Mto Wa Mbu

Mto Wa Mbu (River of Mosquito's in Swahili) is in Monduli District, Arusha Region, Northeast Tanzania.

Understand
Being quite a small place, there is not much to do in Mto wa Mbu but it is a very good place to rest and recover after having been to Ngorngoro crater.

Get in
Transport for tourists mainly consists of trucks and coaches that cross Africa overland between major population centres. There are no air or rail links in or around Mto wa Mbu.

Get around
Although there are local taxis and minibus', they are not recommended as Mto wa Mbu is as small as to be able to be crossed in 15 minutes by walking.

See
Mto wa Mbu has a lot of swamp land surrounding it, hence the name, and so there isn't much to see in the town. The town is one of the closest towns to Ngorngoro Crater which is one of the main tourist attractions in Africa.

Buy
Local craftsmen whittle and sculpt figurines and other wooden souvenirs which they sell to the tourists that pass through the town. Tanzania is known for its African Blackwood (Mpingo in Swahili) and the skill of the local craftsmen is well known.

Eat
Like every African town, there are people selling barbecued corn and ugali (cornmeal porridge). Other tasty street foods are ndizi-nyama (plantains with different meats) and Mshikaki (marinated beef). Sweet foods commonly sold in Tanzanian towns are Kashata (a sweet coconut cake) and sugar roasted nuts.

Drink
There is a hostel/hotel in the town with a bar selling beers, soft drinks and Konyagi (Tanzanian sugarcane spirit, 35%). The bar also has live shows with local dancers and acrobats.

Sleep
There is a hostel/hotel in the town which has different accommodation options. If you are camping you can pay a very small fee and pitch your tent in their gated compound. There are also 10 double rooms for rent which can feel like a very welcome luxury after weeks of camping.

Go next
Chitimba Iringa