SAADANI NATIONAL PARK
This is Tanzania's first coastal wildlife sanctuary containing many indigenous species, including Liechtenstein’s hartebeest and the rare Roosevelt sable.A good population of elephants in Saadani, as do several herds of buffalo and numerous large groups of hippopotamus and crocodiles. Lion, leopard, hyena, giraffe, and other large herbivores can easily be seen while the birdlife is extensive. Bottle-nose dolphins are common off the southern coast of the park; whales pass via the Zanzibar channel in October and November and green turtles breed at Madeta beach.
AMANI FOREST NATURE RESERVE
Amani Forest Nature Reserve has a wonderful collection of birds, butterflies, and plants, some of which are only found here. Black and white Colubus, blue monkey, nine species of African violet, and the Nduk Eagle owl (a species only found in Amani) are just a few of the many animals found in the nature reserve.
BAGAMOYO
Bagamoyo is a former capital of German East Africa and a world heritage site. Possessing a natural harbor ideal for sailing vessels and dhows, it was once the center of the notorious slave trade. Originally an Arab residence, it was at one time an old prison where slaves were herded through underground tunnels to waiting dhows. The city was also the starting point for the first European explorers on their way to search for the source of the Nile. Livingstone, Burton, and Speke all passed through the area. The mission has a museum with a wonderful collection of photographs and mementos relating to Livingstone and German Colonial times. A house where Henry Morton Stanley once lived a century ago can be seen in solitary splendor near the beach. Livingstone's body was laid to rest here before being taken first to Zanzibar and then to England.
AMBONI CAVES
The Amboni Caves are a magical place filled with intrigue and historical significance. Ten limestone caves carved beautifully into the earth makeup Amboni Caves, which formed during the Jurassic Age some 150 million years ago. The Amboni Cave system is the most extensive found in all of Africa and makes for an interesting stop on a Tanzanian holiday, especially for those travelers interested in the Jurassic Age.