Songo Songo Archipelago

Location: Songo Songo Archipelago, South Tanzania

Overview

The Songo Songo Island is an Archipelago, located in Kilwa District one of the six districts of Lindi Region in Tanzania, covering an area of 8.5 km2 (3.3 sq mi) with an average elevation of 11m(36ft).

The archipelago is a collection of 21 coral reefs which include 4 coral islands namely:

Fanjove
Nyuni Island
Songo Songo
Okuza Island.

The Island is accessible through Songo Songo Airstrip and acts a private airport on the island, it has since November 2020, served by Coastal Aviation along with nearby Mafia Island and the Fanjove Island is accessible from Songo Songo Airstrip, a short ride to the shoreline for a 45-minute boat or dhow trip across to Fanjove island.

The island is inhabited by the Matumbi people, named after the Matumbi caves, who are independent in spirit, proud and honest people who are Sunni Muslims. Many are forest dwellers, and herbalist, understanding the use of 200 medicinal native plants, whilst other live in a ward of five or six villages in traditional huts. They are known to work on the farms and some are fishermen.

The islands plant life includes coconut trees, scrubland, and inhabited by countless birds a fabulous sandy beach of 4 sq kms and 3,500 inhabitants. The main island has several smaller islands that form the Songo Songo Archipelago and are an ecological hotspot for sea turtles and birds.

The island has an impressive population of corals thrive in the waters around the Rufiji Delta of the Mafia Archipelago and the coast around Kilwa Masoko, now declared a Wetland of international importance.

The Uniqueness of this Island

The island is an ecological location of activity for sea turtles nesting and marine birds.
The band of fringe reef protects the island from the open ocean and stretches about 40kms.
The is the main island of the archipelago of the Songo Songo Islands.

Accommodation Options