OUR DESTINATIONS
Let us help you find your perfect holiday by phoning us on
We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
Alternatively, check out some of our holiday offers below.
- Destinations
- Africa
- Tanzania
- Zanzibar
- Mangapwani Caves
Mangapwani Caves
After the abolition of slavery in 1897, the industry literally
went underground and the Mangapwani Caves stand testament to this
with a natural cave and a man-made cavern on site used for the
incarceration of slaves. The slaves were kept here until they were
secretly transported to cargo ships and delivered to slave markets
across Europe and the Indian subcontinent. The first is a large
natural cave with a freshwater pool and the man-made cavern is a
dank, dark cell with few air vents protruding above ground. After
50 slaves were forced inside, poles were fitted into gouges above
their heads and planks were laid down so that another 50 men could
be crammed in on top. To gain some insight into the unspeakable
living conditions of slaves in the 1800s in east Africa, it's best
to make a turn at Mangapwani.
Information & Facts
Address
The caves are located 12 miles (20km) north of Stone
Town
Language
Swahili and English are the official languages. Several
indigenous languages are also spoken.
Money
The official unit of currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS),
divided into 100 cents. The tourism industry prices everything in
US Dollars and they are the preferred unit of currency. Major
currencies can be exchanged in the larger towns. Foreign exchange
bureaux in the main towns usually offer a better rate on travellers
cheques than do the banks. ATMs are available in major cities only.
Major lodges, some hotels and travel agents in urban areas accept
credit cards, but these should not be relied on and can incur a 10%
surcharge.
Time