Getting around
Tabora is flat and compact. Taxis, boda-boda motorcycles and bicycle taxis cover the town; for Kwihara, Igombe or the parks you need a car.
In town
Taxis wait at the airport, the railway station, the bus stand and the bigger hotels; agree the fare before you get in. Boda-boda (motorcycle taxis) are everywhere and are the quickest way across town; ask for a helmet. Tabora is also one of Tanzania’s great bicycle towns, and bicycle taxis still carry passengers on the back for short hops.
The centre is walkable. The old Swahili quarter around Gongoni Mosque, the market, the station and the German-era buildings are all within fifteen minutes of each other on foot, under the mango trees.
Out of town
Livingstone’s Tembe at Kwihara is a taxi or boda-boda ride; Igombe Dam is a taxi ride; Ugalla River National Park needs a 4x4 in the dry season. Hotels can arrange a car and driver.
Garages and breakdowns
If you are driving, the town has garages, tyre shops and spare-parts dealers, including Supreme Auto Garage for cars and trucks. See Garages, spare parts & fuel in the directory.
In this section
Getting there
By air from Dar es Salaam or Kigoma, by train on the Central Line, or by road from Dodoma, Mwanza, Kigoma, Mpanda and Mbeya.
Where to stay
From the colonial Kaiserhof to mission guest houses: where to sleep in Tabora, and the hotels that have listed themselves in the directory.
Practical information
When to come, money, health, phones and language.