Tanga travel guide

Background

Carl Peters and the German East Africa Company arrived in 1885 and in 1888 leased a 16-km wide strip from the Sultan of Zanzibar along the entire coast of what is now Tanzania, between the Ruvuma and the Umba rivers. The Germans appointed agents (calling them akidas), though they were often not of the same tribe as the people they administered, to collect taxes and enforce law and order.

With the advent of European settlement and trade, Somalis arrived, trading in cattle but seldom intermarrying. Islanders from the Comoros also settled here.

Agriculture in the Usambara area expanded and, with the construction of the railway to Moshi, Tanga became a flourishing port. Tanga was the site of a substantial reversal for the British during the First World War. Allied troops, including 8000 Indian soldiers, found it difficult to disembark through the mangrove swamps and were repulsed by the well-organized German defence and some hostile swarms of bees that spread panic among the attackers. Over 800 were killed and 500 wounded, and the British abandoned substantial quantities of arms and supplies on their withdrawal.

After the eventual German withdrawal from Tanga, the German population was steadily replaced by Greek plantation owners. Tanga’s prosperity declined with the collapse in sisal prices in the late 1950s and the large estates were nationalized in 1967. Some have now been privatized, and sisal has made a modest recovery.

The African groups in the Tanga area, excluding those in the coastal belt, number six. The Pare who now live in the Pare Hills came originally from the Taveta area of Kenya in the 18th century. The Zigua inhabited the area south of Tanga and have a reputation for aggression: Bwana Heri attacked and defeated the force of the sultan of Zanzibar in 1882. The Nguu clan to the west occupy the Nguu Hills and the Ruvu clan inhabit the Pangani islands. The Shambaa are around the Lushoto area and are closely allied with the Bondei who occupy the area between Tanga and Pangani.

Getting around

Taxis, buses and dala-dala can be found in Uhuru Park. However, most of Tanga is within walking distance. Taxis are advisable after dark. Bikes can be hired at several places. Try around the bus stand or wherever there is a row of bikes lined up on the side of the street. You can organize tours through the Tanga Youth Development Association (TAYODEA), an organization that is well worth supporting as it employs disadvantaged young local people as guides and 30% of fees taken from tourists go into community projects.

Ins and outs

Getting there

There are scheduled air services between Tanga and Dar es Salaam, Pemba and Zanzibar. Now that passenger rail services between Dar es Salaam and Tanga have been terminated, the only land route to Tanga is by road. Bus services take four to six hours to cover the 460 km from Dar es Salaam via Chalinze and Segera (the junction on the Dar–Moshi road from where the branch road to Tanga veers off to the right). There are also services from Moshi to Tanga, 360 km. Dala-dala take one to three hours between Tanga and the Kenyan border and there is also the option of getting the Scandinavia Express bus from Mombasa to Tanga, which then goes on to Dar. There is presently not the option of driving between Dar and Tanga on the coast road as there is no crossing on the Wami River, but in a 4WD it is possible to drive from Saadini National Park up to Tanga via Pangani, having got to Saadini from Dar via Mandera first . There is now a weekly ferry linking Tanga with Zanzibar and Pemba, though historically this service has always been somewhat unpredictable.

Tanga

Air

Coastal Air, T0713-566485 (mob), Tanga airport, reservations, Dar, T022-2117959/960, http://www.coastal.cc. Daily flight at 1600, arrives in Pemba at 1630, Zanzibar 1710, and Dar at 1735.

Bus and dala-dala

Buses and dala-dala leave from the bus station south of the town on the other side of the railway track. Buses for Dar run 0800-1600 about every 30 mins, 5-6 hrs, a regular bus costs US$9 and a luxury one US$11. To Moshi, 4-6 hrs, US$11; to Pangani, regularly until about 1400, 2 hrs, US$1.50. Although it is only 52 km, the road is very bumpy and buses may take over 2 hrs depending on the season. The bus will drop off outside the beach resorts between Tanga and Pangani. None of them are more than 1 km off the road. There are also several departures a day to Lushoto, 3-4 hrs, US$3.

The Scandinavia Express office is on Ring Rd between the railway station and stadium, T027-264 4337, www.scandin aviagroup.com. Daily buses to Dar at 0730 and 1300 (4-6 hrs, US$11).

Ferry

There is a ferry to Pemba and then Zanzibar called the Spice Islander. It leaves Tue at 0800, US$20 to Pemba and US$30 to Zanzibar. There is a 5 hr wait at Pemba before continuing on to Zanzibar. It makes its return journey on Sun.

Note

Ferry services have been hope- lessly erratic from Tanga in the past, so this is not to be relied on. The better option is to go from Pangani (below) to catch a boat to Zanzibar. Remember it is illegal for foreigners to go from the mainland to the islands by dhow.

Banks

Exim Bank, and Barclay’s are on Market St, near Planters Hotel.

Internet

Globe Net Works on Market St; Impala Internet, Market St; or there are plenty of other places around town.

Medical services

Bombo Regional Hospital on Ocean Dr to east of town centre, T027-264 4390.

Police

off Independence Av, near Tanga library.

Post office

Independence Av near Msambara St.