Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world and the second deepest, stretching nearly 700 kilometres along the western edge of Tanzania. Its waters are shared by four countries — Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Zambia — but the Tanzanian shore is where most travellers end up, usually on their way to or from chimpanzee trekking at Gombe Stream or Mahale Mountains national parks.
The lake itself is strikingly beautiful: clear, warm water backed by steep forested mountains. It holds an extraordinary diversity of fish, including hundreds of cichlid species found nowhere else on earth. The main access point on the Tanzanian side is Kigoma, a small lakeside town connected to Dar es Salaam by a long but scenic train journey. From Kigoma, wooden boats and the historic MV Liemba ferry serve communities along the shore.
Swimming in the lake is possible in some areas but not others — bilharzia is present, and crocodiles and hippos inhabit parts of the shoreline. Ask locally before getting in.