Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
The opening of Songwe international airport, 22km outside Mbeya near Mbalizi, has been
indefinitely postponed. Meanwhile, Mbeya airfield, 5km south of town, handles six flights
weekly to Iringa (US$225 to US$250 one way) and Dar es Salaam (US$300 to US$350
one way), currently on Auric Air and Flightlink. Book through Gazelle Safaris.
Bus
Green Star Express, Sumry and other lines depart daily from the main bus station to Dar es
Salaam from 6am (Tsh30000 to Tsh35,000, 12 to 14 hours), going via Iringa (Tsh18,000 to
Tsh20,000) and Morogoro.
To Njombe (Tsh9000, four hours) and Songea (Tsh18,000, eight hours), Super Feo departs
daily at 6am, sometimes with a later departure as well.
To Tukuyu (Tsh2500, one to 1½ hours), Kyela (Tsh5000, two to 2½ hours) and the Malawi
border (Tsh5000, two to 2½ hours; take the Kyela bus), there are several smaller Coastal
buses daily. It's also possible to get to the Malawi border via dalla-dalla
,
but you'll need to
change vehicles in Tukuyu. For Itungi port, you'll need to change vehicles in Kyela. Note
that there are no direct buses from Mbeya into Malawi, though touts at the Mbeya bus sta-
tion may try to convince you otherwise.
To Matema, there is one direct bus daily via Kyela, departing Mbeya by about 1pm
(Tsh7000).
To Tunduma, on the Zambian border, there are daily minibuses (Tsh3500, two hours). Once
across, there's Zambian transport. There is no cross-border transport between Mbeya and
Zambia.
To Sumbawanga, Sumry goes daily at 6am and 8am (Tsh15,000, seven hours). For
Mpanda, you'll need to change vehicles in Sumbawanga. Plan on spending the night there,
since most vehicles to Mpanda depart Sumbawanga in the morning, although sometimes in
the dry season - and daily once the Sumbawanga road is fully rehabilitated - it's possible
to get a direct connection without staying overnight in Sumbawanga.
To Tabora, there are a few vehicles weekly during the dry season, going via Rungwa. Some,
which you can pick up at Mbalizi junction, take the western route via Saza and Makongo-
losi, while others - catch them along the main Tanzam highway just east of central Mbeya
- go via Chunya.
To Moshi, Sumry departs daily at 5am (Tsh55,000, 18 gruelling hours).
