I guess it's probably a coincidence, but many of my favourite places start with a K: Kurisa Moya, Kokopelli, Kolkol Mountain lodge, and now, recently, Kilwa Kisiwani.
I just spent the most remarkable week in Tanzania visiting Kilwa Kisiwani. We were on what is a called a ‘mission’ - a modern day one at least, no religious overtones – to do a quick situational analysis of Kilwa Kisiwani, an old arab sea port island in Southern Tanzania.
I was advising from a tourism perspective, and was with a Kenyan colleague from the African World Heritage Fund, who was investigating what needs to happen to get Kilwa Kisiwani off the UNESCO World Heritage Site at risk list (the ruins are being affected by seawave action, and the islanders are not yet benefiting from the trickle of tourism).
We were accompanied by a senior official from the Tanzanian ministry of antiquities. John is not only a conservator, but a spritical healer and a baptist minister too. Grace, a hairdresser from Mombasa, was accompanying Jacob from the AWHF, and joined us in many of the meetings too.
Kilwa is not very touristy. Local fishermen are still active in the area, and there was a low key fishing village adjacent to the bungalows where we were staying. The beaches are gorgeous; the water warm. What makes this district not just your usual beautiful beach tourism destination is an island of ruins: Kilwa Kisiwani. (There also happen to other islands and heritage sites even less discovered- but that's for another trip).
Kilwa has layers of history starting with an Arab dynasty that built most of the amazing structures: domed mosques, palaces, etc. Then came the Portuguese and Germans. There was trade in rhino horn, gold, ivory, and sadly, a period of slave trading too (dominated by French and Omani merchants).
Despite the many colonizers over the years, the Tanzanians I met were absolutely charming to this mzungu. We met community groups including traditional food preparers, and crafters. We also met the Ruins committee from the island; and we met local and national government.
The name 'Kilwa' apparently comes from the sound the sea makes when it breaks on the shore and then retreats: Kil-wa; Kil-wa. Quite cool although don't be misled, the sea action is gentle compared to the stormy Cape of Good Hope (although obviously serious enough to be a threat to the ruins).
We stayed at Kimbilio lodge which had rustic pink bungalows practically on the beach, and the italian style food plus fresh seafood each night. Mmm...
So Kilwa is definitely up there in the list of 'must-see' places. I feel quite conflicted about the advent of tourism though. It will create jobs, but the taught skills in the area are few, and the jobs are likely to be badly paid. Often local people get menial work which means they are slighlty less poor from an income perspective, but still very poor really. Added to this, they may be moved off land (and it's not impossible they sell it voluntarily at a rate way below a market value), lose access to their livelihoods (such as fishing), and find great change afflicts their communities when 'development' arises.
I don't romanticise rural poverty, but 'development' is a double-edged sword, particularly when government and its institutions are n't robust enough to redistribute properly, or rapidly improve basic services.
So it's with uneasiness that i tell you that you have about 5 years, I would guess, before Kilwa gets on the tourist map. Let's hope that we can get some progressive and responsible business practices to take root now before the investors, and foreign tourists flock in and the treasure race is well and truly 'on'.
The reason I say 5 years: they are busy fixing the road from Dar which is the major hurdle at the moment. Only 333 kms south of Dar, the drive to Kilwa takes close to 6 hours as 60kms are unpaved and practically unpassable. Expect lots of motion sickness for those 60kms. This makes me think of what Bulungula has posted on their website, "heaven is by definition difficult to get to".
So go to Kilwa, but tread lightly.
