The start of the nature trail is just beyond the reception, in the direction of the hotel rooms. A sign board indicates that you turn right towards the ruins.
Various kinds of Heliconias and Gingers are planted here, with their large banana-like leaves and exotic flowers.

A little further on, take the right turn again, towards the health centre outside of which, at point 1, are planted some of the many medicinal plants to be found in Zanzibar. The local people are knowledgeable about these and still use them today.

Passing in front of the Industrial Wing of the ruins, built by Caroline Thackeray in 1887 for teaching trades to the less academic girls, you will see a very tall tree in a corner of the ruins. This is a Golden ‘Apple’ tree, from the Pacific Islands and the fruits are edible, though a little tart.

Click on Points 1-15 on the Map to see the descriptions in the Nature Trail.

 

Near point 2 are fruit and spice trees including Coffee bushes, Henna, Guava, Pomegranate, Carambola, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. Follow the curve of the path round past the main section of the ruins until you join the path leading to the huge mango tree above the ocean. This was planted in the 1800s and recently a strangler fig was cut from its base because it was killing the tree.

In the park area in front of the Industrial Wing are many interesting palms, including Red and Blue Latans and Bismarckia nobilis, with its powder blue fan shaped leaves, from Madagascar. Near the sea side of the ruins and by the mango tree are several Washingtionia robusta palms, the ‘Skyduster’ palms of Los Angeles.

  Bismarckia nobilis   

Beyond the mango tree is a bench placed on the cliff above the ocean. This is point 3 and from here you can see part of the beach and the mangroves which line the shores. This species of mangrove is named Sonneratia alba and is endemic in Zanzibar and Pemba. It is to be found where mangrove land reclamation is just beginning and can survive in quite deep water. It has conical breathing roots rising from the soft sand around the base of the tree. Much marine and bird life shelters in these trees which have a special ecosystem of their own.

While sitting on the bench watch the Ghost Crabs down on the beach, as they dig their holes to shelter until the next high tide. If you are lucky you can see dolphins swimming close to the mangroves. The most frequently seen species in this area are Bottlenose, Spinner and Common dolphins.

Around dusk you can hear the Water Stone Curlew, called Dikkop in Southern Africa, which has a series of piping whistles which become longer and longer. If you see a flash of brilliant blue it is probably the Mangrove Kingfisher searching for a perch from which to look for small crabs and fish.                                              

Mangrove Kingfisher - Halcyon senegaloides
Photo by Nik Borrow on Surfbirds website

Turning back a little towards the mango tree, take the left fork going along the sea front to point 4, where a grove of African Acacias have been planted. There is another viewpoint here, overlooking the seashore. On the hillside below are agaves and succulents, some of which are indigenous.

From this point you may be able to see Tropical Boubous in the mangroves. They are skulkers, keeping hidden in bushes and going about in pairs. They have a remarkable duetting call, in which the male gives a clear, drawn-out whistle and the female responds with a song which sounds like a swinging rusty gate.

Tropical Boubou - Laniarius aethiopicus
photo by Ed Harper

Further out to sea you may see Lesser Crested, Swift and Common Terns flying low over the waves and diving for small fish below the surface. At low tide Reef and Green Backed Herons stalk small fish and crustaceans in the pools and between the mangroves. Also there is a Grey Heron which flaps along the beach. Black Kites hang on the wind scouring the beach for carrion.

Local fishermen often leave their lobster pots and dugout canoes (ngalawas) here. The name ‘mbweni’ means ‘place of shingles and this may be derived from the clam shells to be found everywhere in the area. Known as ‘chaza’ in Kiswahili, these small shellfish - Anadara antiquata - are handpicked out of the silt around the mangroves. You may see people searching for them at low tide.

Continuing on down into a hollow and turning away from the sea up a little hill, you will find a flamboyant tree on your right surrounded by a ‘red garden’, including many red-hued plants such as Hibiscus, red Cannas, Clerodendron and the brilliant magenta Beefsteak plant.

The meadow area around   point 5 attracts many butterflies: Twinspot Blues, Blackstriped Hairtails, Brown (brown with white flashes and dark red stripes on the top half of its wings) and Blue Pansies (with white flashes at the top and two iridescent blue spots on the bottom of the wings.) The most spectacular is the Yellow Pansy (with yellow wings and two small blue spots in the centre.)

At the top of the hill there is a good view of the main part of the ruins, with the tumbled down entrance in front. This was the original Arab house which was on the property when it was bought by the UMCA in 1871. If you turn right a little there is a seat, surrounded by hardwood trees such as African Blackwood, Mvule, Red Sandalwood and also the sweet smelling Ylang Ylang tree with its orchid like yellow flowers. In the central courtyard of this part of the ruins are two large Royal Palms, planted in 1992. 

Going back to the north path, bear to the right, going past the steps of the old entrance and continuing until you reach a junction near a large Jackfruit tree. This may have some of the enormous green fruits growing straight from the trunk. Take the left fork and continue along the fence.

This is point 6 and the area has many wild flowers so butterflies and moths abound. You may see Blackstriped Hairtails, Brown Pansies and Impure Ringlets, small brown butterflies which flutter around in groups.

Continuing on round the path, you will pass a small building which used to be the original Mission Dispensary.  This is Point 7 and a Slender Mongoose - Herpestes sanguineus - sometimes called Black Tipped Mongoose because of its black tip on its tail, has made Mbweni its territory. It can be seen searching for insects and fruits in the vegetation from this point right along the road and round the back of the Reception to the Bar, in the eastern part of the grounds. It also preys on snakes and lizards, small rodents, birds and birds’ eggs.

Slender Mongoose - Herpestes sanguineus

It is particularly attracted to rocky places, is often seen about in the day and is able to climb trees. Its young are born in hollow trees, rock crevices or holes in the ground. Turn on round the Museum; several interesting bird species can be seen. Java Sparrows often perch on the top of the ruins. These little birds have grey backs, white and black faces, and a scarlet beak. They were introduced by a Captain Ward, about 1857 and are now endemic to Pemba and Zanzibar and not found on the mainland.
You may be lucky to see the scarlet flowers of the Nandi Flame tree at point 7.
It blossoms from July until the November rains come.

Continue until you pass the Poison Fish Tree (Barringtonia asiatica) with its large shiny leaves. Fishermen throw the fruits into water to stun fish. Then pass the lime slaking baths and reach the corner of the old chapel. If you wish you can take a right turn here and go inside the ruined chapel for a look at the interesting Arab arcades of the interior.

Here, if you are quiet and do not disturb them,  you may see Epauletted Fruit Bats (Epomophorus minimus) hanging from the ceiling of the Sacristy and Cloisters. These fly out at dusk and return at daylight. They are golden  brown, with tufts of white fur at the base of their ears; the males have white ‘epaulettes’ on their shoulders.

In order to maintain contact in their night world, they utter chinking, frog-like calls which are synchronised with emissions of scent from glandular pockets in their epaulettes. They eat fruit, flowers, nectar and pollen.

Going back to point  8, move on into the Palm Garden. Here there are many species of palms - the total number in the gardens is around 150 species - including Bottle Palms, several kinds of Caryotas, Sabals, Licualas, Florida Silver and Thatch palms, Betel Nut, Golden Cane and perhaps most interesting of all, the Pemba Palm - Dypsis pembana, which is endemic in Pemba.

 

Epauletted Fruit Bats (Epomophorus minimus)

At point 9, in the last part of the palm garden, are two enormous, ancient Cycas thouarsii trees. These cycads are endemic in Pemba and this pair could be over 500 years old. They are both male trees and male cones appear once or twice a year. Their seeds are not viable so the cycads cannot be propagated by seed.

Little swifts wheel about the sky above the hotel and ruins. They construct nests of feathers glued together with saliva. Lesser Striped Swallows also use the ruins to make their mud built nests in the eaves.

Passing through the car park, point 10, you may be lucky to see the Pink Shower trees in blossom (Cassia grandis). Near the road is an avenue of mixed Jacarandas and Pride of India trees, whose purple flowers complement each other when they bloom around November. There are two large Jackfruit trees on either side of the reception building. Please enter the reception and go right through. Turn left immediately at the veranda steps and follow a winding path past a small grove of shade-loving palms.

Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis

This is point 11. A (harmless) Green Snake has been seen in the trees around this part of the garden.  You might see Paradise Fycatchers flitting between the Neem Trees with their long russet tail feathers.

Along the path three large butterflies can often be seen: the Goldbanded Forester, which is iridescent blue and gold, with a 6.5-7.5cm wingspan; the Citrus Swallow Tail, 7-9cm wingspan, with distinctive black and yellow wings; and the largest, the Pearl Charaxes, a large white and brown butterfly with a wingspan of 7.5-10cm

Gold Banded Forester

Point 12
There are many indigenous trees in this area, including the Rub-Rub Berry and Indian Jujube trees which may have rubber vines growing on them. These have small edible fruits like the larger Bungo fruit from which a wonderful yellow juice can be made. When the vines flower, the scent of the white blossoms at night time drenches the air on the pathway between the reception and the bar with a strong sweet perfume.

At point 13 there is a large Kapok tree, whose spiny stem is slightly alarming. These spines disappear as the tree grows, and eventually huge buttress roots will develop at the base. There are also many Neem trees at Mbweni, with their pretty light green sword-shaped pinnate leaves. They produce an oily fruit much loved by the bushbabies.

Small Orange Tip, Dotted Boarder and several species of Acraea butterflies may be seen. There is also the very bright blue and orange coloured Peach Moth, which is endemic to coastal forests. The wings are thin and it has a very fast wing beat when it flies. During the evenings White Browed Coucals can be heard cooing to the south of the hotel grounds. Continue on until you meet the path which emerges above the swimming pool at point 14, the home of a Giant Plated Lizard - Gerrhosaurus validus. Scarlet Chested Sunbirds often chase each other around the bushes here and Yellow Vented Bulbuls also like this spot. You can go on round into the bar, perhaps for a nice cool drink. You will pass a Sausage Tree on the corner of the path and during the day many gold brown butterflies can be seen around the sea wall - these are African Leopards!

African Leopard

Point 15
The area around the restaurant is popular with bushbabies in the evening.
All bushbabies have hands adapted to clinging to trees and bushes and they make amazing leaps through the air. The Zanzibar Galago cannot land feet first, nor hop and it has to reverse climb backwards down vertical stems. Other types travel on the ground in a series of hops, resembling a furry pingpong ball.

Bushbabies are matriarchal, the females defending a territory of 2-5 ha, and the males ranging about. They may breed twice a year (in Feb-March and Sept-Oct) and produce 1 or 2 young after a gestation period of 120 days.

Three types of Bushbaby found in Zanzibar:

                                   
Zanzibar Galago - Galagoides zanzibaricus              Senegal Galago - Galago senegalensis


Small-eared Galago - Otolemur garnettii

There is another area of the hotel grounds which is private and for hotel guests only, around the rooms and by the swimming pool. Every evening swifts dive bomb the pool, coming to drink and splash in the water. Red dragonflies hover over the surface and by the beach is a large male Pandanus kirkii tree which is very old. In the circle above the pool is a Baobab tree - Adansonia digitata, a source of cream of tartar.  Its large fruits are used by the local people as scoops or cups.

Behind the rooms are two ponds with a fountain splashing into the top one. Above are various kinds of Bamboos. Towards the direction of the ruins is a terraced garden with a collection of Caladiums in pots. On the slope below, towards the sea, is a small palm garden with some interesting species including a Yellow Latan palm.

List of Butterflies and Moths seen at Mbweni - by Robert Iles

Marine Life commonly seen around Mbweni, Nyange and Chumbe

* indicates that these are poisonous

    
Lionfish*                               Blue-spotted Stingray*

    
Moorish Idol                 Organ Pipe Coral