The little-visited southwest of Tanzania has lots to offer, from the country’s largest wilderness area in the Selous, to the pretty Kitulo National Park, tiny in comparison to its vast neighbour yet bursting with rare flowers. Wildlife lovers who want to escape the safari convoys should come to this region – although you may work harder to see your game, you’ll rarely see the crowds of the northern circuit. Frequently dubbed the ‘southern circuit’, the parks here, particularly Ruaha National Park and the Selous, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, have some fabulous lodges and are teeming with birdlife as well as animals. There’s a real sense of the wild in the Selous too, especially in the southern region beyond the Rufiji River, which is just opening up to photographic safaris.
The major towns in the southwest are Iringa and Mbeya. Mbeya is on the railway that links Tanzania with Zambia. Road communications are good, and the main road that cuts through southwest Tanzania is the extension of Zambia’s Great North Road and the continuation of the road that runs down the length of Lake Malawi in Malawi to the south. Take time to chill at Matema, on Lake Nyasa’s northernmost shore (the Tanzanian name for the lake), and stroll along its beach or explore the lush highlands with high peaks and crater lakes around Tukuyu and Mbeya.
The southwest looks set to welcome more visitors soon as it opens the gates to its new Songwe International Airport (Tanzania’s fourth) at the end of 2009. About 20 km south of Mbeya, it will undoubtedly bring changes as well as tourists to the area.
The southern highlands of Tanzania form one of the largest blocks of highland in East Africa. They mostly have a high rainfall and because of their altitude are cool. Like the rest of south Tanzania (and unlike the highlands to the north) they have one long wet season and one long dry one. High rainfall and rich soil mean that this area is agriculturally productive in both food and cash crops (tea and coffee). As with most highland areas in East Africa they are associated with the Rift Valley system and there has been much volcanic activity in the area over the years.
From Dar es Salaam the Tanzam Highway through the southwest heads out to Chalinze and Morogoro . To the south of it are the limited road access points to the Selous Game Reserve whilst 70 km to the southwest of Morogoro the road runs through a 50-km stretch of the Mikumi National Park. Beyond the Mikumi National Park the road climbs into the Kitonga Hills, which are part of the Udzungwa Mountains. It is quite a journey, with sharp bends, and dense forest all around. Part of the road runs alongside the Ruaha River gorge, often dubbed ‘Baobab Valley’ by veteran overlanders. Eventually the road levels out to the plateau and Iringa. To the northwest of Iringa is the Ruaha National Park. Mbeya lies 390 km to the southwest along the road which passes though vast pine plantations and rural farms. About midway between the two towns is the junction with the road that heads due south to the little-visited extreme southwest of Tanzania around Songea and the eastern shore of Lake Nyasa. Except for the steep climb up to Iringa through Baobab Valley where the tar has melted, the Tanzam Highway is in fairly good condition. From Dar es Salaam there are regular buses linking the towns on this route. The TAZARA railway runs from Dar to Mbeya and on to Zambia.
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