Western Tanzania - Tanzania - page 513

GETTING THERE & AWAY
Minibuses run several times daily between Tukuyu and both Mbeya (Tsh3000, one to 1½
hours along a scenic, tarmac road) and Kyela (Tsh1500, one hour).
Two roads connect Tukuyu with the northern end of Lake Nyasa. The main tarmac road
heads southwest and splits at Ibanda, with the western fork going to Songwe River Bridge
and into Malawi, and the eastern fork to Kyela and Itungi port. A secondary dirt road heads
southeast from Tukuyu to Ipinda and then east towards Matema.
Lake Nyasa
Lake Nyasa (also known as Lake Malawi) is Africa's third-largest lake after Lake Victoria
and Lake Tanganyika. It's more than 550km long, up to 75km wide and as deep as 700m
in parts. It also has a high level of biodiversity, containing close to one-third of the world's
known cichlid species. The lake is bordered by Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique. The
Tanzanian side is rimmed to the east by the Livingstone Mountains, whose green, misty
slopes form a stunning backdrop as they cascade down to the sandy shoreline. Few roads
reach the towns strung out between the mountains and the shore along the lake's eastern
side. To the north and east, the mountains lead on to the Kitulo Plateau.
While the mountains are beckoning to hikers, you'll need to be completely self- suffi-
cient (including with tent and water filter) and carry a GPS. One possibility for a route is
from the mission station of Bulongwa (reached via dalla-dalla from Njombe) to Matema,
which offers superb views as you make your way down to the lake shore. Allow about
14 hours for the trip and start out at daybreak. There are inexpensive guesthouses in Bu-
longwa where you can spend the previous night. A longer version of this hike is also pos-
sible, starting near the Kitulo Park gate. Another possibility is to take a dalla-dalla from
Njombe to Ludewa, from where you could make your way down to Lupingu and wait for
the MV Iringa or MV Songea . Once at the shoreline, note that both crocodiles (near river
mouths) and malaria-carrying falciparum mosquitoes are real hazards, so take the appro-
priate precautions.
Other places of interest around the Tanzanian side of the lake include the following (from
north to south).
KYELA
There's no reason to linger in this scruffy, nondescript transit town unless your boat arrives
late at Itungi and you need somewhere to spend the night. Photography is prohibited in
most areas. The surrounding area - much of which is wetlands dotted with rice paddies -
is more appealing.