Ujiji

Ujiji is older than Kigoma and was for a long time more important: the western terminus of the caravan routes that crossed from the coast, a trading town on the lake where ivory and enslaved people were bought and sold. David Livingstone based himself here, and it was at Ujiji in November 1871 that Henry Morton Stanley found him. A small memorial museum stands on the site under two mango trees said to be grown from cuttings of the original.

What you actually see

• The Livingstone memorial - the museum and monument marking the 1871 meeting.
• The mango trees - trees said to be grown from cuttings of the original pair.
• The caravan terminus - the western end of the routes crossing from the coast.
• The lake shore - the fishing beach and dhow building at the water.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. Mornings are best for the fishing beach. The museum keeps limited hours.

Honest expectations

The museum is small, dusty and thinly presented, and the site is a monument rather than a substantial visit. The town is poor and there are few facilities. Guides at the gate expect payment.

Nearby

Kigoma is north, and Lake Tanganyika stretches west.