Mbeya is a large town in the southwest of Tanzania, the gateway to the Southern Highlands. It's a relatively young town built to service the gold mining in the area (which ceased on the 1950s). This unusually developed town has all grades of accommodation and makes a good stopover to rest on long safaris.
Mbeya's population was 280,000 in 2005. Mbeya is the capital of the surrounding Mbeya region (whose population, including Mbeya, totals around 2 million). Mbeya town is at an altitude of 1,700m, located in a narrow highland valley surrounded by high mountains.
The temperature ranges between -6?C in the highlands and 29?C on the lowlands. Mbeya's cooler climate can be misleading regarding the sun - sun cream is recommended when hiking, even on overcast days.
The area around Mbeya has abundant, reliable rainfall which stimulates prolific farming on the fertile volcanic soils. Average rainfall per year is 900mm. The main rainy season is from March to May. Sometimes visitors will need warm clothing, such as a fleece and hat, especially in the evenings and early mornings.
There are plenty of walking opportunities in the area including the two climbable mountains of Mbeya and Loleza Peaks, which dominate the Mbeya skyline. Another interesting excursion is the Mbozi Meteorite, weighing in at 12 tonnes is the eighth largest in the world.
For more information on visiting Mbeya, pleasecontact us.
