homepage   |    about mafia   |    history & culture   |    nature   |    kinasi   |    activities   |    excursions   |    doing nothing   |    logistics & services Home :: excursions :: Kilwa Day Excursion   Kilwa Day Excursion Our interest in East African history inevitably drew us to Kilwa, the original city state of the historic Azania trade route. The Kilwa ruins are the most extensive, interesting and varied of the archaeological sites of East Africa, and here centuries of history can be explained and appreciated, especially for the cultural advancement achieved over a thousand years ago. You can download information on Kilwa in PDF format here [Kilwa]. You will need a version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this document, however if you don't click here to install the latest version.   Kilwa is 75 km south of Mafia and about 30 minutes by light aircraft.   Kilwa harbour and its environs are stunningly beautiful. We now have a wonderful site overlooking the entrance to Kilwa 'roads' the entrance to the harbour, and are building a beautiful guest 'palace' there.   We can now offer day excursions to Kilwa from Mafia, leaving Mafia early in the morning after breakfast, and returning at sunset. A seafood barbecue lunch will keep your energy up after trekking the ruins, which are spread over two kilometers on Kilwa Kivinje, a small island opposite the town of Kilwa and within the harbour. Additional extensive ruins are at Songo Mnara, some distance by boat (approximately one hour) from Kilwa.   The visitor can immediately see why Kilwa made such a fabulous harbour and revictualling port for mariners during the era of sail. Its long protected entrance can be negotiated safely in any waters, and once in the lee of the entrance the waters are calm and deep. The sandy beach at Jimbiza would have provided an excellent site for beaching wooden ships to clean hulls of toledo worm and barnaclse, and recaulk the joints. Meanwhile the business of buying grains, beans, livestock, chickens and other food for the onward journey would have been going on.   Kilwa was a thriving metropolis before William the Conqueror was able to unite England and here a cultured and educated society existed independently, thousands of miles from the nearest Arab, Persian or Indian port.   Beads, coins and pottery from over a thousand years of civilization and trade litter the shore and can readily be picked-up and identified. French and Japanese financial and technical assistance are being employed at present to clear and take care of ten ruins and establish a small museum and visitor centre.   The excursion needs to be booked in advance, email us for a quotation.   [ Top of page ] Entrance Kilway harbo... [+]   the Great Mosque, Kil... [+]   Omani fort, Kilwa [+]   Where is Kinasi Gallery CONTACT US Prices and Special Offers Enquiries & bookings Useful Web Links SIte Map