Tanga
The country's northern port, a low-key colonial-era city with a harbour, sisal history and caves nearby.
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Tanga is the third largest city in the country and its second port, 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 you actually see
- 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.
Honest expectations
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.
What to pack for Tanga
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.