Mbeya

Mbeya is a city located in southwest Tanzania , population 280,000 ( 2005 ). It is the capital of the surrounding Mbeya Region .

Mbeya is the capital of southern Tanzania and the first town you will encounter if overlanding from Zambia. It is a sprawling town that seems to spread forever over a narrow valley hemmed in by high mountains, with corrugated iron roofing seemingly the main industry. Once you get used to the squalor on the outskirts, Mbeya will enchant you. It is an incredibly friendly town, and the cool mists and high altitude (1,700m), and the beautiful setting in a bowl of mountains, will make you want to linger. There is trout fishing in the mountains to the south, and for self-sufficient hikers, some of the best, and least known trekking in Africa in the Poroto Mountains around Tukuyu. The area around Mbeya has been called the “Scotland of Africa” and with good reason. The hills are clad in heather and bracken, but botanically they are more closely related to the Fynbos (fine bush) of South Africa’s Western Cape Province than the Highlands of Scotland. Recommended lodgings include the Mbeya Hotel, the Holiday Lodge, the Highlands and the Moravian Youth Hostel for budget travellers. South of Mbeya, signposted off the main road to Zambia, the Utengele Country Resort is a charming country hotel with excellent food and a vibrant pub.

Mbeya is mountainous region with the exceptional of the lowland areas of Usangu plains, Kyela, Chunya, Kamsamba and Msangano divisions in Mbozi, which are within the Rift Valley. It is located about 860km. south west of Dar-es-Salaam, bordering Malawi and Zambia,
Mbeya Town is nested along the valleys surrounded by undulating hills and range of mountains, jus behind Loleza Mountain. It is the Tanzania's main gateway to the southern countries of Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. The general range of temperature is between -6°C on the highlands and 29°C on the lowlands, enjoys abundant and reliable rainfall. It is cool and misty much of the time and sometimes you will need even a sweeter to warm you up
Mbeya region is among the lucky in Tanzania, it well-served with road networks from different part of the country and connected to 2 main highways linking to Malawi, Zambia Zimbabwe Botswana and South Africa, Airport for charter planes, and Ferry in the Lake Nyasa linking with Mbamba Bay and Liuli in Ruvuma Region. Direct train from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi.
Coming this far should not be for Game viewing, (though can be done in Madibila and Rujewa), Mbeya is the best place in Tanzania for hiking and forest walking, which encouraged with cool weather; and Nature Excursions .due to the presence of natural flower garden at Kitulo. Botanically, Mbeya has vegetation that are more closely related to the Fynbos (fine bush) of South Africa’s Western Cape

Rungwe Mountain
Rungwe Mountain is the highest mountain in Mbeya region and dominates the skyline for several kilometers around. It is composed of 10 or more dormant volcanic craters and domes.
Rising above the small town of Tukuyu, at 2,960m Rungwe Mountain is southern Tanzania's highest peak and third in Tanzania after Kilimanjaro and Meru in the north.
The mountain is surrounded by the catchments forest reserve that gazetted in in 1949, which incorporates montane forest, upper montane forest and montane grassland, with lesser amounts of bushland and heath at the upper elevations found in low bushes along streams and at the edges of montane forest
The forest is home to a variety of significant forest flora and fauna, including the threatened Abbot's Duiker and it is regarded as important bird Area with two species listed as 'vulnerable'. The most notable creatures are Rungwe Bush Viper and colobus monkeys
Catchments from the reserve feeds numerous villages and towns from Kiwira to Katumba to Tukuyu and Kandete, and all selltements in between. All streams from the north, west and southwest flow into the Kiwira River. These streams include the Marogala, Sinini, Kipoke, Kilasi and Mulagala. In the southeast begins the Mbaka River, with the Suma River feeding into it. In the east the Mrambo and the Mwatisi flow out of the reserve. All of the above rivers flow into Lake Nyasa.
Hiking: Well-defined hiking trails have been established to enable hikers to reach the top, the famous route is from Rungwe Secondary School (where I attended for 4 years, from 1983 to 1986)
Walking : Forest walking through local villages and several catchments which dominated with pure clear water is fascinating.
Best July to October when it is dry and warmer

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Mbeya