Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tukuyu
The small, peppy town of Tukuyu is set in the heart of a beautiful area of hills and orchards
near Lake Nyasa. There are many hikes and natural attractions nearby, and basic tourist in-
frastructure. Market days are Mondays and Thursdays.
HIKING
Hiking opportunities abound, with Rungwe Tea & Tours (see Information) the main option
for organising something. The booklet
A Guide to the Southern Highlands of Tanzania
(
Click here
)
has detailed descriptions of routes. Brief summaries of some of the possibilit-
ies follow. Prices average Tsh20,000 per person for most destinations.
MT RUNGWE
This 2960m dormant volcano, much of which is protected as the Rungwe Forest Reserve,
rises up to the east of the main road north of Tukuyu, adjoining Kitulo National Park. It
marks the point where the eastern and western arms of the Rift Valley meet, and is an im-
portant centre of endemism. With an early start, you can hike up and down in a day (al-
low about 10 hours), passing through pristine patches of tropical forest. There are sever-
al routes, including one starting from near Rungwe Secondary School, signposted off the
Mbeya road about 15km north of Tukuyu. Once on the mountain, paths are often over-
grown and obscure, and it's easy to get lost. A guide is highly recommended. Mt Rungwe
can also be reached as a day hike from Isongole village between Tukuyu and Mbeya. For
all hikes, you'll need to pay a forest reserve fee. At the time of writing, hikes on the moun-
tain were temporarily suspended pending determination of new forest reserve fees; inquire
locally for an update.
NGOZI PEAK & CRATER LAKE
This lushly vegetated 2629m-high volcanic peak has a deep-blue lake - the subject of local
legends - about 200m below the crater rim. It is about 7km west of the main road north
of Tukuyu. To get here via public transport, take any dalla-dalla travelling between Mbeya
and Tukuyu and ask to be dropped off; there's a small sign for Ngozi at the turn-off. Once
at the turn-off, if you haven't come with a guide you'll be approached by locals offering
their services; the going rate is about Tsh2000. If you're short on time, you can go about
half the distance from the main road to Ngozi by vehicle and then walk the remainder of
the way. Once at the base, it's about another steep hour or so on foot up to the crater rim.
DARAJA LA MUNGU (BRIDGE OF GOD)
South of Ngozi Peak and west of the main road, this a natural bridge estimated to have been
formed around 1800 million years ago by water flowing through cooling lava that spewed
out from the nearby Rungwe volcano. The bridge spans a small waterfall. Further south
