Bagamoyo was once the centre of slave trade and ivory trading. It was the last point reached by the caravans of the slaves who arrived here for transportation to faraway places. Today, this attractive coastal town still bears reminders of its past-the fortified house where slaves were kept while waiting for transportation still stands, as does the tree under which they were brought and sold.
The town of Bagamoyo was one of the most important trading ports on the East African coast and the penultimate stop of slave and ivory caravans traveling on foot from Lake Tanganyika on their way to Zanzibar. Missionaries active in abolishing the slave trade made Bagamoyo, whose name means ‘bury my heart’ in Kiswahili, a centre of their activities.
These days, Bagamoyo is now a centre for dhow sailboat building on the Tanzanian coast. A quiet village with a few German colonial buildings still standing, in the past, the town of Bagamoyo was one of the most important trading ports on the entire East African coast. Its port was the penultimate stop of slave and ivory caravans that traveled on foot all the way from Lake Tanganyika. Once the caravans reached Bagamoyo, the slaves and ivory were shipped by dhow to Zanzibar, where they were then dispatched all over the world.
It is possible to take boat trips from Bagamoyo to the Ruvu River Delta of which you can see several species of mangroves and water birds. Hippos also swim in the Ruvu water and you’ll catch glimpses of them along the shore and in the water.
The Bagamoyo Beaches are unspoiled, white sand beaches. All of the lodges are located along the beach. Visits to the historical sites can be done in the mornings, returning to the lodge for lunch, and relaxing on the beach during the afternoons.