Mbeya

Sleep

There are some guesthouses across from the bus station, convenient if you are heading to Malawi the next day. Avoid the travel agencies attached and ignore the many touts in the bus station, as many people have reported scams with transport, and do not trust the bus driver to give you the real destination, but ask other passengers instead.

Warsame Guesthouse is the town center, with clean rooms and some clean bathrooms. There is a small restaurant at the corner a minute walk. Room from TSh 15,000 without and TSh 20,000 with bathroom. Hot water is only in theory. (august 2023) Katumba Guest House large rooms with large beds, nets, bathroom with hot shower, about 10 minute walk from center. From TSh 8,000-15,000 (May 2023). New Millenium Inn, Across the main street from the bus station. Very nice and clean rooms, with or without bathroom, hot water could be more hot, no restaurant. Prices start from TSh 20,0000 (Jan 2023).

Stay safe

For those who are travelling through Africa by vehicle, there is a very good garage just out of town on the Zambia road at Mbalizi behind the hospital at Mbalizi vocational training centre, best mechanics in Tanzania according to locals from many towns other than Mbeya, near Utengule Coffee lodge.

There are several bus ticket scams running out of Mbeya. The well-established scam artists attempt to sell tickets into various cities in Malawi. They have various price sheets and other documentation. They will even make phone calls to verify there is availability on the bus. One group even has an office in the Malawi transportation/bus center. They will get the passengers on a dalla-dallas that will just let them off at the border where there is supposed another bus that is waiting. Of course, there isn't. As of April 2010 there are no buses that go directly from Mbeya to Malawi. The buses only go to the border town of Kyela.

Go next

There is frequent local transport, both 30-seat "coaster" buses and dalla-dallas to Kyela. Double check that the driver can drop you off at the border ("boda-boda"). The border stop is only a 5-10 minute walk from the Songwe River bridge crossing into Malawi. There are bus services on the Malawi side of the border; going to Karonga, Mzuzu and further inland like Matours, Malawi Link and there are also shared taxis to Karonga cost about 1,500.00 Kwacha. For Itungi and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi), you will need to ride all the way to Kyela and secure additional transport from there.

Local transport also runs to Tunduma on the Zambian border; onward transportation can be arranged on the Zambian side.

If Mbeya is your stop off on entering Tanzania on the way to Dar es Salaam, try to head for Iringa next, an easy 4- to 5-hour bus ride. The district capital, Iringa is a good base for exploring the highlands along the Tanzam road. Buses are also available to Songea to the southeast, Sumbawanga to the northwest, or Tabora to the north, for connections to Kigoma or Mwanza.