Major Cities in Tanzania

By | July 9, 2022

Dodoma (Tanzania)

According to babyinger, Dodoma has been the capital of Tanzania since 1973. The city is located almost in the center of the country. It was founded at the end of the 19th century on the trade route from the coast to Lake Tanganyika, as one of the German colonial settlements.

For tourists, the city will not be very interesting. Sights include the building of the National Assembly and the complex of government offices, the city market, two Christian churches, the sacred temple of the Sikhs and the geological museum.

South of Dodoma is the Kisingo Nature Reserve, where you can hunt wild animals. The season starts in July and ends in mid-November. Mostly leopards, lions, buffaloes, hippos, gazelles, zebras and antelopes are hunted here. It is worth remembering that hunting prices in Tanzania very big. One day of hunting for one type of animal or bird will cost at least 1,500 US dollars.

Kilindoni, Mafia Island (Tanzania)

Kilindoni is the main city of Mafia Island. The island is located 150 km south of Zanzibar.

This is a great place for beach holidays and diving. Only one road departs from the city, along which sandy beaches stretch, surrounded by coconut palms, baobabs, mango and papaya trees.

Not far from Kilindoni on the east coast of the island is Chloe Bay. This is the most popular holiday destination on the island. The bay is part of the Marine Park where coastal coral reefs are protected. The park has dive training opportunities and dive sites suitable for beginners. Off the coast of the island you can see more than 50 species of corals, including giant ones, and about 400 species of fish. The most popular dive site for trained divers is Kinasi Pass, which is located at the entrance to Chloe Bay. It is a wall with caves, which goes to a depth of 30 m. Huge potato cod, giant groupers, moray eels, jacks, barracudas, cobias live here.

On Mafia Island, you can go deep sea fishing. The fishing season here runs from September to March. The catch consists of fish such as bonito, barracuda, yellowfin tuna, marlin and large pelagic fish.

Chaki-Chaki, Pemba Island (Tanzania)

Chaki-Chaki is the largest city on the island of Pemba. The island is located 80 km northeast of the island of Zanzibar. The island’s only airport is located in Chaki-Chaki, so planes from Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam land here.

10 km southeast of Chaki-Chaki are the ruins of the ancient fortification Rujini, which date back to the 15th century. An underground tomb with bizarre wall ornaments was excavated here. Northwest of Chaka-Chaki, Cape Ras Mkumbu juts out into the ocean. Here, archaeologists have found the remains of an ancient Swahili settlement of the 11th century. Now at this place you can see the ruins of a mosque and a tomb.

The local beach infrastructure is less developed than on Zanzibar and Mafia, but still the island is one of the popular destinations for a beach holiday in Tanzania. The most famous beach in this region is Wumavimbi. A sandy beach of white coral sand stretches along the coastline for 2 km. Coastal coral reefs are a great place for diving. The main dive sites of Pemba Island are located on the east coast, because the reefs here are more beautiful and the marine life is more diverse than on the west. But these places are more suitable for trained divers, as there are strong undercurrents in the vicinity. The most popular dive site is Mant Point. Here you can see flocks of stingrays numbering about 15 individuals. The immersion depth reaches 10 m, and visibility – 40 m.

Deep sea fishing is possible on Pemba Island. The fishing season here runs from September to March. The catch consists of fish such as bonito, barracuda, yellowfin tuna, marlin and large pelagic fish.

Kigoma (Tanzania)

The city of Kigoma is located in Tanzania on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika in its northern part. It is the terminus on the railway route from Dar es Salaam, as well as the main port of Lake Tanganyika. Lake Tanganyika was formed in a tectonic fault, it has steep, high banks. Its depth is 1470 m, slightly less than that of Lake Baikal, its bottom is located 660 m below the ocean level, and its area is 34 thousand square meters. km.

The city is quite modern. In the center of it is a square, from which only one main road departs. Gonbe National Park is located near the city of Kigoma.. The area of this park is only 158 square meters. km. Most of the park is covered in forest, which is home to many chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, heverts, baboons, feral pigs, small antelopes, and many tropical birds. Tourists come to Gombe mainly to watch the chimps. Mountains Mahale National Park is located 120 km south of Kigoma. You can get here either by boat on the lake, or by small private plane. The park is home to over 700 chimpanzees, more than the Gonbe National Park.

Kigoma (Tanzania)