Travel Guide Mbeya

Mbeya, which should be pronounced [Mbea], is the large agricultural capital of southwestern Tanzania (population about 300,000), in a region of beautiful scenery. A major colonial missionary centre, the town was not founded until 1927 by the British. This was the period of the Tanzanian gold rush, as valuable nuggets of the mineral were discovered in the region, leading to the establishment of the town. Today, the gold rush has faded, but Mbeya continues to deliver its weight in gold every year, still drawing from its deposits. Mbeya is an important trading centre, as it is the only major town between Iringa, Malawi and Zambia, both by road and by rail on the Tazara (Tanzania Zambia Railway) line, which has been in operation since the 1970s. Located about 100 km from the Zambian border, 860 km from Dar es Salaam by road (which never ends!), and halfway between Nyassa and Rukwa lakes, it is a beautiful town at an altitude of over 1,700 m, on fertile highlands, at the foot of mountains culminating at more than 2,800 meters (Mount Mbeya). A few million years ago, it was the scene of a very violent volcanic and seismic activity, to which we owe the presence of numerous craters, gorges and deep valleys with an abundance of waterways. For example, the Kapologwe waterfalls (in Makete) are worth a visit, but there are also waterfalls in many villages: Nzovwe, Mlowo, Salala, Kitekelo, Nagwamo, Nyihemi and Nyengenge. This exceptional agricultural land is the second largest coffee producing region in Tanzania. It produces the best coffee in the country (to the extent that it has become popular in Germany). Tea, bananas, rice and tobacco are also grown here. Although few tourists come here, Mbeya is well worth a stop to visit the eponymous mountain, Mount Rungwe (almost 3,000 meters above sea level), the Kitulo Plateau National Park, the Mbozi meteorite or Lake Rukwa.