Kigoma is in the central part of Tanzania.
Kigoma is in the central part of Tanzania- This is the northernmost town that is found in the shores of Lake Tanganyika, and this town is at the border of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lake Tanganyika is the free trade zone and it is the focal point for all the activities that are done in Kigoma town. As you approach the shores of the lake, you will see many of the wooden clustered boats lining the shores of the lake, especially around the kinirizi beach, and this unites the people of the villages and those who find their permanent residence in town or those who come to town to do some good business. Because of this interaction, the Kigoma town has turned out to be an important part for trading and business, especially for exporting local Tanzanian food products, especially the palm oil that is naturally gotten from the Uvinza, which has served this purpose for more than ten years.
The Kigoma in the central part of Tanzania mainly inhabited by the people who are identified as Ha, and the people are very much royal, especially during the European Settlers’ period, when they were used by the European Settlers to work on their plantations. The real mistake that they made was their failure to develop any cash crops within their region. They even worked for the European settlers, and they found this to be a very big problem, especially when the Europeans left their land and they started struggling because of the lack of capacity to develop their cash crop.
History has made Kigoma the first landing site for the Europeans, who first established their base on Lake Tanganyika. On a trip by the Royal Geographical Society to find the Nile’s source, Sir Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke arrived on its beaches in 1856. In 1886, writer Henry Morton Stanley traveled here in quest of Dr. David Livingstone, a missing minister, explorer, and researcher. However, the two men met a few kilometers south in Ujiji. In Kigoma, the house where Dr. Livingstone stayed still stands.
The town was, for the most part, the final stop on the Central Line rail line, which was built in the twentieth century to transport agricultural products from the African hinterland to the East African coast. The village serves as a good overland base for excursions to Gombe Stream National Park and Mahale Mountains National Park, as well as chimp safaris.
Activities to do in Kigoma town
There are a lot of activities that you can do while exploring Kigoma city, and being that it is not a relatively bigger town, it can be explored and finished in just one day. Visitors can take a canopy park tour and interact with the locals in town to learn more about their history and culture. Furthermore, because it is a small village, there are fewer convenience options. Most people consider making a quick stop here before heading to the neighboring cities. You can stop here for a quick bite to eat and take a break from your journey. You may get a list of the cities near Kigoma and learn about the best things to do in each one. As a result, anytime you’re in Kigoma, you’ll be able to decide which neighboring city to visit for a necessary outing.
There are different tourist attractions that you can explore while visiting Kigoma city in Tanzania and many others. These include
Gombe National Park is located to the north of Kigoma, and it takes around 4 hours and costs $3.50 to get there by open cab from Kigoma. The recreation area is about 10 miles north of Kigoma and is known for its chimpanzee sightings. The recreation area costs an additional $100 for 24 hours, making it Tanzania’s most expensive park.
One who is studying at Kigoma can also explore Ujiji, which is the oldest town in western Tanzania, and it is also known for being the meeting location of many notable figures, such as Henry Stanley and Dr. David Livingstone. Richard Burton and John Speke, who first arrived at Ujiji’s shore on Lake Tanganyika, also paid a visit to the village. The settlement is around 10 kilometers south of Kigoma.
Furthermore, Lake Tanganyika holds several distinctions, including being the world’s second deepest and second-largest freshwater lake. Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are four African countries that share the lake. The village of Kigoma is located on the lake’s eastern side, where visitors can participate in a variety of water sports such as swimming, fishing, and boating.
How to access Kigoma City
Still, at the moment, it is very hard to access Kigoma city on the road, but the people who are interested in accessing this town would have no option but to use the services of the railway line that has got the link in Dar es Salaam. This railway line was established by the Germans and has become an important transport system for visitors.
Air Tanzania, Auric Air, and Precision Air serve Kigoma Airport, which has flights from Dar es Salaam, Tabora, Mpanda, and Mwanza. Flying from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma takes about 3 hours. A rental car can cover the 4 km distance between the airport and the town centre.
