What is the 'Garden of God'?

It is the local name (Bustani ya Mungu) for the Kitulo Plateau, protected as Kitulo National Park, a high montane grassland famed for its spectacular wildflower and orchid displays and dubbed the 'Serengeti of Flowers' by botanists.

When should I visit Kitulo for the flowers?

The wildflowers bloom during the wet season, roughly late November to April, which is the best time to see the plateau in full colour, though the roads can be muddy and a 4x4 is advisable.

Is the Mbeya region a safari destination?

Not in the classic big-game sense; the Southern Highlands are about hiking, crater lakes, wildflowers, tea estates and Lake Nyasa's beaches, making the region ideal for nature lovers and independent travellers rather than traditional game drives.

How do I get to Mbeya?

You can fly from Dar es Salaam to Songwe Airport (MBI) near Mbeya, or travel overland on the TAZARA Railway or long-distance buses along the Tanzam Highway; the town is also close to the Zambian and Malawian borders.

Destination guide

Mbeya Highlands

Tanzania's cool, green Southern Highlands, home to Kitulo's 'Garden of God', crater lakes and the shores of Lake Nyasa.

If something goes wrong

Emergency & health

Police

112

National emergency line

Ambulance / Fire

114

Also try 115

Your guide

Founder-vetted

Every guide knows the nearest help.

Hospitals & clinics

Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital

Hospital

Mbeya city

the main referral hospital for the Southern Highlands zone

View details & directions

Town clinics & health centres

Clinic

Mbeya

for consultations and minor treatment

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Pharmacies

Pharmacy

Mbeya city

well-stocked pharmacies for medicines and supplies

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Tukuyu / district facilities

Clinic

Rungwe & highland districts

basic care in the highlands; serious cases referred to Mbeya

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Police

Mbeya

national emergency line 112

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Insurance accepted for emergencies

Mbeya's Zonal Referral Hospital is the main medical centre for the Southern Highlands and handles most serious cases, but facilities thin out quickly in the rural highlands and around Kitulo and Lake Nyasa. Carry comprehensive travel-medical insurance, ideally with evacuation cover, especially when hiking remote mountains and plateaus. Dial 112 for emergencies and 114/115 for an ambulance.

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