Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National Park (www.tanzaniaparks.com/ruaha.html; adult/child US$30/10), together with neighbouring conservation areas, forms the core of a wild and extended ecosystem covering about 40,000 sq km and providing home to one of Tanzania’s largest elephant populations. In addition to the elephants, which are estimated to number about 12,000, the park (Tanzania’s largest, with an area of approximately 22,000 sq km) hosts large herds of buffaloes, as well as greater and lesser kudus, Grant’s gazelles, wild dogs, ostriches, cheetahs, roan and sable antelopes, and more than 400 different types of birds. Bird life is especially prolific along the Great Ruaha River, which winds through the eastern side of the park, as are hippos and crocodiles.
RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
Why Go Outstanding dry season wildlife watching, especially known for its elephants and hippos; excellent birding; rugged scenery.
When to Go June through November for wildlife; December through April for birding.
Practicalities Drive in from Iringa; fly in from Arusha or Dar es Salaam. Entry fees are per 24-hour period, single entry only, and payable only with Visa or MasterCard. The main gate (open 7am to 6pm) is about 8km inside the park boundary on its eastern side, near the park’s Msembe headquarters. Driving is permitted within the park from 6am to 6.30pm.
Budget Tips Get a group of four or five, hire a vehicle in Iringa for an overnight safari and sleep at the old park bandas. Meals are available, but bring your own drinks. It's also possible to take the bus from Iringa to Tungamalenga, and arrange car hire there for a safari (about US$250 per day). Confirm in advance vehicle availability, and remember park fees are single entry only. Car hire from Iringa and sleeping inside the park usually works out at better value.
4Sleeping & Eating
Inside the Park
The park runs several public campsites (camping US$30) about 9km northwest of the Msembe park headquarters, with toilets and showers, and about five special campsites (camping US$50) with no facilities scattered in the bush well away from the Msembe area.
Ruaha Park Bandas & CottagesCOTTAGES
(
%0756 144400; ruaha@tanzaniaparks.com; s/d bandas with shared bathroom US$30/60, s/d/f cottages US$50/100/100; 
p)
Ruaha's 'old' park bandas are twin-bedded metal rondavels in a good setting on the river near park headquarters. Meals are available. Restoration work is underway; soon, all should have a private bathroom. About 3km beyond here are the 'new' tidy cement cottages (all with bathroom) on a rise overlooking the river in the distance. There's a dining hall on-site (meals Tsh6000).
Accommodation should be paid for at the entry gate with credit card.
Mwagusi Safari CampTENTED CAMP
(%UK +44 18226 15721; www.mwagusicamp.com; s/d all-inclusive US$660/1190; 
hJun-Mar; p)
This highly regarded 16-bed owner-managed camp is set in a prime location for wildlife viewing on the Mwagusi Sand River about 20km inside the park gate. The atmosphere is intimate and the guiding is top-notch. In addition to the superb surrounding wildlife, highlights are the spacious tented bandas, the rustic, natural feel and the romantic evening ambience.
Ruaha River LodgeLODGE
(%0754 237422; www.tanzaniasafaris.info; s/d incl full board & wildlife drives US$405/650; p)
This unpretentious, beautifully situated 28-room lodge was the first in the park and is the only place on the river. It’s divided into two separate sections, each with its own dining area. The stone cottages directly overlook the river – elephants and hippos are frequently spotted here – and there’s a treetop-level bar-terrace with stunning riverine panoramas.
Mdonya Old River CampTENTED CAMP
(%022-260 1747; www.mdonya.com; per person incl full board & excursions US$390; hJun-Mar; p)
The relaxed Mdonya Old River Camp, about 1½ hours’ drive from park headquarters, has 12 tents on the banks of the Mdonya Sand River, with elephants occasionally wandering through camp. It’s a straightforward, unpretentious place with the necessary comforts tempered by a bush feel. If you take advantage of Coastal Travel's special fly-in offers, it offers good value for a Ruaha safari.
Outside the Park
There are several places just outside the park boundaries along the Tungamalenga village road (take the left fork at the junction when coming from Iringa). If staying here, remember that park entry fees are valid for a single entry only per 24-hour period.
Chogela CampsiteCAMPGROUND
(%0782 032025, 0757 151349; www.chogelasafaricamp.wix.com/chogelasafaricamp; camping US$10, s/d safari tents US$30/60; p)
Shaded grounds, a large cooking-dining area and hot-water showers make this a popular budget choice. There are also twin-bedded safari-style tents. Vehicle rental can be arranged (US$250 for a full-day safari, advance notice required), as can meals. The camp is about 34km from the park gate along the Tungamalenga Road.
Ruaha Cultural Tourism Program (%0757 151349, 0752 142195; www.ruahaculturaltours.com; half-/full-day tour US$20/40, per person full-board in Maasai village US$27) also has a base here, for arranging nature walks, village tours and day or overnight visits to a nearby Maasai community.
Tungamalenga Lodge & CampsiteLODGE
(%026-278 2196, 0787859369; www.ruahatungacamp.com; Tungamalenga Rd; camping US$10, r per person with breakfast/full board US$40/65; p)
This long-standing place, about 35km from the park gate and close to the bus stand, has a small garden for camping, basic but tidy rooms in double-storey bungalows and a restaurant. Village tours can be arranged. Vehicle rental is possible with advance arrangement only.
Tandala Tented CampTENTED CAMP
(%0755 680220, 0757183420; www.tandalacamp.com; s/d full board US$250/440; hJun-Mar; p
s)
Lovely Tandala is just outside the park boundary, 12km from the gate. Its 11 raised tents are scattered around shaded grounds with a bush feel (elephants and other animals are frequent visitors). Staff can organise vehicle rental to Ruaha, and guided walks and night drives in park border areas. The swimming pool and low-key ambience make it a good family choice.
8Getting There & Away
Air
There is an airstrip at Msembe, near park headquarters.
Coastal Aviation flies from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar to Ruaha via Selous Game Reserve (one way from Dar es Salaam US$350, from Zanzibar US$390) and between Ruaha and Arusha (US$330). Safari Airlink has similarly priced flights connecting Ruaha with Dar es Salaam, Selous and Arusha, and also with Katavi and Mikumi.
Bus
There’s a daily bus between Iringa and Tungamalenga village (Tsh6000, five hours), departing Iringa's Mwangata bus stand (on the southwestern edge of town at the start of the Ruaha road) at 1pm. Look for the one marked 'Idodi-Tungamalenga'. Departures from Tungamalenga's village bus stand (along the Tungamalenga road, just before Tungamalenga Camp) are at 6am. From Tungamalenga, there’s no onward transport to the park, other than rental vehicles arranged in advance through the Tungamalenga road camps (prices start at US$250 per day). There’s no vehicle rental once at Ruaha, except what you’ve arranged in advance with the lodges.
Car
Ruaha is 115km from Iringa along an unsealed road. About 58km before the park, the road forks; both sides go to Ruaha and the distance is about the same each way, but it's best to take the more travelled Tungamalenga road (left fork). The closest petrol is in Iringa.
WORTH A TRIP
IRINGA TO MAKAMBAKO
From Iringa, the Tanzam highway continues southwest, past dense stands of pine, before reaching the junction town of Makambako. En route are some lovely possibilities for detours.
oKisolanza – The Old Farm HouseCAMPGROUND, COTTAGES
(%0754 306144; www.kisolanza.com; camping US$7, s/d/tr/f cottages half-board from US$110/140/185/170, tw without bathroom US$40; p)
S
This gracious 1930s farm homestead 50km southwest of Iringa is fringed by stands of pine and rolling hill country and recommended for its accommodation and its outstanding cuisine. There are two camping grounds (overlanders and private vehicles), twin-bedded rooms, cosy wooden chalets, family cottages with fireplace, and two luxury garden cottages. All are spotless, impeccably furnished and excellent value.
There’s also a bar, a shop selling home-grown vegetables and other produce, and many beautiful walks in the area. Buses will drop you at the Kisolanza turn-off, from where it’s a 1.5km walk in to the lodge. Advance bookings are advisable for accommodation, but there’s always room for campers.
Makambako
Makambako (a stop on the Tazara railway line) is a windy highland town at the junction where the road from Songea and Njombe meets the Dar es Salaam–Mbeya highway.
Triple J Hotel (%0767 310176, 026-273 0475; kaributriplejhotel@yahoo.com; Njombe Rd; s/d Tsh20,000/25,000; p) has small rooms and a restaurant with meals for about Tsh5000. It’s 800m south of the main junction along the Njombe road, 700m north of the bus stand and signposted.
The bus stand is about 1.5km south of the main junction along the Njombe road. The first bus to Mbeya (Tsh8000 to Tsh9500, three hours) leaves at 6am, with another bus at 7am. The first buses (all smaller Coastals) to Njombe (Tsh3000, one hour) and Songea (Tsh12,000, five hours) depart about 6.30am, and there’s a larger bus departing at 6.30am for Iringa (Tsh8000) and Dar es Salaam.
Njombe
Njombe, about 60km south of Makambako and 235km north of Songea, is a district capital, regional agricultural centre and home of the Bena people.
4Sleeping & Eating
Hill Side HotelHOTEL
(Chani Motel; %0752 910068, 026-278 2357; chanihotel@yahoo.com; r Tsh30,000-50,000; p)
This cosy place has modest twin- and double-bedded rooms, hot water (usually), small but lovely poinsettia-studded gardens, and a restaurant with TV and filling meals. There's currenty no signpost; turn off the main road onto the dirt lane next to the courthouse (Mahakamani); it's just downhill and diagonally opposite from the police station.
FM HotelHOTEL
(%0786 513321; Songea Rd; s Tsh30,000-40,000, d Tsh50,000, ste Tsh70,000; p)
This large, soulless multistory place bills as Njombe’s sleekest option, with modern rooms boasting nets and TV. Some face the highway, with views over Njombe, others overlook an interior courtyard. There’s a restaurant. It’s on the main road 1km south of and diagonally opposite the bus stand.
Duka la MaziwaSELF-CATERING
(Cefa Njombe Milk Factory; %026-278 2851; h7am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun)
Fresh milk, yoghurt and delicious Italian cheeses. It’s just off the main road; turn in by the TFA building and go down about two blocks. The shop is to the left.
8Getting There & Away
The bus stand is on the west side of the main road, about 600m south of the large grey-water tank.
Buses go daily to Songea (Tsh9000 to Tsh12,000, four hours), Makambako (Tsh3000, one hour), Iringa (Tsh8000) and Mbeya (Tsh8000 to Tsh9000, four hours), with the first departures at 6.30am.
Mbeya
Pop 385,280
The thriving town of Mbeya sprawls at about 1700m in the shadow of Loleza Peak (2656m), in a gap between the verdant Mbeya mountain range to the north and the Poroto mountains to the southeast. Today it’s a major trade and transit junction between Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi. The surrounding area is lush, mountainous and scenic, with many nearby excursions.
Mbeya
TTours
Gazelle SafarisTOUR, SAFARIS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %025-250 2482, 0784 666600; www.gazellesafaris.com; Jacaranda Rd)
Arranges guides and transport for day tours around Mbeya, excursions to Kitulo National Park, car rental, and safaris further afield, especially in the southern circuit. It also does domestic and international flight bookings.
Sisi Kwa SisiTOUR
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Station Rd)
Between the market and the bus station, and unsignposted, this sometimes-on, sometimes-off budget operator can occasionally be useful for arranging a guide to local attractions. The office is often unstaffed (whenever its owner is out leading an excursion), so send a text to the number he leaves on the door.
4Sleeping
Karibuni CentreGUESTHOUSE
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %0754 510174, 025-250 3035; www.mec-tanzania.ch/karibuni; camping Tsh5000, s/d Tsh20,000/32,000; p)
This quiet mission-run place is in a small, enclosed compound where you can also pitch a tent. Most rooms have bathrooms, and there’s a restaurant. Karibuni is 3km southwest of the town centre. Take a taxi from the bus stand (Tsh4000).
If you are driving, go 1.2km west along the highway from the big town-airport junction at the entrance to Mbeya to the tiny signpost on Lehner St. Turn right, continue 300m to the T-junction, turn right again. The compound is 200m up on the left.
Sombrero HotelHOTEL
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0766 755227, 025-250 0663; Post St; s/tw/ste Tsh30,000/40,000/60,000)
No-frills rooms in a convenient, central location, and a tiny restaurant downstairs. There are no screens in the windows, but most rooms have nets.
Mbeya HotelHOTEL
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %025-250 2224/2575; mbeyahotel@hotmail.com; Kaunda Ave; s/d/tr/ste Tsh50,000/70,000/90,000/100,000; p
a
W)
The former East African Railways & Harbours Hotel has straightforward twins and doubles. The better ones (all doubles) are in an extension attached to the main building. More cramped rooms are in separate bungalows out back. There are also small gardens and a restaurant. It’s opposite NBC bank.
New Millennium InnGUESTHOUSE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %025-250 0599; Mbalizi Rd; r Tsh17,000-20,000)
In a noisy but convenient location directly opposite the bus stand, with good-value ‘newer’ rooms upstairs and separate from the main building, and smaller, darker rooms near the reception. The more expensive rooms have beds big enough for two, but there’s no same-gender sharing.
Utengule Coffee LodgeLODGE
(%0786 481902, 0753 020901; www.riftvalley-zanzibar.com; camping US$8.50, s US$85-140, d US$100-177, f US$165; pWs)
This lovely lodge is set in expansive grounds on a working coffee plantation in the hills 20km west of Mbeya. Accommodation includes spacious standard rooms, two-storey balconied suites and a large family room. There are tennis courts and a restaurant. From Mbeya, follow the highway 12km west to Mbalizi junction. Turn right; continue 8.5km to the lodge entry on your right.
5Eating
Azra SupermarketSUPERMARKET
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; School St)
Small but well stocked; just up from the Tanesco building.
Mbeya HotelINDIAN
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %025-250 2224/2575; mbeyahotel@hotmail.com; Kaunda Ave; meals Tsh6000-10,000; h7am-9pm; 
v)
This popular hotel restaurant has a large menu featuring reasonably good Indian cuisine, including vegetarian selections, plus Chinese and continental fare. Meals tend to be on the heavy side (lots of extra oil), but portions are large and it remains one of the better dining options in the town centre.
8Information
Dangers & Annoyances
As a major transport junction, Mbeya attracts many transients, particularly in the area around the bus station. Watch your luggage, don’t change money with anyone, only buy bus tickets in the bus company offices and avoid walking alone through the small valley behind the bus station. Also be very wary of anyone presenting themselves as a tourist guide and don’t make tourist arrangements with anyone outside of an office. Bus ticketing scams abound, especially for cross-border connections. Ignore all touts, no matter how apparently legitimate, trying to sell you through-tickets to Malawi (especially) or Zambia. Pay the fare only to the border, and then arrange onward transport from there.
Medical Services
Babito PharmacyPHARMACY
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %0754 376808, 025-250 0965; Station Rd; h7.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Sat)
Money
Travel Agencies
Juve Travel & ToursTRAVEL AGENCY
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %0767 927627, 0655 656542; School St; h8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat)
Fastjet agent; also does bookings for other airlines.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Flights on Auric Air, Air Tanzania, Precision Air (
GOOGLE MAP
; %0686 310228; www.precisionairtz.com; School St; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 2pm Sat & Sun), Fastjet and Flightlink go daily between Mbeya's Songwe airport (22km from Mbeya near Mbalizi) and Dar es Salaam (one way Tsh55,000 to Tsh160,000), often for not much more than the cost of a bus fare, and much faster. Auric Air also flies weekly from Mbeya to Ruaha (US$200). In Mbeya, all airlines can be booked through Gazelle Safaris or Juve Travel.
Bus
Green Star Express, JM Luxury and other lines depart daily from the main bus station to Dar es Salaam from 6am (Tsh28,000 to Tsh44,000, 12 to 14 hours), going via Iringa (Tsh16,000) and Morogoro (Tsh30,000).
To Njombe (Tsh8000 to Tsh12,000, four hours) and Songea (Tsh17,000 to Tsh24,000, eight hours), Super Feo departs daily at 6am, with a later departure as well.
To Tukuyu (Tsh3000, one to 1½ hours), Kyela (Tsh5500, two to 2½ hours) and the Malawi border (Tsh5500, two to 2½ hours; take the Kyela bus), there are several smaller Coastal buses daily. It’s also possible to get to the Malawi border via dalla-dalla, but you’ll need to change vehicles in Tukuyu. For Itungi port, you’ll need to change vehicles in Kyela. Note that there are no direct buses from Mbeya into Malawi, though touts at the Mbeya bus station may try to convince you otherwise.
To Matema, there is occasionally one direct bus daily via Kyela, departing Mbeya by about 1pm (Tsh9000 to Tsh10,000). Usually you'll need to take transport to Kyela, from there to Ipinda, and then Ipinda to Matema.
To Tunduma, on the Zambian border, there are daily minibuses (Tsh5000, two hours). Once across, there’s Zambian transport; we recommend doing the journey in this way. There is also a weekly bus between Dar es Salaam and Lusaka that sometimes takes passengers at Mbeya (Tsh35,000 from Mbeya to Lusaka), but ticketing scams are common.
To Sumbawanga, Sumry goes daily at 6am and 8am (Tsh13,000 to Tsh15,000, six hours), with some buses continuing on to Mpanda (Tsh29,000, 14 hours).
To Tabora, there are a few vehicles weekly during the dry season, going via Rungwa. Some, which you can pick up at Mbalizi junction, take the western route via Saza and Makongolosi, while others – catch them along the main Tanzam highway just east of central Mbeya – go via Chunya.
To Moshi (Tsh52,000) and Arusha (Tsh56,000, 18 gruelling hours), Sumry departs daily at 5am.
Train
Book tickets at least several days in advance at Tazara train station (
GOOGLE MAP
; h8am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat).
8Getting Around
Taxis park at the bus station and near Market Sq. Fares from the bus station to central hotels start at Tsh3000. The Tazara train station is 4km out of town on the Tanzania–Zambia highway (Tsh8000 in a taxi).
Tukuyu
The small, peppy town of Tukuyu is set in the heart of a beautiful area of hills and orchards near Lake Nyasa. There are many hikes and natural attractions nearby, but only the most basic tourist infrastructure. Destinations include the 2960m Mt Rungwe, Ngozi Peak and Crater Lake, and Daraja la Mungu (Bridge of God).
2Activities
Hiking opportunities abound, with Rungwe Tea & Tours and Bongo Camping the main options for organising something. Afriroots also does tours here. Expect to pay Tsh20,000 to Tsh35,000 for most tours.
TTours
Rungwe Tea & ToursHIKING
(%0754 767389, 025-255 2489; rungweteatours@gmail.com)
This is a one-man-show type of place where you can organise guides for hikes in the surrounding area. Prices start about Tsh15,000 per day including a guide and local community fee. It's in the Ujenzi area at the 'Umoja wa Wakulima Wadogo wa Chai Rungwe' building, behind the Landmark Hotel.
4Sleeping & Eating
Landmark HotelHOTEL
(%0782 164160, 025-255 2400; camping US$5, s/d US$40/45; p)
Spacious, good-value rooms, all with TV and hot water, a small lawn where it’s sometimes permitted to pitch a tent, and a slow but good restaurant. The doubles have two large beds, and the singles have one bed that’s big enough for two people. It’s the large multistorey building at the main junction just up from NBC bank.
DM MotelHOTEL
(%0764 061580, 025-255 2332; s/d/ste Tsh15,000/20,000/30,000, s without bathroom Tsh10,000; p)
Clean rooms with a large bed (no same-gender sharing permitted) and meals on request. It’s just off the main road at the turn-off into Tukuyu town, and signposted.
Bongo CampingCAMPGROUND
(%0732 951763; www.bongocamping.com; camping with own/hired tent Tsh6000/8000; p)
A backpacker-friendly place with a large, grassy area to pitch your tent, basic cooking facilities, hot-bucket showers, tents for hire and meals on order. It’s at Kibisi village, 3.5km north of Tukuyu, and 800m off the main road (Tsh1000 in a taxi from Tukuyu bus stand). They also arrange activities (%0732 951763; www.bongocamping.com).
8Information
NBC bank in the town centre has an ATM.
8Getting There & Away
Minibuses run several times daily between Tukuyu and both Mbeya (Tsh3000, one to 1½ hours along a scenic, tarmac road) and Kyela (Tsh2500, one hour).
Two roads connect Tukuyu with the northern end of Lake Nyasa. The main tarmac road heads southwest and splits at Ibanda, with the western fork going to Kasumulu (Songwe River Bridge) and into Malawi, and the eastern fork to Kyela and Itungi port. A secondary dirt road heads southeast from Tukuyu to Ipinda and then east towards Matema.
Lake Nyasa
Lake Nyasa (also known as Lake Malawi) is Africa’s third-largest lake after Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. It’s more than 550km long, up to 75km wide and as deep as 700m in parts. It also has a high level of biodiversity, containing close to one-third of the world’s known cichlid species. The Tanzanian side is rimmed to the east by the Livingstone Mountains, whose green, misty slopes form a stunning backdrop as they cascade down to the sandy shoreline.
Matema
This quiet lakeside settlement is the only spot on northern Lake Nyasa that has any sort of tourist infrastructure, and with its stunning beachside setting backed by the Livingstone Mountains, it makes an ideal spot to relax for a few days. There’s nowhere in Matema to change money, so bring enough shillings with you.
4Sleeping & Eating
Matema Lake Shore ResortCOTTAGES
(%0782 179444, 0754 487267; www.mec-tanzania.ch/matema; camping Tsh6000, d/tr/f Tsh50,000/50,000/60,000, d without bathroom Tsh25,000; p)
This recommended Swiss-built place has several spacious, breezy, comfortable two-storey beachfront family chalets, some smaller, equally nice double and triple cottages and a quad. All rooms front directly onto the lake – with lovely views – except the doubles sharing bathrooms. Breakfast is not included in room prices, but the restaurant serves tasty, reasonably priced meals.
oBlue Canoe SafariCAMPGROUND, COTTAGES
(%0783 575451; www.bluecanoelodge.com; camping US$7, s/d bungalows US$70/90, bandas from US$20/35; p
i)S
This lovely beachfront place has camping with spotless amenity blocks, plus four 'luxury bungalows' with verandahs overlooking the lake, polished wood floors and comfortable beds with spacious mosquito netting. Nearby are simple budget bandas. The bar is well-stocked and the cuisine delicious. Snorkelling and excursions can be arranged. It’s 3.5km from Matema's main junction; pick-ups are possible with advance notice.
8Getting There & Away
Boat
Schedules are highly variable these days, but there is usually at least one boat weekly – either the MV Iringa or the MV Songea – which stops at Matema on its way from Itungi port down the eastern lake shore to Mbamba Bay. The boat stop for Matema is actually at Lyulilo village, about 25 minutes on foot from the main Matema junction. Just follow the main ‘road’ going southeast from the junction, paralleling the lake shore, and ask for the ‘bandari’.
Bus
From Tukuyu, pick-ups to Ipinda leave around 8am most mornings from the roundabout by NBC bank (Tsh2500, two hours). Although drivers sometimes say they are going all the way to Matema, generally they go only as far as Ipinda. Once in Ipinda, pick-ups run sporadically to Matema (Tsh3000 to Tsh3500, 35km), departing around 2pm, which means you’ll need to wait around in Ipinda for a while. Returning from Matema, departures are in the morning. Chances are better on weekends for finding a lift between Matema and Ipinda with a private vehicle. If you get stuck in Ipinda, there are several basic guesthouses.
Occasionally there is also a direct bus between Mbeya and Matema, departing Mbeya by about 1pm and Matema at 5am (Tsh9000, five hours). All transport in Matema departs from the main junction near the hospital.
Car & Motorcycle
From Kyela, the signposted turn-off to Ipinda and Matema is about 3km north of Kyela town centre. From here, it’s about 14km to Ipinda, and another 25km to Matema along a readily passable but rough road. Allow one to 1½ hours for the 40km stretch. There’s also a shorter, scenic, slightly less rough, route directly from Tukuyu to Ipinda.
Mbamba Bay
The relaxing outpost of Mbamba Bay is the southernmost Tanzanian port on Lake Nyasa. St Benadetta Guest House (r Tsh15,000) near the water has simple, clean rooms and meals. There's also the relaxing Mbamba Bay Bio Camp (%0765 925255; info@bushkomba.de; d tent/banda Tsh30,000/70,000), 5km north of town.
There’s one direct vehicle daily from Songea (Tsh9000, five to six hours). Otherwise you will need to change vehicles at Mbinga.
Entering or leaving Tanzania via Mbamba Bay, you’ll need to stop at the immigration office/police station near the boat landing to take care of passport formalities.
Songea
The sprawling town of Songea, just over 1000m in altitude, is capital of the surrounding Ruvuma region. The main tribal group here is the Ngoni. Songea takes its name from one of their greatest chiefs, who was killed following the Maji Maji rebellion and is buried about 1km from town near the Maji Maji museum.
1Sights
Maji Maji MuseumMUSEUM
(admission Tsh10,000; h8am-4pm)
About 1km from the town centre, off the Njombe road, is this small museum commemorating the Maji Maji uprising. Behind it is Chief Songea’s tomb. From town, take the first tarmac road to the right after passing CRDB bank and continue about 200m. The museum entrance is on the left with a pale-blue archway.
4Sleeping & Eating
OK Hotels 92GUESTHOUSE
(d Tsh15,000-20,000)
Small but decent rooms. From the bus stand, head uphill 400m past the market, take the second right (watch for the sign for the Lutheran church). After about 200m go right again, and look for the apricot-coloured house in a fenced compound to your left. Meals are available at Krista Park across the street.
Heritage CottageHOTEL
(%0754 355306, 025-260 0888; www.heritage-cottage.com; Njombe Rd; s/d Tsh75,000/90,000; pa)
This good hotel has modern, clean rooms with TV (some with mini-fridge), a popular bar-restaurant, a large lawn area behind, and a playground for children. It’s located 3km north of town along the Njombe Rd.
Seed Farm VillaB&B
(%0752 842086, 025-260 2500; www.seedfarmvilla.com; s Tsh75,000-90,000, d Tsh85,000-105,000; pa)
This place has eight modern, quiet rooms with TV set in tranquil garden surroundings away from the town centre in the Seed Farm area. There’s a sitting room with TV, and a restaurant (advance order necessary). Head out of town along the Tunduru Rd for 2.5km to the signposted turn-off, from where it’s 200m further.
8Information
CRDBBANK
(Njombe Rd)
ATM.
ImmigrationTOURIST INFORMATION
(Uhamiaji; Tunduru Rd)
At the beginning of the Tunduru Rd. Get your passport stamped here if you are travelling to/from Mozambique.
NBCBANK
Behind the market; ATM.
8Getting There & Away
To Iringa (Tsh18,000, eight hours) and Dar es Salaam (Tsh40,000, 13 hours), Super Feo departs daily from 5am.
To Mbeya (Tsh18,000 to Tsh24,000, eight hours), Super Feo departs daily at 6am in each direction via Njombe (Tsh9000 to Tsh12,000, four hours). There are also departures to Njombe at 9.30am and 11am.
For Mbamba Bay, there’s one direct vehicle departing daily by 7am (Tsh9000, five to six hours). Otherwise, get transport to Mbinga (Tsh4000, two hours) and from there on to Mbamba Bay (Tsh5000, three to four hours).
To Tunduru, there’s a daily bus in the dry season departing by 7am (Tsh15,000, seven to eight hours). There’s also one bus daily direct to Masasi (Tsh25,000, 13 hours), departing by 6am.
Transport to Mozambique departs from the Majengo C area, southwest of the bus stand and about 600m in from the main road; ask locals to point out the way through the back streets. If you’re driving, head west 18km from Songea along the Mbinga road to the signposted turn-off, from where it’s 120km further on an unpaved but decent road to the Mozambique border.
Tunduru
Tunduru, halfway between Masasi and Songea, is in the centre of an important gemstone-mining region. You’re likely to need to spend the night here if travelling between Masasi and Songea.
Namwinyu Guest House (%0655 447225, 0786 447225; Songea Rd; r Tsh30,000; pa), at the western end of town on the main road, has clean, pleasant rooms and meals.
8Getting There & Away
Bus
There’s at least one bus daily between Tunduru and Masasi, departing by 6am (Tsh10,000, five hours) and a daily bus direct from Tunduru to Dar es Salaam (Tsh35,000). Between Tunduru and Songea, there’s also daily transport in the dry season (Tsh15,000, seven to eight hours). In both directions from Tunduru, there is little en route, so bring food and water with you. Reserve a seat for onward travel when you arrive in Tunduru for rainy season travel, as vehicles fill up quickly.
Car & Motorcycle
The road from Tunduru in either direction is unpaved but easily passable in the dry season, although somewhat more challenging (especially between Tunduru and Songea) during the rains. Heading east, the sealed road currently starts about 55km before Masasi, and large sections in both directions from Tunduru are being prepared for paving.
