Morogoro town
Morogoro town is one of the small towns in Tanzania that is located in the most remote area. Its one of the Agricultural towns in the country. The town lies in the agricultural heartland of Tanzania. Its located in the South Central part of Tanzania, its dominated by the highlands. The locals in the area mostly grow cash crops especially Tobacco. Tobacco is grown and also consolidated at the same area before its taken to the market for sale. Morogoro town is famous as value addition town as they sale little raw materials but like adding value to their crops. The town is also known as a center of the missionary work that goes on in Tanzania. Tbhe missionaries built a lot of schools, churches, hospitals and other infrastructure. The missionary works remains the key attractions in the city.
Morogoro town is a home of Salim Abdulah the founder of Cuban Marimba Jazz band, Morogoro Jazz band which was founded in 1944. By mid 1960s the town was famous as music town with great artists coming from this town. The celebrities also included guitarists, singers, composers and songwriters. Morogoro town is also a home of the Aamni Center which is one of the greatest support center for the disabled people. It has helped over 3,400 disabled people both in the city center and the surrounding villages. The town was formally known as “Mji kasoro bahari” which means the city short of the ocean
Location and size of Morogoro town
The town is located in the Morogoro Urban district which is one of the 6 districts that are found in Morogoro region of the great Tanzania. Morogoro town acts as the largest town in the region as well as the capital city of the region. Its found 196 kilometers on the West of Dar es Salaam which is the largest commercial city of Tanzania. It is also found on the Eastern part of the current capital city Dodoma. Its 260 kilometers away from Dodoma on the East.
Morogoro town lies at the base of the famous Uluguru Mountains. Sokoine University of Agriculture which is the agricultural research base. The town is bordered by Morogoro Rural district on the East. In the Northern and Western side the town is bordered by Mvomero district. The town covers a total land area of 260 square kilometers with a population of around 315,866 according to the 2012 national census.
Administrative of Morogoro town
Morogoro town is composed of 4 constituencies. According to the Tanzania constitution and the parliamentary elections. By 2010 elections Morogoro town has 4 constituencies namely:
Morogoro-Kusini-Mashariki Constituency
Morogoro Kusini Constituency
Morogoro Mjini Constituency
Mvomero Constituency
The Morogoro town also has 6 administrative divisions, 29 administrative wards.
How to get to Morogoro town
Its easy to access the town by road or by air. The highway that connects the interior of Tanzania and the Coastal region passes through the town. You can use public means or private car from Dar es Salam city to the Morogoro town. The roads are excellent in good conditions that makes the journey short. There is also railway line that runs from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro town . If you donot prefer long distance drives then an option of the flight can work. The town has one airport called Morogoro airport which is serve by a wide range of airlines across the country. The flights runs 4 times every week to Morogoro airport
Best time to visit Morogoro town (climate of Morogoro town)
The town is dominated by the equatorial climate which is wet and hot throughout the year. The town receives two rainy seasons which the first rainy season starting from Match to May and the second rains are received around November. The first rains are the longer rains and very much, this is the time the locals are doing their agriculture. The first rains are planting rains when the crops are planted. The harvests are done during the dry season from August to September and the second rains are short and brief. The town can be visited any time of the year with warm weather throughout the year. The town is more vibrant during the dry months when more people and activities are in town. During the rainy season most people are in their gardens and they come to the town only late in the evening.
Things to do and see in Morogoro town
There are some of the nice things one can do while in this town. The vibrant city is celebrity town that make it more vibrant at night than day. The Missionaries left a good works during their time in the town. It also nears some of the best game reserves in Tanzania like Selous Game Reserve. Its closeness to game reserve makes it possible for one day safaris to Selous.
Hindu Temple
The Hinduism is one of the religious groups found in Morogoro town. However they are the minority but have constructed some good temples and cultural hubs in the middle of the town. This is a unique Hindu cultural centers that try to promote the Hinduism in the area.
Rocky Garden
The town is found in the rocky mountainous areas, there are good number of rugged settings within the town. The rugged rocks are passed by the flowing rivers making it one of the scenic views in town. The rock gardens are located just 4 kilometers away from the town center.
Saba-Saba Market
The Saba-Saba Market is one of the largest local markets in Morogoro. The market is one of the must visit destination during your Town safari in Morogoro town. Its good to observe the market vendors bargain with the buyers in the market. It’s a nice experience as you can have achance to grab one of your fresh item.
Selous is the nearest protected area, its located 174 kilometers away from Morogoro town. The protected area is the largest game reserves not only in Tanzania but entire Africa.
Mikumi National park
Morogoro town is also near mikumi national park , its takes about 1:50 hours to get to Mikumi national park from morogoro town. the park is home to several wildlife which is a huge attraction to many travelers. some of of the wildlife that be sited at mikumi national park include lions, elephants, leopard, giraffes, buffaleos, antelopes, hyenas, wathogs ,zebras among others including birds species.
The Ulugru Mountains is one of the major attractions in Morogoro town. The evergreen backdrop of the mountains provide great adventure in the region. The mountains are famous for hiking and camping safaris.
