Tanzania Mainland Coast

Tanzania's mainland coast has, to the everyday tourist, been overshadowed by Zanzibar Island. Now, as Zanzibar becomes ever busier, discerning travellers look for new beach areas along the immense and beautiful Tanzania seaboard. Here ancient Swahili history, culture and hospitality combine with hundreds of miles of endless beaches and the warm Indian Ocean.

The Tanzanian north coast is a section of coast renowned for its quiet and excellent beaches, such as Pangani, Saadani, Ushongo and Bagamoyo. It is somewhat more accessible than the south coast, and regional airlines are now providing scheduled charters to most points of interest, where there are also many good beach hotels.

Pangani, 250 kilometres north of Dar es Salaam, is an anceint and unspoiled small town founded in 1820 at the mouth of the Pangani River. It occupies a wonderful river location, and with its walled waterfront and the Omani buildings, it is a great place to get out of the hustle and bustle of the main beach resorts. There are a couple of budget guesthouses on the beach front; Mkoma Bay is a short distance away and The Tides boutique hotel is about 40 minutes drive from town. We offer special packages to Pangani and The Tides and also you can combine those with a safari, including a Saadani NP safari - see below.        

Saadani National Park, a newly gazetted park, is located halfway between Pangani and Bagamoyo, and is among the only places in Tanzania where you might go on a morning safaro game drive before spending the afternoon snorkelling. This is not a place where you will come to see the ‘Big 5’, but it is the ideal place to combine a different safari with snorkelling, diving and relaxation - all in one day.

Bagamoyo is the closest that you will get to a typical beach resort in mainland Tanzania, situated on a strip of white, sandy beach that stretches as far as the eye can see. The old town has not changed a lot since the early 19th century, and offers a number of attractions. It is worth visiting the Holy Ghost Mission, Livingstone’s deathbed, which is now a museum on Bagamoyo’s history.  It is also worth visiting the nearby Kaole Ruins.

Tanzania’s far south coast has everything that you would expect from a tropical beach holiday with endless beaches lined with palm trees and offshore reefs. There are only two things that are missing from this scene, infrastructure and tourists.

The Island of Kilwa Kisiwani, about 300 km south of Dar es Salaam, is where you will find the superb medieval Kilwa Ruins. Kilwa was a very important gold-trading centre during the early 14th century. Here you will find beautiful Swahili architecture, including elaborate mosques, an old well system which is still in use, and a seafront fort dating back to the Portuguese occupation. Nearby Kilwa Kivinje is a beautiful old fishing village which dates back to the early 19th century, when it acted as an important coastal trading link.

Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park was gazetted in 2000 and extends over 650 square kilometres between the Ruvuma River and the Mozambique border. It is a great haven for marine birds and the offshore reefs offer more coral species than anywhere else in East Africa.