Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to its high iron content, while its burnished look comes from the melting and
other heating that occurred as the meteorite hurtled through the atmosphere to-
wards Earth.
To reach the site you'll need your own vehicle. From Mbeya, follow the main
road towards Tunduma. About 50km from Mbeya there's a signposted turn-off
to the left. From here, it's 13km further down a dirt road (no public transport).
During the wet season, you'll need a 4WD. Otherwise, a 2WD can get through
without difficulty, except perhaps for a tiny stream about 2km before the met-
eorite. There is no charge for visiting, but you can buy a leaflet with details on
the meteorite from the caretaker.
CHUNYA
This old gold-mining town came to life during the 1920s gold rush, after which it declined
to its present status as something of a ghost town. Although Chunya itself has few draws,
it's part of an adventurous loop to Lake Rukwa for those with transport. From Mbeya, head
northeast along the edge of the Mbeya escarpment, passing
World's End Viewpoint
, with
views over the Usangu catchment area (source of the Great Ruaha River). Once in Chun-
ya, where there is a basic guesthouse, it's possible to continue via Saza and Ngomba to the
shores of Lake Rukwa, although there are no facilities en route. Return the same way, or
alternatively, at Saza, head south via Galula and Utengule Country Hotel towards Mbeya
on a somewhat rougher road.
Pick-ups go daily between Mbeya and Chunya (three hours), but you'll probably need to
overnight in Chunya as return transport departs in the mornings. Departures are from just
outside of Mbeya before the Sae area for the northern loop, and from Mbalizi junction for
the Galula route. The rough road from Chunya north to Rungwa and on to Tabora is tra-
versed by several buses weekly during the dry season.
LAKE RUKWA
Lake Rukwa is a large salt lake notable for its many water birds and its enormous crocodile
population. The northern section is part of Rukwa Game Reserve, which is contiguous with
Katavi National Park. As the lake has no outlet, its water level varies greatly between the
wet and dry seasons. It rarely exceeds about 3m in depth, and sometimes splits into two
lakes separated by swamplands. From Mbeya, the main approaches are via Chunya or al-
ternatively via Galula, and then on to Saza and the lake shore. For either route, 4WD is the
only realistic way to visit, and even then, access to the shoreline is difficult. There are no
facilities. It's also possible (and easier via public transport) to access the lake from Sum-
bawanga;
Click here
.
