Why should someone visit Tanga?

Why should someone visit Tanga?  The emerging tourism sector in Tanga is determined to help residents and the local government recognise, preserve and use the tourism potential of the Tanga region. This includes the beautiful, diverse ecosystems of the Indian Ocean coast and its islands, the mountains and the Maasai Steppe.

In addition, Tanga City also has a valuable built historic heritage – its historic centre is very well planned and developed, and nowhere in East Africa are there buildings of this style. Much neglected for decades, there is now an urgent need to document, preserve and restore this built heritage. Tanga, being a relatively unknown region, has the advantage of being unspoilt by mass tourism. The culture and landscapes remain very much true to the Swahili Coast traditions.

The footprint on the marine areas in particular has been low and our region boasts some of the most spectacular and well-preserved coral reefs in the world. The Maziwe Island Marine Reserve was recently filmed by National Geographic for a feature on the importance of coral reefs for our planet’s wellbeing, and a similar documentary was filmed a few years ago exploring the deep underwater habitat of the living fossil, the Coelacanth, that is only found around Tanga and several other locations worldwide.