Mbeya Travel Guide
The Capital of Southern Tanzania
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Near the Zambian border deep in the southern highlands, the city of Mbeya is the major agricultural capital in the country’s south-west region. The Mbeya mountain range lies to the north, and the Poroto mountain range lies to the south-east. Large coffee and tea plantations, banana farms, and fields of cocoa are all grown around the region and come to Mbeya for packaging and transport. Mbeya’s location also makes it an idea transit point for good travelling by road and rail between Tanzania and neighbouring Zambia and Malawi.
In addition to its agricultural prosperity, Mbeya’s mineral wealth has attracted investment and provides the country with a good source of wealth. The town was originally founded in the 1930’s, when gold was discovered and a ‘gold rush’ ensued. But instead of running out and becoming a ghost town, Mbeya has continued to supply the country with a regular amount of gold. Its mountain views and pleasant weather make it a good stopover point for over land travellers heading south.
Attractions in Mbeya
The main attraction here is the beautiful and unique scenery of the Poroto Mountains with its alpine setting as well as the heather and bracken clad hills which has earned Mbeya the nickname of the "Scotland of Africa". Also if you go just 65km southwest of Mbeya then you can see the Mbozi meteorite, one of the largest meteorites in the world.
Activities in Mbeya
Mbeya is known as the best place in Tanzania for hiking and forest walking and deservedly so. It is a cooler climate here and therefore makes for more pleasant walking. Here you can go on nature excursions to Lake Ngozi, Rungwe Mountain, the natural bridge in Kiwira, the flower garden at Kitulo Plateau, the Songwe Bat Caves and the incredible Mbozi Meteorite site. You can also trek in the lesser known Poroto Mountains, go trout fishing or challenge yourself on a day hike to either the 2656m Loleza Peak or the 2820m Mbeya Peak.
Relaxing
Mbeya is an incredibly friendly town and with its cooler climate than other regions in Tanzania it’s the perfect place to unwind and relax by exploring the town, soaking up its atmosphere and the surrounding natural beauty or perhaps trying your hand at trout fishing.
Getting Around
The city is quite compact and taxis are readily available, however, you can also get dalla-dallas which are minibuses and are widely available in Mbeya. There is also a train service which consists of two Tazara Line trains per week connecting Dar Es Salaam and Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia and which go via Mbeya, and one weekly service which goes between Mbeya and Dar es Salaam. The area is also well served with road networks.
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