TRAVEL : The desolate beauty of Tanga

We had spent 72 hours in Tanga admiring the coastal scenery in which the light and the colours of the natural surroundings seemed almost impossible to comprehend.

To the west are the range of Usambara Mountains with their amazing views, rain forests, and the Amani Nature Reserve. The Amboni Caves, just a short drive from Tanga town, are a range of 150 million year old limestone caves. The Tongoni Ruins, a 10th century mosque with the largest collection of tombs of their type in East Africa, are just down the road to Pangani.

From exhilarating flavours to inspiring cultures and landscapes, the tropical experience to portray a celebration of Tanga’s life at its lightest and brightest. Yet its outstanding diverse flora and fauna and a few footprints of prehistoric life makes a visit to Tanga incredibly exciting.

Up and across the north-eastern coast are pockets of development on long stretches of white sand; historic villages, with new business expansions to serve the locals.

The stay in Tanga was incredibly relaxing The atmosphere was something that we were also impressed with. The evening time came just too quickly after a day of relaxing. We bonded even more while trading life stories, meeting a few interesting people and enjoying drinks and yummy food (prawns, fish and coconut rice menus) at different places including Forodhani restaurant at Jamhuri park downtown. The Raskazone beach front located near Tanga CBD, is an irresistible spot for beach lovers, a must-visit place. Here the beachfront with its boats and local dhow in the distance and waves bashing against them, contrasts beautifully with the tranquil blue waters of the Indian Ocean.

It is favoured by many visitors because of its clear water, kilometres of coast and the untouched beauty, it’s a perfect place for a solitary walk, a picnic with family or simply an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

In one of the days we visited the Peponi beach camp and lodge, one of the tourist hotspot in the region. The Peponi’s beach is positioned facing towards the Pemba channel, a famous fishing channel, situated within an area known for swimming, kayaking and snorkelling through tropical reefs, taking in the rich marine life.

To get there we drove through the winding Pangani road, through bush and traditional local villages. Peponi, located nearly 30 kms south of Tanga town, is a Swahili word for Paradise, according to Carys, the manager, who was happy to introduce us to one of her staff to take us on a guided tour.

We walked around the tranquillity of the camp and lodge. The sprawling area is gorgeous with Bougainvillea, mangroves, mango, coconut palm trees dotting the grounds and a view of the Indian Ocean only a few feet away.

I liked the laid-back atmosphere and relaxed vibe in the permanent safari tents as well as the eight en suite bandas that offers accommodation at the resort. The grounds around are surrounded by beautiful plants and lawn gardens. The room decor was absolutely amazing and the general standard being astoundingly high.

Within the area a huge beachfront camping space is reserved for camping activities. Just nearby a local fishing village, our guide said, Next door to the campsite is a local village Kigombe, our guide said, the fishermen go out each day returning with their fresh catch to sell to campers. Kigombe is the oldest fishing village in Tanzania, offering insight into the history and nature of the area. The swimming pool and bar near the beachfront are some of the alluring elements for visitors here. The Indian ocean breeze blew through the leaves and it was such a unique combination to see leafy green trees growing in the sand with little waves lapping at the bases.

On the beach at low tide, we walked out of the swamp grove of trees that was so cool to see. The creatures and shells we saw were so fun. There were small popping sounds as bubbles from underneath made their way to the surface and popped in the wet sand.

The owners of the facility offer boat trips, including the traditional dhow (ngalawa) for fishing, sailing out in the morning and returning after a long’s day’s work to the outer reefs and Sand Island. An experienced marine biologist joins the passengers on-board to explain the sea creatures and abundance of marine life. Dhow boat excursion venture to ‘Sand Island’ in the Sea gives visitors the remainder of seafarers who patronized this area from the 13th up to the 16th century.

For visitors needing some relaxation or solace, Tanga with the beach, sun, fun and laid-back local vibes is the destination to head.

E-mail: [email protected]