FERRIES

Two ferries are scheduled to rotate between Kigoma and Mpulungu, Zambia: the famous MV Liemba, in service since 1927 (!), and the MV Mwongozo, launched in 1982. Both are regularly under revision and it is therefore necessary to check with the port office before organizing your crossing. There are only 8 first-class cabins. Sheets are provided. Avoid ^2nd class cabins, locked in the semi-darkness on the lower floor, subjected to the noise of engines and stinking of dried fish. On board, a restaurant and a bar that only sells drinks. No groceries. Of course, collective toilets and showers.

Normally, weekly departure to Mpulungu, alternately by MV Liemba and MV Mwongozo, on Wednesday around 4pm, with arrival scheduled for Friday early afternoon in Zambia. On this trip, the first-class berth is very welcome. Plan to arrive in Lagosa-Mugambo (Mahale Mountains) in the middle of the first night (6am to 9am after departure). Plan to arrive in Kasanga (last Tanzanian port before Mpulungu, and almost the only one connected to the rest of the country by bus) on Friday morning. If it occurs before 6am, it is possible to stay on board, but the receiver must be informed, as the boat leaves in a hurry at dawn. From the pier, walk to the village of Lusambo or reach, in a quarter of an hour by motorboat, the village of Muzi, in the north, and from where the difficult track of Sumbawanga starts.

Warning. Be careful, non-Tanzanians can only pay in dollars. Keep the ticket, it will be claimed when you leave the boat. When boarding and disembarking, be very careful with the actions of many pickpockets.