iringa Town

Three things: its position as the gateway to Ruaha National Park, its role in the Hehe resistance against German colonial rule under Chief Mkwawa, and its setting on a rocky escarpment at 1,600 metres that makes it one of the most pleasant towns in Tanzania. It also has a strong craft tradition, with Neema Crafts employing over a hundred deaf and disabled artisans in a well-run social enterprise with a good cafe.

It is the standard road approach and the last town of any size before the park, so it is where most self-driving visitors stock up on fuel, cash and supplies. Ruaha lies about 130 kilometres west on a rough road, taking two to three hours in a 4×4. Visitors flying directly to the Msembe airstrip inside the park bypass Iringa entirely, which is quicker but misses the town. Iringa is also the last place to draw cash and buy supplies before Ruaha, where facilities are minimal.

It lies about 20 kilometres south of Iringa and holds one of the most significant Acheulean tool assemblages in East Africa, dating back several hundred thousand years. Alongside the archaeology, erosion has carved a small canyon of sandstone pillars worth seeing in its own right. A local guide leads visitors through both, and the site takes about two hours. The pillars photograph best in late afternoon light. The escarpment setting gives the town long views and a breeze that keeps it comfortable even in the warmest months.

Iringa sits on the TANZAM highway roughly 500 kilometres from Dar es Salaam, seven to eight hours by road, and about 300 kilometres from Mbeya. Buses run frequently on both routes and leave through the morning. There are no scheduled commercial flights to the town itself, so those wanting to fly south generally use Mbeya's Songwe Airport or fly directly into Ruaha's Msembe airstrip. Avoid night driving on the TANZAM highway, which carries heavy freight and has a poor accident record.

He was the Hehe leader who mounted the most effective African resistance to German colonisation in what is now Tanzania, destroying a German column at Lugalo in 1891 and holding out for seven more years before taking his own life rather than being captured in 1898. His skull was taken to Germany and returned in 1954. The memorial at Kalenga near Iringa houses it and tells the story. Iringa is also the last place to draw cash and buy supplies before Ruaha, where facilities are minimal.

Yes, it is a relaxed and safe town and the centre is comfortable to walk during the day, with the usual precautions after dark. The main risk is the TANZAM highway itself, which carries heavy truck traffic to Zambia and has a poor accident record, particularly on the escarpment descents. Avoid night driving on this road and choose bus operators with some care. The escarpment setting gives the town long views and a breeze that keeps it comfortable even in the warmest months.

It is a workshop, cafe and guesthouse in central Iringa employing over a hundred deaf and disabled artisans, producing handmade paper, textiles, glassware and metalwork. It began as a small papermaking training project and has grown into one of the most successful social enterprises in Tanzania. The cafe is among the best places to eat in town, and the workshop is open to visitors who want to see the production.

One night suits most travellers passing through on the road south, and is enough for Neema Crafts and a meal. Two nights allows the Isimila site, the Mkwawa memorial at Kalenga and Gangilonga Rock above the town, which together make a full and genuinely interesting day. Anyone continuing to Ruaha should factor in a full day for the transfer, as the final stretch is slow. Avoid night driving on the TANZAM highway, which carries heavy freight and has a poor accident record.