Mainland Coast

Tanzania’s coastal vegetation is lush and dotted amongst it are many small farming villages, where clusters of thatched huts stand under palm and papaya trees. Travelling out of the bustling city of Dar es Salaam, you’ll leave the city surprisingly quickly and tar will give way to gravel, and pavements to swaying palm trees. The pace of life slows as you pass stalls piled high with fruit and vegetables.

Why visit Tanzania’s Mainland Coast?

• Good snorkelling and ocean boat trips to offshore islands.
• Uncommercialised, off the beaten track atmosphere.
• Small, boutique Swahili-style beach lodges.
• Excellent bird watching and coastal game viewing at Saadani.

Located on the Indian Ocean coast to the north of Bagamoyo, Saadani is Tanzania’s newest 1000 sq. km national park. This is a unique area with an extraordinary diversity of scenery and wildlife, with beach, bush and river combining to produce a colourful array of ecosystems. Elephants have been known to cavort on the beach and just a stone’s throw from the open sea, hippos wallow in the estuary of the Wami River.