Iringa

Iringa is a charming if somewhat down-at-heel town that lies at the heart of Tanzania's tea industry. Set on the slopes of a cliff above the Little Ruaha River, it is also the main centre for travel to the Ruaha National Park and it also lies within striking distance of the enormous Selous Game Reserve.

It's a busy little town: market days bring forth an eclectic mix of expatriate wives dressed in pastel frocks shopping with their baskets and mingling with raw tribespeople from the bush for their monthly trading spree. If you go shopping here, don't forget to stock up on Dabaga Chilli Sauce, an East African legend. Not many tourists stay here with Ruaha National Park on the doorstep - Jongomero or Ruaha River Lodge are great accommodation options in the park itself but there are more cost-conscious alternatives in Iringa.

Do a bit of reading up on the region: a mix of faded Bavarian and vibrant African architecture distinguish Iringa from most Tanzanian towns, and the place has a rich history. It was near here that in 1894, Hehe Chief Mkwawa built a 13km long and four metre high stockade in an attempt to fight off the advance of German colonization. In 1898, after nine years of harassing the Germans in a series of guerrilla skirmishes, Mkwawa was cornered, and committed suicide by shooting himself through the head. His skull was sent to Germany, repatriated in 1954, and now forms one of the main (somewhat grisly) exhibits in the Mkwawa Memorial Museum at nearby Kalenga.

For archaeology or geology buffs, a trip to Isimilia, 15km west of Iringa, is mandatory. Besides the astonishing free-standing natural rock pillars formed by millions of years of weathering, this is one of Africa's most important sites for exploring the relics of the Acheulean Age (about 60 000 years ago) and the site is littered with hand axes, hammers, cleavers and stone picks.

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