The main reason for visiting the remote and seldom traveled to town of Kigoma in West Tanzania - is to visit the legendary Gombe Stream National Park. This primate sanctuary was made famous by Jane van Lawick Goodall in her African classic, In The Shadow Of Man. This is a laidback and fairly attractive little town, located at the foot of a hill and characterized by grove after grove of mango trees. It is perhaps best known as one of the major ferry ports on Lake Tanganyika.

It was to Kigoma that the legendary steamer, the MV Liemba, was brought by rail by the Germans during World War I, assembled there, and used as a military expedition ship against the British forces in what is today Zambia. It still does the twice weekly lake run, leaving Kigoma on Wednesdays and Sundays, war and weather permitting. A lake steamer trip is one of the ultimate African experiences for intrepid travelers.

To get to this remote region of Tanzania is easy if you have a budget to fly. However, many people do not want to lay out so much of their budget on the flights to get to Kigoma. If your budget is tight and you are open to some adventure then travel by train. This particular service is notoriously unreliable. So, be patient, enjoy the adventure and be prepared to be late by up to 48 hours. When we talk late with this service we are talking days rather than hours.

If your time is flexible and you are prepared to rough it then give this a try. Otherwise steer clear and fly which is the recommended way to get to Kigoma.

Dar Es Salaam the train departs [knowing these can change at any time] 17h00 and arrives in Kigoma [hopefully] 36 hours latter. Prices and timetables will vary - prices are payable in local currency so check prices before you start your journey for the Tanzania Railway Web Site http://www.trctz.com/tariffa.htm

Customer Information Center Tanzania Railways Corporation P.O Box 468 Dar es Salaam Tel/Fax 255-22-2117833 Email:ccm_cserv@trctz.com