residents as Lake Ketele.

When we visited the area our guide told us that there was no available evidence to show any existence of a river or valley that feeds water to the Lake, which also known as the Lone Lake, a unique plus to the abundant tourists’ attractions available in the Southern Zone. The Lake is the source of life to local shermen, hippos, and fresh water shes.

Get a glimpse of a Light House that was built in 1886 by the Germans, at Sudi, 40km from Lindi.

Over 126 years down the line, the Light House is still intact.

Kilwa Island as s

MM: The M boasts of numerous tourists or historical sites in the Sothern Zone. Here are some of them worth cruising in and around. Mirumba

slave house, located 4 Km north of the Mikindani heartland.

It was from this house, with three small windows, where captured slaves were lead to the port/harbour and shipped into slavery bondage. Miseti unmarked cemetery, eight km north east of Mikindani, there are thick bushes. In these bushes, there are graves of the tallest humans that lived and roamed Miseti bushland and its sandy beaches, over 100 years ago. Some of the graves could measure between 12 and 15 feet, at the last visit, early September.

Msimbati Beach located 25km from Mikindani old town, is ideal for its sand dunes that can rise to a 15m height, stretching 3 km

along the coast; a rare feat on the Tanzanian coast. Its sand beaches run a distance of 12 km from the Msimbati peninsula, via Ras Mivinjeni and Ras Ruvula to the area police post. The beach is widely used for leisure and recreations such as water and motor sports.

A cruise to Mbamba Bay, a sheltered fresh water site southwest of Songea for sightseeing, beach hikes/strolls, shing, and sunbathes, could make a full day itinerary of unforgettable experience! MajiMaji historical Museum in Songea has documented the lives and chiefdoms of the 12 early political administration and spiritual leaders of Ruvuma region.

Mnazi Bay Marine Park (in Mtwara) is the headland of Ras Msangamkuu and the gate way to the three islands of Namponda, Membelwa or Mongo and Kisiwa Kidogo. Mnazi Bay Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park

(sR

ToM

Ttg

SPsaPs

Hcta



KK: Kilwa Island is the next cruise destination where author samples the cultural in uence of the Swahili people over other communities such as Arabs, the Shiraz, and some Caucasians.

Take a half day walk around the Songo Mnara and later in Kipatimo ruins, to re ect on the aftermath of the July 1905 and August 1907 Maji Maji Uprising against German invasion.

ple ans od er, for

Well, while visiting the Southern Zone, make a date to visit Jiwe la Mzungu, beacon pitched on the western shore of the Indian Ocean, purporting to be border boundary between Tanzania and its southern neighbour Mozambique.

s seen from the air

n 2 s e

d s.

d or g, y

e! s e al

e e a, o. k

(MBREMP) a research centre that lies south of Mtwara on the mouth of Ruvuma River, hence the Ruvuma Estuary.

The estuary also forms the northern portion of the Ruvuma River/Delta and the border to Mozambique.

The combined ratio of the two Bays/Parks to marine life is the highest in East Africa, my guide told me.

Some tourism activities on the two Bays/Parks include scuba diving, snorkeling/swimming, sport shing and wind sur ng, among others. They are worth visiting. The Parks are home to threatened sh species such as dugong, coelacanth and turtles.

However, a visit to MBREMP is strictly controlled, and before making any visit to the centre a permit is sought from area authorities.


Tourism News


QQ: ‘Queens’ charity trust from Fordingbridge, UK, a Trade Aid, is involved in a number of community based projects in Mikindani old town, including the refurbishment of the Old Boma, and the dwelling place of David Livingstone. The UK Trust

also provides vocational education and creates opportunities for sustainable employment in the old city under a cultural tourism programme. It is a Southern Zone multi-cultural exchange venture.

N: Nandele village, Kilwa district, holds lots of world class information. It was here sometime in July 1905; where the rst shot against colonial

invasion was red. The bloody war dragged on for two years until August 1907 and spread out into neighbouring regions. It is a historical site worth visiting. You can also view stocks of Hippos lazing out of a water pond as they receive oral instructions from a village elder!

Naliendele can be the next stop over as this site is located 15km from the town of

Mtwara and stands a well manicured heros square or cemetery. The epitaphs on the two adjoining Uhuru Monuments read: “Here lays the souls of the gallant sons and daughters of Tanzania, who died for a just course; the African liberation.”

Names and military ranks of the fallen heroes and heroines are also inscribed on the epitaph embalmed on all grave stones.

Down North West in Nachingwea, there exists a rear launching pad; a military camp and a 10km underground tunnel, formerly used by Frelimo ghters during the liberation

of Mozambique between the early 60s and mid 70s. Historians and military/political researchers can nd the site a eld day!

Don’t skip out the Nangaro hills, along Lindi-Dar road, where during the night, some odd objects would ick out some light similar to the stars in a milk-way. Legends in the neighborhood attribute the shiny night objects to the remains of some dinosaurian materials left on the site during the 1900s exploration and excavation activities. Venture out in the night for fun and adventure as you sample the numerous existing attractions in the Southern Zone.

PP: Pemba village! Yes another Pemba in Tanzania, this time around, it is located in the Southern Zone, the tourism sleeping giant. Precisely, Pemba village is known for its clear sandy beaches, the famed valium for travellers.

You can sail to the beach village aboard a traditional dhow across the sheltered waters of the Mikindani Bay to enjoy sun bathe, and also observe villagers going out of the sea to sh as a group of students enjoy picnics and day off in solitude on the groovy sandy beach!

OO: Old Boma in Mikindani is the icon of the Old city. Built 1885 by the Germans as an administration block, it was also used by the British at the end of WW1 and then Government of Tanganyika, in its formative years of independence in 1960s.

The Old Boma is perched on the slopes of Bismarck Hills, formerly a German viewpoint. Apparently, the Old Boma has been refurbished and converted into a world class hotel by UK based charitable organisation, Trade Aid. There is a collection of old bomas across the Southern Zone.

The Octopus soup prepared from the freshly caught sea sh is readily available for visitors on kitchen tours in and around Lindi and Mtwara villages. Take time to listen to stories by the market moms, and uncover myths that surround the potency of the six- nger sh soup. It is juicy, tasty and extremely delicious.

Please remember to make a date with an octogenarian Mzee Kidume Mohamed, the mobile encyclopedia of Mikindani, and listen to him as he rolls back history as if everything just happened yesterday.

RTsrc

TTfdbt


Cultural Tourism


CCCCCCuuullllllttttuuurrraaallllll TTTTTTooouuurrriiiiiissssmmmm

|||||| LLLLLeaeaeaeastststst kkkkknononownwnwn tttouououriririststst aaattttttrararactctctioioioonsnsnsHHHHHAAAARRRRDDDVVVEEENNNTTTUUURRRREEE TTTOOOOOUUUURRRRRIIIISSSSSMMMMMDDDD

SS: Sudi Bay is a home to world class navigation and administration history. At the site, stands a landmark architectural facility, a Light House that was built in 1886 by the Germans to facilitate a 24-hour-sea navigation on and off the east African Swahili coast.

Interact with groups of female entrepreneurs as they conduct their trawler shing activities at Sudi, an early trade or activity forbidden to be undertaken by a coastal Swahili woman! Then there is Songea a bustling metropolitan town and Songea the chief, though poorly armed, stood in German door way during the bloody Maji Maji war.

R: Rondo Plateau (pictured below) is home to the rare specie of the African little dragons. Make a tour to the forests and the tropical hardwoods on the plateau, for clear viewpoints, and solitude recollections and leisure!

Taking a break to the mighty Ruvuma River and Ruvuma Basin further south is quite rewarding. The blue waters of the Ruvuma River is the residence of hippos, crocodiles, mud sh stocks, a variety of bird life, coral reefs, mangrove forest and sea grass beds.

For visitors with a air in adventurism they should make a date to the historic rocks of Mbinga, Matogoro, and Tunduru and attempt a daring scale up to catch the glimpse of a beautiful rolling countryside.

If you are unsuccessful in rocks climbing, don’t despair, just settle down for lunch on any of the hilltops of the iconic mountains of Ruvuma.

TT: Tendaguru. Yes the cruise liner can take you to Tendaguru beds, home to the

fossilised tallest and heaviest dinosaur of the Gira titans brancai species uncovered there between 1907and 1912.

The dinosaurian material was later shipped to Europe, where it was assembled into a number of creatures/skeletons, thereafter the creatures/skeletons, were shared among the natural history museums of Berlin and London, respectively.

UU: The U-shaped ruins of the Aga Khan building down the old town Mikindani couldn’t escape the eye of any cameraman. The structure blends Asian and Arabic architectural cultures. The ground oor of the 1900s building, is apparently used as Madrassa.

Take a spot check at an all round shaped Underground lounge, one kilometre off the Mikindani old town. The weekend resort was once used alternatively by the Germans and British for drinking, feasting and merrymaking.

Although the mountain walls have curved, virtually blocking the entrance to the Underground lounge, however it makes an interesting exposure of the lifestyle by the colonial administrators in the Southern Zone.


Rondo Plateau/Forest in Lindi


Cultural Tourism


V V : Viewpoint at Bismarck hills. This is a high ground, 300 metres off the rear of the Old Boma, used by the Germans in detecting any enemy approaching onshore off the Mikindani Bay and Old

Boma. The site is also important for dhowviews as they majestically stay a oat at sea.

On top of the hills there is a baobab tree, under which legends suggest huge treasures might have been buried there by eeing Germans during the WW1. A number of attempts by area residents to reach to the treasures trove and uncover it have been unsuccessful!

Similar viewpoints could be exciting while atop the 800m peak of the iconic Matogoro Mountains in Songea despite high presence of pines and eucalyptus forests.

We had also some enjoyable fresh air and landscape viewing from the beautiful Wino Mountains in Songea, off the Songea-Iringa road and Mmbuji Rock off Mbinga and Mbamba Bay road. The rock has much folklore sorrounding it such as legends and tales of super natural occurances.

YY: Youths. Brigades of young persons make exciting line-ups over some sections and bus drop points along the Lindi Mtwara highway.

They could be vending everything including freshly cooked maize, sea salt stones harvested from the ensuing salt farms, live chicken, eggs and roast chicken meat, tubers and pots of honey they might have freshly gathered from the sprawling tropical bushes and hardwoods to eke out a living.

W: Water pump house. The structure rests forlorn on the eastern ridge of

Mchuchu hills. Its single occupant, a corona make-machine has been removed for other uses elsewhere. The

two-room hut was built in 1900s and its coral rock-structure remains rmly intact. Formerly, the pump house supplied water to Mikindani sisal plantations, 20 Km off the old town, then vibrant commercial activity on the east African coast and some parts of the hinterland in the Tanganyika.

XX: The X (cross) denotes Njia Nne in Kiswahili or Four ways at Nangurukuru, an upcoming resort site on the Dar–Lindi highway. The site

is on the junction of the roads that lead to Kilwa Island on the east, Liwale on the southwest, Lindi and Mtwara, on the south and Dar es Salaam on the North. Njia Nne, is busy but ideal for travellers needs and fresh supplies, such as quick fresh meal, snacks, bites, and of course, bathe and wash rooms.

ZZ: Zanzibar r e c o n n e c t s superbly with old cities in the Southern

Zone such as Kilwa, Lindi, and Mikindani as they share cultural insights and in uences of the Swahili people.

Therefore, at the end of an exciting alphabetical cultural cruise in the Southern Zone, just connect to Zanzibar for further sun bathing and holidaying and encounter with yet a collection of ruins. A merry go round aboard the Southern Zone cultural tourism cruise-liner is calling. Welcome aboard!

View point at Mmbuji Rock in Ruvuma

One of the steet allays in Stone Town Zanzibar, reconnects it with the narrow streets of the Old Mikindani, in the Southern Zone

V a f s g d s

r e e o e

p s d

e n i

k s

Zar s h n n i,

ey d ili

n al e, ar d er . d al g.

The International Tourism and Business MagazineJULY-SEPT 2011

4747

com




HARDVENTURE TOURISM

hardventure february 18,2013 opt1.indd

Documents