I
first traveled in Kilwa Masoko in my 20’s, doing the backpacker thing and
slumming it on local transport so that I could make my travels last as long as
possible. 14 years later on, I decided to do it in style.
I
chose Tanzania, partly because of the political stability and the rich history
but also because of the fact that my wife hates to travel places where where
can’t speak the language. Everyone speaks English here and the country offers
up some of the best wildlife bio diversity and also boasts the biggest mountain
in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is the perfect place for an off-the-beaten path
holiday.
We
decided to base ourselves in Masoko Pwani in the Kilwa district. Located in the
south of Tanzania, Kilwa Masoko is easy to get to and close to everything you
could ever want to see in Tanzania. We found an amazing place called The KilwaBeach Lodge and decided that would be our base for exploring the region. We
booked ourselves into one of the beautiful beachside Bandas that are built in
the traditional style, but don’t skimp at all on luxury. Definitely a far cry
from my last travels in Africa.
We
had a week to explore. But after talking to the staff at the resort, I felt we
probably should have stayed for 2 weeks instead. Such as it is when you only
have a weeks holiday. Our first venture out was to the ancient ruins of Kilwa Kisiwaniand Songo Mnara. This place is a must see. Located on a small island just a
short way from our resort, Kilwa was at one time the most powerful city on the
East African coast. It changed hands between many political powers over it’s
almost 1000 year history, but the ruins are in a surprisingly good state.
We
were lured by the pristine beaches and the fantastic food at the Kilwa Lodge
and ended up spending two days just relaxing and eating and walking on the
beach. It was pretty easy to do, the beach goes on forever and the bar at the
resort has some of the most delicious mango and watermelon cocktails you could
ever want. We probably could have spent the rest of our holiday right there.
But
by the forth day we decided we had to take advantage of the fact that we were
in Africa. We took a day trip to the mangroves to see the hippos. I have never
seen anything quite like it, hundreds of these massive creatures lazing around
in the water.
Another
night of those wicked cocktails and a dinner at or resort. We had delicious
Swahili food, a first for my wife, and tried to decided what to do with the few
days we had left there. I am a certified diver but my wife doesn’t like the
idea. So we decided that I would go for a dive on the reef and she would sit on
the beach for a day. The diving was great, crystal clear visibility and
mountains of fish.
We
had just 2 days left, and even though we thoroughly enjoyed our beach time, we
slightly regretted not having spent those days doing things. We had really
wanted to do a trip to the Selouis game reserve, but we really needed more
time, to perhaps do an overnight trip. We ended up exploring the local markets
and eating yet more delicious food.
We
didn’t mind though. We loved our stay at the lodge, for me it was a return to
Africa the way I had always wanted to. Please see their great tripadvisor reviews
