The Old Boma

The Old Boma is Mikindani's crown jewel and one of the most atmospheric buildings on the Tanzanian coast. The thick coral-stone walls and heavy wooden doors of this German colonial fort have been meticulously restored by Trade Aid, a UK development organization that has turned it into a guesthouse and community enterprise. Even if you're not staying here, the building is worth a visit.

The Livingstone connection is genuine and moving: this is where the explorer rested before his final and fatal journey inland in 1866. A small museum section within the building documents Livingstone's final expedition and the broader history of Mikindani as a Swahili trading port. The rooftop views over the bay and the old town are excellent.

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A story
In March 1866, David Livingstone arrived in Mikindani to begin his last expedition — the journey from which he would never return. He rested in the building that is now the Old Boma before heading inland toward Lake Malawi and ultimately to his death at Chitambo in 1873. A German colonial administration later rebuilt the structure as a fort; the thick coral-stone walls and arched doorways date from that era.

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