Mikandani is a quiet, charming Swahili town with a long history, lots of coconut groves and a picturesque bay. With very little tourist infrastructure in this area, this makes an ideal base for exploring the surrounding countryside. The town itself was the administrative capital of the region during the German colonial times.

The Old Boma was the administration headquarters and has now been turned into a luxury hotel run by a charity with truly helpful community projects. Mikandani has come to prominence recently as a gateway to Tanzania's most recently gazetted national park Mnazi Bay - Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park .

This marine park is a sun worshipper's paradise with some of the best beaches in Tanzania. For the more adventurous, diving is available on virgin coral reefs containing over 400 marine species. The ultimate aim of this national park is to protect all the reefs from Mafia Island in Tanzania to Pemba in Mozambique.

Accommodation at Mikindani, southern Tanzania

The Old Boma