Tanzania kust | strandvakantie | pas geboren schildpad
The coast of Tanzania offers unparalleled diving opportunities, but the islands and mainland have much more in store for inquisitive travellers than beautiful coral reefs. For centuries, the coastal strip was famed for its slave and ivory trade, and it was here that David Livingstone began his campaign to have slavery abolished. Starting at Dar Es Salaam, the former capital of Tanzania, this coastline is in every respect a great place to explore. The centuries will melt away in Bagamoya, as the surroundings whisk you back in time to the Dar Es Salaam of old. Saadani National Park combines rich flora and fauna from the land with treasures from the sea.
Dodoma may be the new capital of Tanzania, but Dar Es Salaam is where it all happens. Life in Dar Es Salaam centres around its enormous port. It's fascinating to spend a few hours on the waterfront and watch how the local fisherman sail their dhows (traditional sailed fishing vessels) under the bows of ocean ships. The design of these vessels has remained unchanged through the centuries and dhows are dotted in the waters that lap the length of the East African coast.
The city is a vivid melting pot of Swahili, German, Asian and British architecture, each of which relates its own story about the city's colonial past. The name Dar Es Salaam means 'port of peace' and the name was given to what was then a small harbour town by the Sultan of Zanzibar in the second half of the 19th century. The sultan, Majid Bin Said, began building a large palace using coral blocks in 1866, but died in 1870 before construction work could be finished. The palace fell to ruin following his death. Seventeen years later, German colonists saw the potential of this deep-water port and captured Dar Es Salaam from the Arabs. With typical 'Gründlichkeit' (thoroughness), they laid an orderly pattern of streets around the port, established a hospital and built a Lutheran church and a cathedral. During World War I, the British captured Dar Es Salaam and - temporarily - changed its name to Tanganyika.
Dar Es Salaam does not have any noteworthy beach lodges. However, a great alternative is a stay in one of the beautiful, smaller lodges located on stunning, unspoilt beaches 75 kilometres southwards. The nicest way to get to these is by crossing the river by boat, which is an experience in itself.
Bagamoyo is two hours' drive north from Dar Es Salaam and was once home to the explorer David Livingstone. Bagamoyo makes you feel as though you've stepped back a few centuries in time, to the Dar Es Salaam of old. Bagamoyo is Ki Swahili for 'bury my heart', which is a reference to the notorious past of this port city; this is where slaves were shipped to the slave market on the Zanzibar Archipelago. This is also why UNESCO has added Bagamoyo to its World Heritage List, as a place of remembrance for human suffering. Different buildings in Bagamoyo bear witness to these times, such as the Caravan Serai, the Von Wissman block, the Old market, the Customs House and the Roman Catholic Museum; as does the Freedom Village on the Roman Catholic Mission. Nowadays dhows are built in Bagamoyo.
Situated in the historical triangle formed by Bagamoyo, Pangani and Zanzibar, Saadani National Park (1100 km2) is the only game reserve in Tanzania to be located on the coast. Although Saandani has been a protected area since 1969, it was expanded in 2002 to cover 1,100 km2 and was given the status of a national park twice its original size. Consequently, you are likely to view Sadaani National Park either as a beach destination that has the added extra of game or as safari destination that has sea views. The park contains all of the aspects that make the coast of Tanzania so appealing to European visitors: palm trees, white sandy beaches and clear blue waters. While you watch dhows sail lazily past on the sea, you can also admire the sight of sauntering elephants or a lion quenching its thirst at a water pool.
The expansion of the park now means that Zaraninge Forest also belongs to Saadani National Park. Before this took place, however, the forest was managed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), whose aim was the preservation of a huge botanical nature reserve that contained one of the last remaining rainforests on the Tanzanian coast.
The addition of Wami River to Sadaani National Park makes it possible for visitors to take boat trips through the mangrove forests and view a brightly coloured mix of river and sea birds. The beaches along the river form one of the last major green turtle breeding sites on mainland Tanzania.
