Kuumbi Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Jambiani, Tanzania. (-6.362490346263445, 39.542857745780445)
Open:
Fee:
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Nikos Kourampas, Ceri Shipton, William Mills, Ruth Tibesasa, Henrietta Horton, Mark Horton, Mary Prendergast, Alison Crowther, Katerina Douka, Patrick Faulkner, Llorenç Picornell Gelabert, Nicole Boivin (2015): Late Quaternary speleogenesis and landscape evolution in a tropical carbonate island: Pango la Kuumbi (Kuumbi Cave), Zanzibar International Journal of Speleology. 44. 293-314. 10.5038/1827-806X.44.3.7. researchgate DOI
Address:	Kuumbi Cave, Jambiani, Tanzania.
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

Description

This site has two parts, first there is the cave ruin of Kuumbi Cave, a horizontal cave with numerous karst fensters and a few speleothems. Spectacular are the abundant roots from plants growing from above into the cave. And the second part is the Makumbusho Ya Watu Wa Kale (Museum od Early Men). Actually, you start at the museum which is located on the road; from here it's a 500 m walk through the bush to the cave. The museum shows maps and photographs, and some findings from the nearby cave, where archaeological excavation revealed human prehistoric remains as well as numerous animal bones.

This area is riddled with caves; there are four other caves nearby, for example Collapaad cave and Witch Cave. There is also a so-called Cave Well, which is actually a sort of cenote or pothole with groundwater at the bottom. Such caves were quite important for their drinking water.