We arrived at Ngoma Ferry Port, where we met Paschal Phares, a renowned Ukerewe-based guide (100 USD/day), and then drove together for about 30 minutes to our parking spot next to the BM Beach Hotel. The next day, we had a full day of sightseeing around the island. We hired a tuk-tuk (20,000 TZS) and explored some villages with Paschal. He told us that ‘The Wakerewe people trace their lineage from Uganda, our ancestors arrived here via Bukoba on the western shore and settled here to farm and fish.’ Life is lived at a slow pace in a region where fishing and agriculture remain the primary sources of income, and Ukewere Island (measuring 40km at its widest point) is an ideal place to explore that.
We walked through the streets of the town of Nansio (Ukewere’s main town) and into the surrounding rural communities. In the city, we found several banks and exchanged some cash (1 USD / 2,520 TZS), as we didn’t have time to do so at the border. Later, we drove through villages about 7km southeast of Nansio, to the sight of the former German Fortress Ruins, which offers a fantastic viewpoint over the southern side of the island. Historically, this spot (now owned by the Catholic Church) was the site of a fort, and boats loaded with enslaved people would arrive here from Bukoba, which would later become Uganda.
From the fort, we ride across the island to what is known as the Ikulu (the ‘White House’). Built in 1928, it’s said to have been the first privately owned palace in East Africa, and it still belongs to the descendant (who now lives in Vienna) of the last Wakerewe monarch.
Before sunset, we visited the local evening market and had some beer at the beach till late. Early in the morning, we drove to the Nansio Port to catch another strange ferry at 08:00 to Mwanza (110,000 TZS).
Parking location – Nansio: 2.107247S 33.079722E (🚻,🅿️,💦)