Kilwa travel guide

Background

Kilwa Kisiwani contains the ruins of a 13th-century city of the Shirazi civilization, which is well preserved and documented. The town was founded at the end of the 10th century by Shirazis , and flourished with the core of commercial activity based on the trade of gold from Sofala (in present-day Mozambique). It grew to be the largest town on the south coast and prospered to the extent that Kilwa could maintain an independent status with its own sultan and coinage.

The large stone town that grew up thrived and the architecture was striking. The largest pre-European building in equa- torial Africa was located here – the Husuni Kubwa. However, Kilwa’s fortunes were reversed in the 14th century. Vasco da Gama was said to have been impressed by the buildings of Kilwa and in 1505 a large Portuguese fleet arrived and took the town by force. Their aim was to take control of the Sofala gold trade and they did this by erecting a garrison and establishing a trading post in the town from where they set up a gold trade link with the interior. Without the gold trade the Shirazi merchants were left with little to keep the wealth growing and the town quickly went into decline. Having taken over the gold trade, and thus triggering the decline of the town, the Portuguese decided there was little point in staying in Kilwa, now an out-post that was expensive to maintain. So they withdrew and continued the gold trade from further afield.

Deprived of the main source of income, the town continued to decline. In 1589 disaster struck when a nearby tribe, the Zimba, attacked the town, killing and eating many of the inhabitants. In the 17th century, with the arrival of the Oman Arabs, Kilwa began to revive and many of the buildings were taken over by the sultans as palaces. The slave trade made a significant impact on this area and Kilwa Kivinje on the mainland flourished from the caravan route from the interior, which terminated at the port.

Getting around

The town is split between Kilwa Kisiwani (Kilwa on the Island), 2 km off- shore; Kilwa Kivinje (Kilwa of the Casuarina Trees) on the mainland; and Kilwa Masoko (Kilwa of the Market), which was built as an administrative centre on a peninsula and is the site of the main present-day town. There is a superb beach a stone’s throw from Kilwa Masoko centre and another, even better, one a few miles north of the town (ask for Masoko pwani). There are frequent minibuses or pickups between Kilwa Kivinje and Kilwa Masoko.

Ins and outs

Getting there

The road from Dar es Salaam to Kilwa is part tar, part dirt. There is now a new bridge over the Rufiji river so there is no more hassle catching ferries or buses waiting overnight at the crossing. The road from Dar has improved too but there is a 60 km stretch about 180 km north of Kilwa, which is still very rough and takes three hours. The journey takes about eight to ten hours, depending on the weather. Buses go direct from the Ubungo Bus Station in Dar at 0500 and cost US$15. Confirm exact departure time and book a ticket the day before you travel. Alternatively, take one of the numerous buses heading for destinations south of Kilwa, such as Mtwara, Lindi or Nachingwea. These leave Dar between 0700 and 0900. Again it is advisable to book at least a day in advance. Seats closer to the front are recommended as the going is rough. This bus will drop you off at Nangurukuru, a village 12 km from Kilwa Masoko, from where you have to transfer to a minibus or pickup to complete the journey (US$1).

Coastal Air flies to Kilwa from Dar at 1500 (two hours) if there are enough passengers needing the service. It’s always best to check with Coastal before making firm plans. A charter is a possibility, particularly for groups.

Kilwa

Air

Coastal Air, T022-284 2700, T023-201 3004 (Kilwa), http://www.coastal.cc, flies between Kilwa and Dar (2 hrs) via Mafia (45 mins). The flight leaves Kilwa at 1630.

Note

The plane will only call at Kilwa if there are enough passengers needing the service, so it’s always best to check with Coastal before making firm plans. A charter is a possibility, particularly for groups.

Bus

Buses go direct from Kilwa to the Ubungo bus station in Dar, at 0500 (8-10 hrs, US$15). Confirm exact departure time and book a ticket the day before you travel. There are some direct buses south to Lindi, Mtwara and Masasi, although they’re few and far between and you may have to catch buses coming from Dar at Nangurukuru. They start arriving from about 1400 onwards. The journey takes 5 hrs minimum as the road is poor. You’ll be lucky to get a seat.