Shambala Swamp: Trip III

Eerie setting

During our time up north we were late to discover Shambala Swamp, a vast wetlands about 45 minutes south of the Kilimanjaro Airport, halfway between Arusha and Moshi. As we had only visited twice (Trip II) before we were excited to visit again and try to drive a loop from the airport to Arusha town.

The swamp is notable for having large stands of dead trees on the northern part of the swamp, giving it an eerie vibe. The swamp is full of bird life and also full of fisherman. We were surprised to see several temporary villages along the coast. We had seen a few in our previous visits but they had multiplied significantly. They looked rundown with temporary shelters made from tarps and plastic. They had a real strange feel of a temporary fishing village though the residents were very friendly towards us. They certainly had plenty of fish with several buckets full and small fish smoking operations.

We enjoyed the drive down the eastern side of the swamp and also met several Maasai that lived in the area. It was an interesting combination of pastoralists and fisherman with still plenty of swamp uninhabited. It was somewhat alarming at how many more fishing villages there were and we thought about the way it may affect the birdlife in the area. It's always a delicate balance of economic activity and conservation activities and my concern was that the area was completely unmanaged.

We ended up finding the road around the south end of the swamp and looped back around to Arusha. The road was wild at times and had us doubting since there were no tire tracks for large stretches. It required us to cross a dried river bed that put our four wheel to the test; always fun! The area is highly recommended for anyone wanting to get off the beaten track

Shambala Swamp viewed from the southern end. 

Cow going for a drink

Fishermans boats.