Kigoma

Kigoma Region lies on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania, bordering Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of Tanzania's most rewarding off-the-beaten-path destinations, home to two extraordinary chimpanzee-tracking parks (Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains), the historic town of Kigoma-Ujiji (where Stanley found Livingstone), and the legendary MV Liemba ferry that has plied the lake since 1913.

June–October is the best time for chimpanzee tracking (dry, thick vegetation less dense). January–February is also good but hotter. The long rains (March–May) make trails slippery; the short rains (November–December) are manageable.

Kigoma town is the hub. The Central Railway line runs from Dar es Salaam via Tabora to Kigoma (a legendary 2-day journey). For Mahale, you need a charter flight from Kigoma or Arusha, or a multi-day boat trip on the MV Liemba. Dala-dalas connect Kigoma to nearby towns.

• Kigoma — the regional capital on Lake Tanganyika, with a busy harbour, the railway terminus, and the Kigoma Museum.
• Ujiji — a historic town adjoining Kigoma where Stanley met Livingstone in 1871; site of the Dr Livingstone Memorial.
• Kasulu — a market town north of Kigoma near the Burundi border, known for the Kasulu market and surrounding hills.
• Kibondo — a district town in northern Kigoma, near the border with Burundi and the Moyowosi Game Reserve.
• Buhigwe — a small town on the Burundi border, gateway to the Gombe National Park area by boat.
• Uvinza — a town southeast of Kigoma known for its colonial-era saltworks and thermal springs.
• Gombe National Park — Jane Goodall's famous chimpanzee research site, a small park on the lake shore accessible only by boat.
• Mahale Mountains National Park — remote chimpanzee tracking in pristine montane forest on the white-sand shores of Lake Tanganyika.

Lake Tanganyika produces excellent fish (dagaa/sardines, Nile perch, Nile tilapia). The local dish dagaa kwa nazi (sardines in coconut milk) is a speciality. Uvinza salt is known across Tanzania.

Kigoma has a strong Swahili and Ha culture. The Ujiji Festival (September/October) commemorates the Stanley-Livingstone meeting with cultural performances, a boat race, and a historical re-enactment.

• Chimpanzee tracking — in Gombe or Mahale, one of Africa's great wildlife encounters.
• MV Liemba voyage — the historic German-built ferry from Kigoma to Mpulungu (Zambia) is one of the world's great lake journeys.
• Stanley & Livingstone Memorial — stand at the exact spot of the famous 1871 meeting in Ujiji.
• Night on Lake Tanganyika — the lake is Africa's deepest and the sunset over the DR Congo mountains is unforgettable.