Mikindani Travel Guide: Mikindani is an ancient Swahili port that was a thriving trading center in southern Tanzania in the 18th and 19th centuries. A beautiful ruin, frozen in time.

Activities in Mikindani:

The old German boma (fort) and the slave market are an interesting day trip. The pristine Mnazi Bay Marine Park offers great diving and snorkeling opportunities. And to relax there are plenty of coconut palm-lined beaches. 

• City tour Mikindani

  From the imposing German fortress, built in 1895 as an administrative center and now an attractive hotel, the city tour of Mikindani starts.

  Various craft companies are now located in the market building of the historic slave market.
  Next to the ruins of the former prison is a large hollow baobab tree, where unwilling slaves are in isolation. were maintained.

  Mikindani is home to the ‘Livingstone House’, which takes its name from the fact that the town is believed to be the starting point of Livingstone’s final expedition.

• Mtwara

  The small town of Mtwara is located on the coast of southeastern Tanzania, along the rugged coastline that leads to the Mozambique border. Mtwara is slightly higher on the Makonde Plateau and is one of the most remote locations in Tanzania.

  The city has a special landmark, St. Paul’s Church, which features some remarkable murals of biblical scenes painted by German priests.

  Mtwara was originally built by the British as a center for a large agricultural project with peanut plantations along Tanzania’s south coast: the Tanganyika Groundnut Project. The project was supposed to make up for food shortages in the UK, but unfortunately failed.

  Mtwara is a relaxed city spread over a wide area. To the north around Shangani are some good beaches, Shangani is where many of the more affluent people in Mtwara live.

• Mnazi Bay Park

  Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park has been recognized since 2000 as an area of high biodiversity value on both a national and international level. Recently discovered and still unexplored as dive sites.

  You can dive great here. The Marine Park has spectacular drop-offs on the outside of the reef, extensive spore and groove formations, channel and patch reefs. More than 400 species of fish and more types of coral (>258) than anywhere else on the East African coast. The pristine white sands of Ruvula Beach complete this tropical paradise.

  The heart of the Marine Park is the Msimbati Peninsula, along with the adjacent Mnazi Bay. The nearby village of Ruvula is located along a sandy path and a beautiful beach and has very good snorkeling opportunities.

• Makonde Plateau

  The Makonde Plateau is roughly rectangular, rising from the coast to the west of Mtwara. The main city is Newala. Cool and scenic with steep slopes along the western edge and along the Ruvuma River to the south. Crossed by many stream valleys in the east. Much of it lies between 700 and 900 meters above sea level.

  The Makonde people – famous for their exotic carvings – scattered and isolated the plateau and the adjacent lowlands. This isolated area is definitely worth a visit.

• Ndanda Monastery

  The Monastery of Our Lady Help of Christians, Ndanda, is a Benedictine monastery of the Congregation of the Missionary Benedictines of Saint Ottilien.

  The monastery was founded in 1906 as a missionary post in German East Africa. In the beginning mainly for teaching. Dozens of monks still live there.