Hi - has anyone spent much time traveling overland in the south-east corner of Tanzania? Songea, Nantumbo, Tunduru, Masasi, Mtwara - that region. I don't mean on safari or even in the region to see any specific attraction, just passing through the towns and villages.
Is it an interesting area to see? What's it like getting through on public transport or hitching? Any particular negatives or positives?
Thanks
Hi arjwilson,
I will be traveling this route this summer but from Mtwara to Songea and Mbamba Bay.
A fellow regular poster on Thorn Tree is as we write traveling this route, his name is Kaz, he last sent me a msg from Njombe a week ago.
I am sure on his return he will update us all with his adventures and findings on his return
I do know the Southern Highlands pretty well as far as Lake Nyasa if you need any help with that part of your trip.
Happy planing
Alcotteer
I didnt do this route exactly, but even on the road from Kilwa Masoko to Dar es Salaam it was difficult to hitch a ride and I am sure it gets worse farther to the south. Same goes for region around Mbeya. So, while it is possible, keep in mind that it is going to be slow an unreliable. Larger towns have bus connections, so no worries there. Also, buses on the way were usually full and did not want to take on new passangers or we had to sit between the rows and it was extremely uncofortable as distances are not small.
Getting a ride from lake Rukwa was a headache too. While this two experiances are on the both sides of the route you want to take. I think it is a good indication of the problems you would face there, as region is even more remote.
If you do not speak swahili I might advise you not to try it.
There are buses to all main towns, might be a good idea to use buses and make short trips from there.
If you have a lot of time and are easy going and dont care to get stuck somewhere, then go for it. Otherwise, might be best to go someplace else.
Hi,
the roads from Mbeya to Kyela are all good tarmac and plenty of buses (coasters are better than dala dala, as a bit larger and a little more comfortable.
Also I think they are upgrading the rd to Songea but after that it will be very rough I think until you get to Masasi.
Tikitoki talks about the transport problems from Lake Rukwa but I think he might mean Lake Nyasa as Lake Rukwa is accessed best from Sumbawanga by land cruiser then motor bike for the last couple of miles. Sumbawanga is a good days journey from Mbeya but in the opposite direction from mbeya to the coast.
No, I mean lake Rukwa, its a big lake, I am sure you can get there from more than one direction and no, you dont need a landrover, but it sure would help as it is hard to get a ride around there and with a car. And personally I would be very careful about saying plenty of buses if that only means the ones leaving in the morning or whenever and after that your are stuck there. As for dala dala, there were no dala dalas at a lot of places. So, I think it is fair to warn that droping off in the middle of nowhere and hoping to get a ride later might not be such a great idea. Anyway, good luck.
Thanks guys, that's helpful. What about the Lake Tanganyika area, a little farther north? Say, going between Kigoma and Mpanda, then east to Tabora? Is that a little more heavily traveled do you think?
Hi,
I love Lake Tanganyika, I've stayed in Kigoma twice, the first time I traveled from Mwanza by bus which is a long journey and the 2nd time was from Bukoba also a long bus ride!
Both times we stayed at Jakobson Beach which although self catering it is a gorgeous place to stay with it's own two beaches. They can also arrange a trip to Gombe Stream to see the chimps.
First time there we tried to catch the MV Liemba down the Lake to Kasanga but it only runs once a fortnight and we had the wrong week! So w then traveled by bus (the Adventure Bus Company) to Mpanda, stayed the night then carried on to Subawanga, stayed the 2 nights as we wanted to go to Lake Rukwa which we did. The next day we traveled on to Mbeya. All the roads we dirt roads and long journeys but I always look at traveling by bus as part of the adventure (by the way most buses in Tz start off very early in the morning)
The next year we caught the ferry (MV Liemba) and had the most wonderful 3 day journey down the lake to Kassanga. Once there we also visited Kalombo falls, very spectacular, before heading to Sumbawanga on yet another rough and long bus ride.
As I said I know Mbeya and Tukuyu very well and there really is no problem getting as far Kyela by dala dala, I have done it many times over the last 6 years but I have never been as far as Songea.
Alcotteer
I have never been to Tabora but have traveled the road north from Mbeya through Chunya as far as Lupa Tinga Tinga where my friends brother grows tobaco. This used to be all dirt road but last year we found the Chinese hard at work building a new tarmac road as far as Chunya. This road I believe carries on to Singida but I would think you could get off at Itigi and carry on to Tabora.
