Southern Tanzania Safari - Explore the Exotic Mnazi Bay Marine Park

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 ·

By Sam Njihia

The Southern coast of Tanzania is a favorite travel destination among Tanzania safari enthusiasts especially those looking to avoid the tourist crowds in the northern national parks and game reserves. Mtwara, a small Swahili town, and the surrounding beaches, together with the tranquil Mnazi Bay Marine Park make for quiet alternative to larger beach destinations to the country's north.

If you are an adventure travel enthusiast, you can have lots of fun in Southern Tanzania. The experience of traveling in the African country without the usual tourist crowds is in itself very rewarding. You get to explore such sites as unspoilt beaches on the Indian ocean coast, a number of swahili ruins, among other attractions.

Mtwara is the gateway into Southern Tanzania for tourism and business alike. Access to and from Dar es Salaam is easy with frequent and regular flights and sailings. Mtwara is a laid back town and is spread out over a large area. The town is close to the Mnazi Bay Marine Park where it is possible to experience some of the most isolated dive sites on the coast. The town makes an excellent stop-over for trips to the Marine Park.

Mnazi bay was once known as the place to pick up dhow transport to Mozambique. Nowadays, visitors are motivated more by the miles of white sand and the presence of coral reefs close to the shore, which provide excellent snorkeling - even at low tide is good for exploring the coral reefs.

There is a profuse bird life in the Mnazi Bay Marine park, with waders being the most abundant. Common bird species found here include the Zanzibar black-bellied glossy-starling, the brown-headed parrot, the mangrove kingfisher, the crab clover, and the greater sand-clover.

The area is recognized as being internationally important for its biodiversity, with a variety of mangroves, sea grass beds and coral reefs that provide livelihoods to the local communities. Mnazi bay is quite shallow and just to the north of the Ruvuma River.

Mnazi bay is protected on the seaward side by the Rawira peninsula to the south and by a series of small islands to the north. The government of Tanzania is looking to the future and plan to develop the area for tourism " it is an ideal location to unwind after a game safari in the Southern Circuit of Tanzania. The local communities are extensively involved in the running of the park which will ensure that the local communities benefit from tourism.

Dar es Salaam city is the main international gateway for Southern Tanzania travel. Also referred to as Haven of Peace, the city can be accessed by flight from Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Addis Ababa. There are several airlines that operate flights to Dar es Salaam from such airports as Kilimanjaro international airport, which is also a hub for international flights to Tanzania. By sea, you can travel to Dar es Salaam from Mombasa by means of the daily ferry service between the two cities.

About the Author:

0 comments:

Make Money Online