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Dar Es Salaam

Dar es Salaam is a patchwork of past and contemporary cultures with Eastern, German and British influence - Eastern in the shops and Bazaars of India street, German in the almost Bavarian Railway station and the post telegraph offices, British in the legacy of flowers and gardens. It is fundamentally, however, a Swahili city. The first quality of the city that the visitor notices is the extreme friendliness of the people - beaming smiles enthusiastic conversation at the drop of a hat
The word Dar es Salaam is Kiswahili for 'Haven of Peace'. The city's natural harbour and its central location on the coast made it a natural choice for a trading centre. Sultan Majid bin Said of Zanzibar had planned to develop the harbour in 1866. German colonists revived the Sultan's plan in 1887.
Dar es Salaam is the largest city and the political and economic capital of Tanzania. Located in a quiet bay off the Indian Ocean coast, the city has grown in economic importance to become a prosperous centre of the entire East African region.
The city displays the many influences of its history. Its mixture of Arabic, Asian and European history gives a special atmosphere to surroundings, streets and life. A tour though the city to experience the true warmth and hospitality of the people of Dar es Salaam is a must!

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Pemba Island

Pemba Island is 50 kms north of Zanzibar and is famous for its spices and coconuts. Isolated from Arab and then European colonization, it has remained completely untouched and unspoiled by any modern development. This sleepy island is an ideal place for a honeymoon or just to relax and unwind. For the more energetic, Pemba is listed as one of the top diving locations in the world. It has without doubt some of the clearest water in the world and most beautiful reefs. Although part of the Zanzibar archipelago, Pemba is a destination in and of itself with numerous surrounding islands and islets spread all along its coast. Pemba has some of the world's best diving and fishing and because it is not as traveled as its more famous neighbor, Zanzibar, it is that much more pristine.
The island is also dotted with ruins dating to the 7th century, when Arab traders built permanent mosques to spread Islam. Pemba has been an important trading center along the Swahili coast for 3,000 years and once played a major role in trade with Persian Gulf countries and India
The warm Indian Ocean waters surrounding Pemba Island are home to thousands of species of tropical fish and exotic marine life. Pemba is renowned not only for its pristine and un-spoilt coral reefs but also for its vertical coral cliffs, which plummet to depths of more than 800 meters. Underwater visibility often reaches 40 meters or more. Looking over the precipice of some of the outer walls can be a mind-blowing experience. Watch out for the vertigo! There is a stunning wreck dive available to the south of Pemba Island at Panza, which is home to large groupers and Napoleon wrasse.
On a low tide, walking along the sand flats will reveal an astonishing array of inter-tidal wildlife. This is particularly interesting for bird watchers as the waders, such as herons, ibises and egrets, flock to the area to hunt for small invertebrates and fish left behind on the sands and in the shallow sea pools. You can sometimes see the beautiful fish-eagle circling overhead and hear the shrieking of the brown-headed parrot in the trees. Other things to discover include many different shells, crabs, starfish and the peculiar mudskipper, a fish that can skip across the sands on its pectoral fins.
Other activities include traditional dhow sailing trips, which are popular at sunset. Sail around the Island on a wooden dhow, listen to the wind in the sails and the water lapping around the dhow as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean, turning the skies into a myriad of colours

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Ras Kutani

Set on a crescent of white sandy beach, flanked by a freshwater lagoon and a coastal forest, approximately 35km south of Dar es Salaam, Ras Kutani offers the perfect hideaway and the rare commodity of pristine deserted beaches.
Accommodation is in 12 charming, spacious cottages each individually handcrafted using local natural material are situated under the cooling canopy of indigenous trees and offer ocean and lagoon views. Each en suite bathroom has cupboard space, large dressing area, hot and cold fresh water showers. Each cottage has a large front veranda with Swahili daybeds and hammocks.
The four (4) Upepo suites offer an idyllic sanctuary for the safari-weary traveler in search of tropical respite and castaway comfort. Set apart from the main lodge, perched amidst tropical forest on the hill behind, each suite comes with its own private areas and signature Sultan's bed and verandahs come bejeweled with a private dip pool against an infinity backdrop.
The guest area is a soaring thatched structure affording superb views of the beach, lagoon and the ocean. Sink into soft pillow seats for pre-dinner drinks or a post- lunch nap as Ras Kutani is truly ‘Home-away-from-Home’.
Chefs pride themselves on preparing fresh ‘fruits of the ocean’ fare as well as Pan African cuisine. While relaxation is the keynote at Ras Kutani, a full range of activities is on offer for the more active - body boarding, surfing, snorkeling or explore the fresh water lagoon on a kayak, horse rides along the beach or through the bush and local plantations, nature walks through indigenous coastal forest, guided walks to local inland or fishing village along the coast, deep Sea fishing or full day excursions to Latham island and Zanzibar Channel.
The coastal forest is home to Colobus, Vervet and Sykes Monkey as well as Baboons, Wild Pigs and the elusive Civet Cats, rock pools offer a treasure chest of ocean delights and whales and dolphins are frequent visitors to these shores. Turtles still come to nest along the shore of Ras Kutani in season, with opportunities for interested guests to become involved in the projects that continue to look out for their welfare.