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TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

The Swagaswaga Game Reserve:

The Swagaswaga Game Reserve (SGR) which has an areas of about 871 square kilometres, is located in the south-western parts of Kondoa District, an area that borders Hanang districts in Manyara Region. Respectively it combines the former Songa Forest Reserves of Simbo, Swagaswaga and Handa forests.

Mtera Dam:

Mtera Dam is the biggest hydroelectric dam in Tanzania. It measures 660 square kilometers at full capacity. It was built in 1979 for the purpose of regulating water level at the downstream Kidatu Hydro-electric Dam. Its installed capacity is 80 MW. The dam drains 68,000 square kilometers of agricultural and forest land in major parts of Iringa, Dodoma and Mbeya Regions through Great Ruaha and Kisigo rivers.

Fishing at Mtera Dam:

Visitors can arrange a fishing trip to the Dam.Common fish found in the dam include tilapia, catfish, tigerfish and mormyrids. In 1993, the reported total catch was 1547 metric tons with tilapia accounting for 1289 tons.

Birds Life along the Dam:

The fishing activities has created a good grounds for waterbirds. Birds are nesting on the dead trees on the dam. There were records of large flocks of flamingos. Other types of birds that has been sighted are Phalacrocorax carbo, Anhinga rufa, Ardea cinerea, Haliaeetus vocifer, Nettapus auritus, Anas erythrorhyncha, Sarkidiornis melanotos, Plectropterus gambensis, Actophilornis africanus and Chlidonias hybridus

Other attraction:

Historic Kondoa Rock Paintings:

In Kondoa there are complex prehistoric rock paintings, with an estimated 1600 individual paintings at almost 200 different sites. The paintings resemble depictions of animals and humans. The oldest paintings in the area estimated between 19,000 and 30,000 years old, whilst the most recent are about two centuries old.

The artists are originating from hunter-gatherers cultures. They even might be the ancestors of the present-day Sandawe and Hadzabe people. The paintings are thought to be a part of a wider chain of similar sites as in other African countries such as Ethiopia.

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