Secluded and all to yourself!

Mikindani is an old Swahili town on the gently sloping hills of Tanzania’s south coast. A peaceful and quiet alternative to the larger beach destinations in the north.

Have your own private adventure in the Indian Ocean off the beaten track at
Mnazi Bay Marine Park.

A forgotten area, but well worth it!

Surface Mtwara area 3.597 km2
Residents Mtwara area 250.000
spring rainy season maart-april
autumn rain season december

About Mikindani

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.

Culture and products in Mikindani

Culture
Mikindani a fascinating old town with winding streets and an interesting mix of local and Arabic influenced architecture with covered terraces, carved doors and thick coral stone walls. Arab buildings from the 17th century still stand in the city, although most of the buildings were built in the old Swahili style in the first half of the 20th century.

Population
The original inhabitants of Mikindani are the Makonde. Over the centuries mixed with Arab and Indian peoples. Today the city is predominantly Muslim, although there is a significant Christian population.

Products
In the late 19th century, under German colonial rule, trade in the area’s natural resources grew: rubber, sisal, coconuts and oilseeds. When the center for trade and administration moved to Mtwara, Mikindani’s focus shifted back to fishing and agriculture. Most of the population therefore lives from subsistence agriculture and artisanal fishing and sells a small part of their surplus.

Climate and season

Mikindani has a tropical climate with a wet and a dry period. Mikindani can be visited all year round.

December to April:
The most rain falls during this period. This mainly means a tropical shower in the morning and sometimes at night. The temperature in this period is quite high (up to 31 degrees during the day and 24 degrees at night).

May:
There is little rain. The temperature has dropped slightly to an average of 27 degrees during the day.

June to October:
There is virtually no rainfall. The temperature drops further to an average of 25 degrees during the day, the ‘coolest’ period.

November:
The probability of precipitation increases slightly again, as does the temperature (up to 32 degrees during the day).

Interesting facts

1. The protected lagoon of Mikindani Bay has been a great harbor for fishermen and traders for generations.

2. Arab traders settled in Mikindani as early as the 9th century and then again in the 19th century. Tombs and mosques from the latter period can still be seen.

3. By the second half of the 15th century, trade from Mikindani extended as far as Malawi, Zambia, Angola and Zaire. Products exported included ivory, animal skins, turtles and copper. Clothing, household items and weapons were imported.

4. The Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park covers approximately 200 square kilometers of sea and 400 square kilometers of land, with a number of villages on top. These villages – traditionally dependent on shipping – are now part of the decision-making process.

5. The Livingstone House in Mikindani never housed Livingstone and was erected long after his departure. It is likely that Livingstone’s final point of departure would in fact have been near the village of Pemba on the north side of the lagoon’s mouth rather than this location in central Mikindani.

6. The entire area was inaccessible for a long time and was completely off limits to tourists during the Mozambican Civil War (1977-1994). The area is now connected by a road with Dar es Salaam.

Activities

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.

Animals in the area

Mikindani is located on the coast, close to the pristine Mnazi Bay Marine Park.

Common animals include hundreds of tropical fish, corals, dolphins, and giant tortoises.

Click here for the wildlife overview