Mbeya

Mbeya is the capital of southern Tanzania and the first town you will encounter if overlanding from Zambia. It is a sprawling town that seems to spread forever over a narrow valley hemmed in by high mountains, with corrugated iron roofing seemingly the main industry.

Once you get used to the squalor on the outskirts, Mbeya will enchant you. Mbeya is an incredibly friendly town, and the cool mists and high altitude (1,700m), and the beautiful alpine setting will make you want to linger. There is trout fishing in the mountains to the south and, for self-sufficient hikers, some of the best and least-known trekking in Africa in the Poroto Mountains around Tukuyu.

The area around Mbeya has been called the "Scotland of Africa", with good reason. The hills are clad in heather and bracken, but botanically they are more closely related to the fynbos (fine bush) of South Africa's Western Cape Province than the Highlands of Scotland.

Recommended lodgings include the Mbeya Hotel, the Holiday Lodge, the Highlands and the Moravian Youth Hostel for budget travellers. South of Mbeya, signposted off the main road to Zambia, the Utengele Country Resort is a charming country hotel with excellent food and a vibrant pub.

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