Go See Kenya - Where We Are
• Go See Kenya is based in the picturesque village of Shimoni or ‘the place of the hole’ 30km north of the Tanzanian border. Sandra and Peter Ruysenaars have made The Pemba Channel Lodge on Kenya's south coast their business and their home.
• Built over 40 years ago, the rustic simplicity of The Pemba Channel Lodge combines Kenyan Hospitality with its unique heritage and offers a cheerful welcome and a warm atmosphere. The Pemba Channel Lodge is in a tranquil setting, amongst tropical gardens, with an elevated position ensuring privacy. Stunning views across the Channel to Wasini Island can be seen and admired under the breathtaking back-drop of Tanzania’s Usambara Mountains.
A little bit of History
• Its prime coastal position meant Shimoni was used by the Slave Trade throughout the 19th century. Africa, and in particular Kenya, has a brutal colonial history where the coast was used as a transit point for the slave trade. Slaves were captured inland, marched to the East African coast, kept in caves before being shipped to the main market in Zanzibar and auctioned onto boats headed to Pakistan and the Oman.
• Arab slave traders established a smuggling port to the south of Mombasa, in Shimoni, meaning the ‘the place of the hole’ in Swahili. For the traders, the natural limestone caves in Shimoni provided the perfect warehouse for the slaves before they were shipped off to Zanzibar. The exit to the sea has silted up and colonies of bats now line the inner chambers of the cave, while lit pathways make for easier access for tourists visiting the caves. Visitors can witness rusted chains and hooks embedded into the walls of the caves as a stark reminder of Kenya’s violent history.
see the downloadable PDF brochure
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