AREAS OF INTEREST

Horror caves of Shimoni.
Did  you know that Shimoni actually means ‘The place of the cave’ in Swahili? These caves have a fascinating history going back many centuries. The age of the caves is evident with the huge stalactites and stalagmites inside that complete the horror feel. Shimoni’s history revolves a lot around the cave.Many African lives were lost while chained to the walls of these caves in the dark days of slavery. At this historical site that once served as the headquarters of the Imperial British East African Company  a commercial association was founded to develop African trade in areas which were controlled by the British Colonial power. The dark Caves themselves are sad and full of secrets that may never be revealed in this life time. Shackles still line the wall.


A long time ago, people used the caves for spiritual rituals or as hiding places whenever there was a war. Later on, at the height of slave trade, the same caves were used by Arab slave traders as holding pens for slaves before they were shipped of to Zanzibar and onwards to Yemen. It is believed that the slaves were held here for 2-3 weeks, before being packed  in dhows -upto 1000 at a time. As many as 400 died during that voyage and were thrown overboard to be eaten by sharks.Every year tourists from various parts of the world visit the Shimoni caves to see the dire conditions and learn of the scary experiences the slaves were exposed to