The name Tanzania conjures up images of wildebeest stampeding across vast savannah, rain forests teeming with monkeys and birdlife, and great plains brimming with legions of game. All of these natural wonders and more are on offer in this exceptionally diverse African nation. Visitors typically visit Tanzania to partake in at least one of the four well-known Tanzanian tourist experiences: a relaxing seaside vacation on the picturesque island paradise of Zanzibar, an underwater tour of some of the world’s most renowned dive sites around the gorgeous Spice Islands, a safari adventure in some of Africa’s most impressive game reserves, or a hiking excursion around Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. Whichever of these incredible holidays you choose, you will undoubtedly be welcomed by some fabulously friendly and peaceful inhabitants who, despite being divided into 120 different ethnic groups and cultures, live in harmony with one another and provide some of the most wonderfully exotic local cuisine you could imagine. With all of this diversity on offer, the most difficult part of your Tanzanian holiday experience is likely to be deciding where to go!
Covering a mere 52 square kilometres of surface area, Gombe Stream National Park is Tanzania’s smallest park - but its prolific primate species, including chimpanzees, red colobus, red-tail and blue monkeys create a large stature. The park’s connection to Jane Goodall has given it worldwide renown, with the wild chimpanzee population at the heart of Goodall’s groundbreaking research. Accessible only by water from the town of Kigoma, the park’s dense forests are also inhabited by a myriad of avian species and offer phenomenal bird watching and walking safaris. Other popular activities include chimp tracking, lakeshore walks, taking in spectacular views from Jane’s Peak, and visiting the magnificent Kakombe Waterfall.
Kigoma is a busy rural port town with an idyllic location on the eastern bank of Lake Tanganyika, in western Tanzania. It serves as the capital for the Kigoma Region and provides an excellent launching point for adventures on Lake Tanganyika. Kigoma features a scattering of old German colonial buildings, a laid-back atmosphere, wonderful restaurants, a vibrant market and easy access to villages and beaches in the surrounding area. Visitors can embark on a trip on the MV Liemba passenger ferry, swim in the massive freshwater lake, and enjoy a cocktail on the beautiful wooden deck of the Kigoma Hilltop Hotel. The well-known town of Ujiji lies only a few kilometres from Kigoma. It is famed as the location where the famous ‘Dr Livingstone, I presume?’ was uttered by Henry Stanley.
