Kigoma

Kigoma sits on a bay of Lake Tanganyika and exists because of two things that meet there: the lake, which carries traffic the length of the western border, and the central railway, which was pushed here from the coast by the German administration and reached the lake in 1914. The station and several colonial-era buildings survive. Boats leave the harbour for Gombe, Mahale and down the lake, and the ferry MV Liemba, built in 1913 and among the oldest passenger ships still afloat, has worked the route for most of a century. The old trading town of Ujiji lies six kilometres to the south-east.

The main sights

• The railway terminus - the end of the central line, reached from the coast in 1914.
• MV Liemba - a lake ferry built in 1913, among the oldest passenger ships afloat.
• The harbour - the departure point for Gombe, Mahale and the lake ports.
• The lake front - the bay and beaches on Lake Tanganyika.

When to go

May to October is the dry season and the easiest for travel. The lake is warm year round. Ferry schedules are irregular and change without notice.

Practical notes

Facilities are basic and the town is a transit point rather than a destination. The MV Liemba runs to an unreliable schedule and has been out of service for long periods. Road access from elsewhere in the country is very long.

Nearby

Ujiji is south, and Gombe Stream is north along the shore.

Key facts