Hi if your travelling through Mbeya in southern Tanzania be very very carefull about bus tickets. There is NO, I repeat NO direct bus from Mbeya to any other country to the south (Malawi/Zambia). Anyone who tries to sell you a ticket to either of these countries from Mbeya is full of shit.
I was taken for Tsh20,000 (about $20) for a "direct" bus (that involved a change of bus at the boarder) to Malawi. When I crossed the boarder and showed my ticket around to find out where my next bus was going from I was laughed at. I've since met a lot of other people who've been scammed the same way.
If your passing through Mbeya on your way south don't bother even buying a ticket from any ticket office (they all seem to be in on the scam). Just get a dala-dalla from Mbeya to the boarder and pay on-board (about Tsh 5,000 if they give you the real price). Then walk across the boarder and pick up another mini-bus going in the direction your looking for.
On another note; The police in Dar Es Salaam seem to have begun checking the chasis numbers on buses leaving the city. The day we left it took them 4 hours to do this because they had every bus leaving the city that day wait in the bus station until they got around to them. If you can I'd recommend getting the train out of Dar.
Good luck
eoghanp
1
lynnyp
i'm at the very early stages of planning a world trip next september starting in tanzania - the only time i have spent in africa was 6 months working in liberia which obviously has no reflection on east africa. i have a very basic question regarding money ! do they accept us$ there or do you change your dollars to the local currency ?? also is it advisable to carry travellers cheques or is it easy to withdraw cash from banks ?? basic i know but nice to know .............. i need same info for zambia and sth africa !! good info on the bus scam, tanx
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