IT was my side trip over the Christmas/New Year period when everybody had gone home and I was stuck in Tanzania. Anyway I didn’t fancy goig anywhere outside the country so I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to osee more of Tanzania. Kigoma is somewhere where it’s a bit hard to get to. Roads are not an option and so you get a flight.
I got a flight bound for Bujumbura in Burundi. It was late (of course) but by the time I landed in Kigoma and I was excited and ready to explore somewhere I had heard was beautiful. People always say this about their home town (except the British of course who all hate their home town).
My former boss, Prof Bisanda had said I should definitely take a look as it was where he was from. The airport is about the same size of that on Mafia but in a more beautiful setting with hills all around.
I didn’t fancy taking a taxi – I have learnt from every country I have travelled to, that airport taxis are the most expensive of all. So, bucking the trend of the other foreigners who landed with me, Istarted walking. One of the cleaning staff decided to accompany me on my hunt for a bajaj. I asked him how much it would be and he told me 500 schillings, I thought he had made a mistake so I asked him whether he meant 5,000 shillings. But no, he meant 500.
We flagged down a bajaj coming up fast behind us and then I remembered that in many towns in Tanzania, you share the bajaj. That’s why it’s 500. In any case he charged me 1,000 and I didn’t complain because it was still a good price albeit double the local price. I don’t blame him.
Hill Top Hotel was the most expensive I could find in Kigoma at $68 a night which I thought would guarantee me some luxury. This was a well-deserved holiday I was treating myself to. I am sure the hotel used to be very nice but today it is a bit tired, in need of refurbishing. It does, however, have a great view of the lake – that’s pretty much its only selling point.
You get a great view of Democratic Republic of Congo and when thee sunsets, the lake is framed by the mountains across the lake. I thought it might be fun to go there in a boat but apparently it’ a lot further than it appears. I ruled it out as a viable day trip.
The lake is the second largest fresh water lake in the world (after Baikal) borders Tanzania, Burundi, DRC and Zambia. It feeds the Congo river and then, ultimately, the Atlantic Ocean. It’s part of the Rift Valley that runs down the length of East Africa, the cradle of humanity.
Kigoma town itself has little to commend it but the people are really friendly and the prices for everything are really cheap.
If you’re looking for a few days away, a break from Dar, then Kigoma is definitely worth a look. There are very few places to stay and I am not sure if there is anywhere better than Hill Top Hotel. I suspect it might be as good as it gets as far as accommodation goes.