Shimoni Slave Caves Tour
These slave caves are located an hour’s drive (50km) from Diani Shopping Center, Shimoni is a small village on the south coast of Kenya.
Shimoni slave caves in Kenya
The name ‘Shimoni’ is a Swahili word that means ‘a place of the ‘hole’ or ‘inside the hole’. The name is delivered from the existence of the caves by the seashore formed as a result of the natural forces.
These caves cover over five kilometers inland and have complex tunnels used for different Kenya safari functions and different times.
The age of the caves is evident with the huge stalactites and stalagmites inside that complete the horror feel, therefore the Shimon’s history revolves a lot around these caves.
A custodian takes you around the dank caverns to illustrate this little-discussed part of East African history.
Actual evidence that slaves were kept here consists solely of the iron rings in the rocks, but as piles of the empty votive rosewater bottles indicate, the site definitely has the significance for the locals.
The Shimoni Caves were used as a waiting pen for the captured slaves from the hinterland.
Only five minutes from Shimoni Pier are the ancient coral caves of Shimoni.
Vast, cavernous bat-filled, they are reputed to extend 5 km inland and served for centuries as sacred sites of worship and sanctuary for the local community.
Later, in the 18th and 19th century, the caves served as the holding areas for the thousands of slaves captured in the African interior, who were in transit to the Arabian slave markets of Zanzibar.
The caves, which are run as a community project, are open from 08.30 am to 06.00 pm and an entrance fee is charged.
The headquarters of the Imperial British East Africa Company were situated in Shimoni.