Mbudya is one amongst the four, the others are Bongoyo, Funguyasini and of course Pangavile which is restricted by the government of Tanzania, tourists are not allowed to set their foot on it.
People from all walks of life come to relax to these beautiful islands located to the north-coast of Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania off the Indian Ocean. I happened to visit Mbudya via the white sands hotel in Dar es Salaam at a cost of USD $10 per head.
(The old colonial tombs found on the island are a great attraction to tourist , Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
Cruising from White Sands Hotel took us only 10 minutes by speed boat though earlier I was told it was a 40 minutes sail, so I kept asking myself whether my colleague was just wanted to scare me with his 40 minutes.
I had earlier arranged to be accompanied by an official from the Marine Park and Reserves to the island but officer didn't turn up on that day, so I had to set off without him.
Accompanied with a family of eight whites on the very fast boat, it took us 15 minutes to disembark due to a very strong tide that blowing towards the island.
We were told to hold on to the boat and no one should dare to stand or move around, we have to be seated, people were so cool as everyone ponder of whether he/she should do his/her last prayer.
After 10 minutes, the marine cooks who had arrived there earlier saw us and came out rushing for a rescue pulling boat with a rope out to the sand.
Having set foot on the island, I thought of how a small country such as Malaysia which has little tourism attractions compared to Tanzania engaged in promoting its attractions even on CNN while Tanzania with big potential does little in term of promotion (Tanzania promotes itself on the English premiership matches).
Tourists from all walks of life flock to this island on a daily basis to witness the beauty and greenery that dots the island.
The island is full of pine trees besides the greenish natural mangrove that dots' it. It has pine trees strings of ropes tied between the tress for tourists to rest on as they feel the fresh breeze from the ocean.
Pius Majembe, a cook with the marine parks that offers foot and catering services told me use of the tent on the island is free unlike that on Bongoyo Island where US$5 is charged per day.
On this island, "the first bird catches the fly" of his choice till the evening, so you can go ahead and look for your choice, said Majembe..
For every place that a man has ever lived, there is one thing that will betray to a visitor, that people actually lived there.
On this island, there are ancient old graveyards that stand firm to this day. It is believed these graveyards were remnants of the ancient Arabs sharifians who used to buy slaves from Bagamoyo.
They had built themselves points of stoppage on these three marine islands on their way as they headed with the slaves to Zanzibar.
These ancient tombs attracts more than just tourists but also witch doctors, artists, soccer teams for what Majembe said in search of good fortune.
We could have headed a bit to the thick forest on the island to discover more on the island but alas! there are no passable paths on it.
(A tourist accompaned by his children after the swim on the island walking past the sandy white beach on the isalnd of Mbudya. Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
Majembe also owns a small shop on the island where he sells traditional made tools like sandals, ear-rings, necklaces, towels and bags which he said are liked by tourists.
He said the prices of his items being range between US$ 10 to US$ 20. On the island one is not allowed to spend a night, so he usually sells the items every Saturdays and Sundays being the busiest days for tourists.
A catering service from the marine also offers snacks usually fast foods at USD $6.
Majembe says the island is also a best place to spot Spinner dolphins, Humpback dolphins, and whales especially during low tides. These attract a lot of tourists.
He says while tourists usually will jump in to play alongside with dolphins whales are very dangerous because they can cause a boat to capsize.
The mere thought of a boat capsizing run me cold especially that there was a return journey to make. No wonder I became silent since I did not want to hear more scary stories especially having gone through the arrival ordeal when our boat nearly failed to land.
But with the high tide on the Indian Ocean neither the whale nor the dolphin moves around to be seen.
I left with the first boat at 3pm leaving Majembe and other marine cooks including several tourists still enjoying the beauty of the island.
The tide that left us being showered by the Indian Ocean waters all the way to the white sands hotel.
I was almost "half dead" as we disembarked the boat at the White Sand. Hotel. I will be back again on Mbudya island to view dolphins and whales being spotted from the shores of the island. The island can be visited at any time.
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