Kiwengwa Caves

Useful Information

Location:	Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve,
Open:	No restrictions. [2011]
Fee:	free. [2011]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	North cave: L=230 m. South cave: L=205 m. East cave: L=50 m.
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

2002	discovered by the Forest Guard.
2005	Kiwengwa Ecotourism Project started.

Description

The Kiwengwa Caves are several caves located in the Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve. The reserve lies between the town Kiwengwa and Pongwe on the east coast of Zanzibar. One of the caves, Mchekeni Coral Caves, was developed with a concrete path but no light. A reception center has been built, with a café and a souvenir shop, but it is not yet open. At the moment the cave is open to tourists as a semi-wild cave without fee. When the road is built and the cave officialy open there will be tours and a fee.

The Kiwengwa Caves are noted for their cave fauna, including five species of bats and many insects. Two caves, the North and South Cave, are open to the public, but the East Cave is reserved to the wildlife.

The Kiwengwa Ecotourism Project was started in 2005 by the Department of Commercial Crops, Fruits and Forestry of Zanzibar, the Turku Geographical Society of Finland, and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The idea is to conserve the forest areas and biodiversity by supporting the local communities. The main problem for the forest is the destruction through clearing by the locals who must make their living from the land. By providing alternative means of income, especially ones who do nt include nature destruction, the program offers an alternative. The entrance fee supports the project.