Tanga

Tanga is the second largest port in the country, built around a sheltered harbour and grown on sisal, which was planted across the hinterland from the 1890s and shipped out from here. The centre keeps a low grid of German and British period buildings, a clock tower and a seafront, and the pace is much slower than Dar es Salaam. Amboni caves and the Amani forest are within reach, and the Usambara mountains rise inland.

What to look for

• The harbour - the sheltered port that built the city, still working.
• The colonial-era grid - low buildings from the German and British periods.
• The seafront - the walk along the water at Ras Kazone.
• The sisal history - the plantations and processing that shaped the hinterland.

When to go

June to February; the long rains from March to May are heavy. The dry months are best for the coast and the excursions inland. Humidity is high year round.

Good to know

There is little in the city itself for visitors and it works better as a base than a destination. Many colonial buildings are decayed. The beaches near the city are not the best on the coast.

Nearby

Amboni Caves are north, and Pangani is south.

Key facts