The village of Butiama is located south east of Lake Victoria in north-eastern Tanzania. There are two principal ways of traveling to Butiama. By road, Butiama is 40 kilometres (35 minutes) away from Musoma, the regional centre. Mwanza, is 190 kilometres (3 hours) away by road. Precision Air operated commercial flights to Musoma twice a week but it appears the service has been canceled, while Fastjet, Precision, and Air Tanzania have daily flights to Mwanza. The Kenyan border post of Isebania is only 120 kilometres (2 hours) from Butiama. Visitors to Butiama arriving through Mwanza have the option of using public transportation (passenger buses) plying between Mwanza and Musoma to travel to Butiama. Alternatively, arrangements can be made to hire vehicles to pick up and drop passengers in Mwanza.
As most of the activity is outdoors, it is best to visit Butiama in the drier months, between January and February and between June and October. However, even during the rainy season it is still possible to find non-rainy days where visits can be carried out, as is the case now.
My work as co-ordinator of the Butiama Cultural Tourism Enterprise (BCTE) has given me valuable experience in providing travel guidance to Butiama's visitors. In fact, I will be your guide leading you through the various attractions, if you choose to visit.
Why would anyone want to visit Butiama? Its mix of attractions is unique: history, culture, archeology, and - for visitors who have more than 36 hours - Butiama is only a short hop from the world-famous Serengeti National Park.
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| A Giraffe in the Serengeti National Park. |
Here's the proposed itinerary for day 1 (full day):
- arrival in the morning
- visit mausoleum of Mwalimu Nyerere and the compound of Chief Nyerere Burito (his father)
- visit the Mwalimu J.K. Nyerere Museum
- lunch and rest
- afternoon traditional dance performance
- visit Muhunda ancestral forest
- evening barbecue with Zanaki elders recounting Zanaki traditions and folklore
Here's the proposed itinerary for day 2 (half a day):
- breakfast
- visit residences of Mwalimu Nyerere, including his library of 8,000+ books, and a view of old rock art, dated to be more than 20,000 years old
- lunch
- departure for Musoma or Mwanza
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| Visitors in Mwalimu Nyerere's library. |
For those who have more than 36 hours, the world-famous Serengeti National Park is less than an hour from Butiama and is one of several attractions that are worth visiting from Butiama.
Email me for more details on planning your trip to Butiama.
Find out current airfares to Mwanza:
