SCUBA DIVING HOLIDAYS IN KILWA BAY

Kilwa Bay is recognized as the most beautiful bay in southern Tanzania. The white sand, the smooth climate, old style fisherman’s village and outstanding wonders of the African luxurious vegetation are just the edge of the fascinating environment the visitor is confronted with, once looking the panorama. Kilwa is famous in the world for deep sea fishing and is becoming the last frontier for top divers.

The coral reef, uncontaminated and unexploited, offers to the astonished eyes of a diver what he has been looking for in the last decade; a really coloured, vital and peaceful submarine paradise. The chance of swimming in the crystal waters with a giant manta, huge sea turtles and all sorts of joyfully coloured fishes becomes reality once you decide to put a foot into the water.
Kilwa Bay is situated just near the Kilwa Masoko village. The village is quite developed, and offers typical views of East Africa friendly and joyful lifestyle. There are a market place, a bank, gas stations, and typical places where to have a quite beer watching the sunrise, over the Harbour.

Kilwa Ruins (UNESCO world heritage site) the remains of two great East African ports admired by early European explorers are situated on two small islands near the coast. From the 13th to the 16th century, the merchants of Kilwa dealt in gold, silver, pearls, perfumes, Arabian crockery, Persian earthenware and Chinese porcelain; much of the trade in the Indian Ocean thus passed through their hands.

KIMBILIO LODGE

The Kimbilio Lodge is a new opportunity for divers, sun lovers, and people that deserve a special time in East Africa. The Lodge has been conceived to offer the visitor a unique sensation of peace and privacy. You will feel comfortable from the first very moment you will land in this corner of paradise.

The Italian management ensures real Italian style merged with a sound African experience, bringing to life a magic mixture of colours, flavours and sensations, to make your stay a unique experience. No detail has been left behind; each piece of the furniture is unique, as almost all has been done by hand with creativity and style leaving creativity free to fly high as a fishing eagle.

The bungalows are round circled with real African makuti roof, of the size of western apartments, for hosting from one to four guests. No corners appear for a smooth sensation of fluid feelings. The inheritance of the African mud houses has been preserved, although comforts do not lack. Each bungalow allows the visitor to have a private sea view, and the Lodge white sand beach could host 100 times the Lodge capacity. The Restaurant-Bar-Lounge, round circled as well, offers repair from the sun, cold drinks, international and specific Italian specialities, and on top of all, an ambiance you will never forget.

Spa: Kimbilio Lodge has a Spa centre where to have relaxing massages, facials, manicure and hairdresser

DIVE CENTRE

Only one in a 200 miles radius, has brand new equipment, Bauer compressor, aluminium 14lt tanks. They dive with groups of max 6 at one time and can do double dive in the morning and double dive in the afternoons.

THE DIVING

Diving in Kilwa is a great experience for all divers, just a few hundred yards from Kimbilio Lodge. Kilwa gives a great diversity with numerous options ranging from shallow dives, deep dives, caves, to drift dives and archaeological dives. Visibility is always above 20 mt.

Coral Garden:
About 30 min by boat, at the northern edge of the bay lays a fantastic Coral Garden; in shallow waters, from 8 to 16 mt. has a great variety of corals, brain, fans, soft and hard. Tridacna Gigas, clown fish, lion fish, morays, spotted mantas just to mention few.

White tip corner:
The Coral Garden ends with a soft slope to reach the White tip Corner. Is a wonderful dive between 18 and 25 mt. where the currents of the bay and the Indian Ocean meet creating a perfect spot where to see turtles as well as predators such as the White and Black tip sharks lying on the bottom. Barracudas, Mantas and often many friendly dolphins enjoy having a bit of fun with divers.

Henry’s lane:
Coming into the bay from the Coral Garden, about 20 min. ride from the Kimbilio Lodge Henry’s Lane is a great drift dive. Named after his discoverer, after a couple of hundred yards in the shallow waters covered with corals Henry’s Lane plunges down a wall covered with caves to about 22 mt. A gentle drift gives the idea of being at a cinema watching numerous schools of different coral fish passing by, as well as great coral formations.

Maurice Express:
Further into the bay from Henry’s lane, about 15 min. from the Kimbilio Lodge there is Maurice Express. Few yards after plunging into the warm waters of the Kilwa bay the wall goes down to about 18mt. It is a fast and fun truck, slightly demanding during spring tide. Easy to see predators approaching the reef in late afternoons.

Pinnacle Point:
Just out of the bay, on the south side, about 20 min. boat rides, there is one of the best dives of all! Between 8 and 22 mt., is a continuous discovery through large caves, pinnacles, hidden giant groupers, turtles, fan corals, morays, mantas and wonderful scenery.

Rukyira Spit:
Going north, outside the bay, about 50 min. away, there is a 3 miles long reef along the coast line; it gives the opportunity of several shallow and deep dives ranging from 12 to 25 mt. The reef is full of corals and pelagic fish, turtles and great mantas. During spring tides there is a smooth and enjoyable drift.

Rukyira Inn:
North of Rukyira Spit, an hour boat ride; there is the gate into an immaculate shallow bay with a sand bank only visible at low tide. Great for picnic is also pretty nice for a leisure dive and snorkelling, depths at no more than 12 mt., with few pinnacles, corals and a lot of fish wondering around.

Kilwa Ruins:
For centuries Kilwa Kiswani has been a centre of trade: spices, slaves and artefacts. Nearby the Kilwa Ruins is possible to have a shallow dive amongst the remains of potteries… and treasures are still to be discovered!

CLIMATE

Kilwa climate is very favorable and all you need to bring with you is t-shirts and one sweater for the evening. Temperature usually ranges from 24 to 30 C (75 to 86 F) all around the year, and the only uncomfortable period is the rain season from the beginning of April to the 1st half of June, when the lodge is closed. All the remaining periods are ideal for holiday, winter and summer, Easter and Christmas!

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