'''Iringa''' is a town in the Southern Highlands, Tanzania.

Get in

You can get to Iringa by bus. There are many bus companies but some are dangerous. The best are Sumry, Scandinavia and Hood (maligned by Lonely Planet but much improved in the past few years)

Get around

Iringa is the perfect stop over point on the way down through the Southern Highlands or if you are off to visit Malawi and Zambia. If you are going back the other way towards Dar it is definitely a much nicer place to stop than Morogoro. It would be all too easy to just see Iringa as a blur as you hurtle past in a Scandinavia coach sipping your complimentary soda, but is definitely worth breaking your journey for a day or so to take in the sights, sounds and smells of this bustling little town. It is also the gateway to the jewel in the crown of Tanzania's game parks: Ruaha. Ask at Iringa Info opposite Hasty Tasty to arrange your trip or get a bus or taxi to Tungamalenga village near the park gate and stay at Chogela campsite where they can arrange a cheaper vehicle hire (this is the cheapest way to do the park). Ask at Neema Crafts for Chogella campsite details.

See

  • '''Gangilonga Rock''' (talking stone). This large rock gives you great views over Iringa. To get to it you have to walk out past Lulu's/bakery/Ruaha Club way through the well-off suburb where all the rich NGO and government workers houses are. The rock itself is covered in graffiti from Local youth.
  • '''Isimila Stone Age Site'''. About 15 kilometers from town towards Mafinga, easily accessible by daladala or taxi. This is one of the most interesting stone age sites in East Africa and is well worth a visit.
  • At Kalenga, you can go and see Chief Mkwawa_fs skull which was returned by the Germans after many decades.

  • '''Neema Crafts Centre''' is a great place to visit with cafe with great cake and fresh ground coffee, a tour of the workshops is great to see all the different crafts being made, especially paper from elephant dung!
  • Do

  • '''Mkwawa Golf Course'''. Why not have a round of golf? Brown greens and more caddies offering unwanted advice and mirth than you can shake a stick at_c hilarious_c watch out for the donkey and goat based green keeping team_c
  • '''Learn about the AIDS pandemic first hand'''. Iringa region has the highest infection rates in the country. The [http://www.mbigili.de/ Amani Orphanage in Mbigili] (around 15 km from Iringa) is run by a German-Tanzanian NGO and offers camping and basic rooms against a small donation - very lovely, an ideal spot for hikes through the surrounding area. The kids are also always very happy to see new playmates!
  • Buy

  • '''Masai Market''' ? Go and visit Sengai (the unofficial leader of the Iringa Masai) in the Masai market between the Posta and Sokoni. All manner of beaded things, katenge bags, herbal medicines, and second hand shoes available. You will also get lots of souvenir traders bothering you outside of Hasty Tasty ? They are selling cards, carved wood items, and musical instruments. One of them has a nasty habit of playing his terrible violin type device. Shouting ''Inatosha'' (''that's enough'') stops him for a few minutes and eases the headache.
  • '''[http://www.neemacrafts.com Neema Crafts]''' is a great project. The workshop employs deaf people who produce elephant dung paper products (cards, albums, etc), beaded bits and bobs (bracelets, earrings, flip flops) including stuff from their beads they make from recycling glass bottles (ask to go and see their cool mud kiln), cushions, vitenge patchwork blankets, lamps and lamp shades, and more recently have employed disabled folks who are weaving rugs, hammocks, and various other interesting textiles. Their most recent projects are micro solar panels for lighting, radios and charging phones, very useful if you are camping, and a physiotherapy unit for disabled children. You can help the physiotherapy unit by having a fantastic hour long massage for 25,000/= from their bubbly physio Beatrice and you can lie there and relax in your pampering knowing the money you are paying is going to allow more disabled children to get treated for free! Along with the obvious benefits of providing employment to people that Tanzanian society has rejected, the products are excellent and make great presents! Haruna, a hilarious character, will be happy to give you a guided tour, and they have a cafe selling proper coffee and home made cakes, ice cream and sorbets if that tickles your fancy; Their panini Bacon and avocado sandwiches and the carrot cake draw expat volunteers from all over the south of Tanzania who also stock up on their reading materials at the book exchange in the cafe. Also they are the center for a great project to bring safe drinking water to rural villages using the sun, (SODIS.ch) so drop off any empty 1 1/2 liter drinking water bottles you may have and they can make use of them.
  • There are dozens of shops selling vitenge and kanga. The best are located around the Dala Dala stand near the market and down _gIndian_h street. Expect to pay 2,500/= for kanga and 4,000/= for vitenge. Real Wax vitenge comes in at about 10,000/= if you are a purist. Always demand a punguza for multiple purchases though they are tough negotiators but don't worry too much about going as low as you can as these guys are the middle men not the producers whatever they may claim!

    There are several duka opposite the Posta selling batiques, carvings, paintings and painted tins. Laugh at the first price they offer you_c and then punguza them to within an inch of their lives, don't worry about getting the lowest price as these guys are middle men and not the real artists whatever they may say.

    In the corner of the main market you_fll find the basket market - several stalls selling straw mats, baskets, kitchen bits and pieces. The hand woven baskets are a signature of Iringa and well worth getting for keeping your mchele and maharage in. Currently you will pay 10,000/= for four medium sized baskets ? an absolute bargain for the Iringa style they will bring to your bare, soulless volunteer accommodation.

    For food based retail therapy, take a walk to Premji_fs and/or Raju_fs on _gIndian_h street, two mini-supermarkets heavily stocked with wazungu luxuries; wine, Marmite, Coco Pops, Olives, etc. Not what you would describe as cheap but when you are desperately in need of a yeast extract based hit, beggars can_ft be choosers. (also Neema Crafts does take away giant chocolate chip cookies, which are great when you need a lift).

  • '''Iringa Bakery''' (next to Lulu_fs). Sells amazing bread. Opening hours are bizarre ? 4 out of every 5 visits ends in disappointment, but when you are successful it makes it all worthwhile! Usually between 5 and 6 on weekdays is the best time to capture the bakers in their natural environment.
  • The Consellata Fathers and Sisters live on two sites up in the Gangilonga suburb. The fathers sell their own cheese (well, that of their cows_c) including mozzarella (amazing), the sisters sell homemade pasta, pasta sauce, and pork which they raise themselves and then cruelly slaughter on the premises (who would think such mild mannered nuns could have such cold, blood thirsty hearts? but it does taste good!)

    Eat

  • '''Neema Crafts'''. The craft shop hosts a coffee shop with great food: Italian panini sandwiches, chocolate cake to die for in huge portions, fresh ground coffee and great ice cream made from real cream and fruit among other delicious dishes, you'll want to go back again to work your way through the menu! They have their famous ginger and giant chocolate cookies in take away packs as well as their home made fudge! The coffee shop is staffed by the deaf staff and have adapted the ordering system accordingly. The service is fast compared to the rest of town and the environment is great, either sitting outside (where you do not get bothered by the local Hawkers or street kids because the kids at least are being helped by a charity set up by one of the guys who helps there) or upstairs in their gallery cafe. A great range of magazines to while away the hours, as well as reasonably in date copies of the guardian weekly to keep abreast of what is going on in the world and a book exchange where you can stock up on good novels and contribute to the project at the same time. They have recently started a development library with some excellent development journals if you are in that field.
  • '''Hasty Tasty Too'''. Run by Shaffin and his mum, who will happily stand in for your own mother if you are in need. You usually find a lot of wazungu in Hasty, it is next to the SPW (Student Partnerships Worldwide) office. Specialities are the chick pea curry (kali sana please), rolled chappatis, samosas (veg or beef), egg and meat chops, fruit juice and milkshakes_c If you have something special to celebrate, get Shaffin to make you a cake_c awesome artistry. They also do a mean cooked breakfast if you are suffering after a heavy night in one of the drinking establishments. MTV (proper MTV and not the rubbish Hip Hop version) plays on the TV alongside BBC News 24_c nice! If you are having a bad day, Shaffin is arguably the best person in Iringa to go to for a comforting hug.
  • '''Lulu_fs''' - One of the highlights of Lulu_fs is the soft scoop ice cream if the machine is working, In addition they have the usual range of Indian, Chinese and western food. Beware the strange opening hours!
  • '''Jacaranda''' ?currently closed for refubisment, but many think permanently. Don_ft eat here if you are in a hurry. Good standard fare, possibly the cleanest restaurant to be found in Africa, and sports spotless bathroom facilities. If you have been on the bus for 10 hours and have been crossing your legs, the ''choo'' will seem good enough for the Queen. Some diners have reported long waits for food.
  • '''Bottoms Up''' which is now known as "Shooters", is under new management and has a new decor and similar stuff to what the previous owner had. It has a restaurant and also serves food in the bar_c egg ''biryani'' is a favorite. Reasonably expensive but great if you are already holed up there for the drink or football (or both) especially as the food can take several hours to arrive! Indian, Chinese and Western dishes served alongside Tanzanian food.
  • '''Twisters''' ? Much the same as Bottoms except service is slower! Twisters has food in addition to drinking facilities (Vegetable Jalfrezi here is good)
  • '''Sajuu_fs Home Restaurant''' ? It feels homely and you can amuse yourself with Tanzanian soap operas (_gCamilla is having a hemorrhage_c_h). Cheap Tanzanian food is available along with the aforementioned Indian/Chinese/Western trinity which is almost the law in this town.
  • '''Aashiana Restaurant''' - If you looking for indian food thats the place pure indians making pure indian food whatever your taste is Aashiana will make it for you just come and stop by aashiana for fast and tasty food.
  • Drink

  • '''Luxury Bar'''. The place to go for watching football. It is impossible to describe the atmosphere. Anything up to 500 avid Tanzanian fans crowd into the bar, theater style watching 3 small TVs in cages. Be prepared for very un-Tanzanian displays of emotion and deafening verbal abuse aimed towards everyone_fs friend Jose Mourinho. On Friday nights they have a reasonable live band. If you are looking for a little more comfort for your football, Bottoms Up is probably a safer bet.
  • '''Bottoms Up'''. ['''Shooters'''] see above, A great meeting point and the night time social hub of Iringa. It has two pool tables (one of which is of a curious shape) and many, many sports channels. The place is run by Walid, an avid Liverpool fan, and his excellent staff, clientele is a mixture of Tanzanians (watch out for hand guns), SPW volunteers (watch out for the smell of the villages), depressed VSO and Peace Corps volunteers (watch out for boring life stories), and assorted kipepeo (as per SPW volunteers). Be careful not to get involved in childish tequila based drinking competitions with Walid and the many missionaries, it can only end up in a big hit to your ego_c
  • '''Twisters'''. Has a similar vibe to Bottoms but has a lot less SPW volunteers and is a little more Tanzanian. It also has a pool table and sometimes has live music. You may find a cover charge of 2,000/= at the weekend if they are opening late and have a disco.
  • '''Miami Beach'''. Classic Tanzanian bar and dance hall. The place to go for a little Tanzanian _gculture_h.
  • '''Ruaha International Disco'''. No visit to Iringa would be complete without a visit to the Ruaha International Disco. It_fs open from about 10pm until 4am when you will get kicked out and then molested by Taxi drivers desperate for your business. Ruaha is definitely the place to be if you enjoy the music of 50 Cent, and if intimate dancing with members of both sexes is your thing (though of course in Tanzania this is terribly inappropriate, Ruaha Disco seems to have rules of its own!) Word to the wise ? don_ft go to Ruaha International Disco on your own_c normal rules apply, watch your valuables and don_ft get blind drunk_c safety first!
  • Sleep

  • '''Bankers Academy'''. Close to Hasty Tasty and offers clean, en-suite rooms varying in price depending on facilities. There are two types of accommodation ? Cheap (situated around the back of the college) and expensive (accessed from the main road). The more costly option offers single en-suite rooms at 12,000/= and double _esuites_f at 18,000/=. For the spendthrifts amongst you there is a cheaper choice accessed further down the Dodoma road turning up the side road by the NMB bank and Neema Crafts at the college itself, rooms about 4,000/=.
  • '''Lutheran Centre'''. Down the hill from Neema crafts, just been refurbished and reopened, much above the old style backpackers haunt, now one of the most comfortable places to stay in Iringa (not that Iringa is well endowed with top class accommodation but this will serve even the fussiest traveller).
  • '''Staff Inn''' There are two Staff Inns. One is next to the busstation, called white house, another on the main road, called annex. Both of them offer similar kind of rooms, from usd 12 to 20. Annex has strange odour and restaurant is just average.
  • '''Central Lodge''' Near Bankers Academy and oppostie Hasty Tasty. The place is in old German hospital building, has single and double rooms with breakfast and tv from usd 14 to usd 20. Rooms are big and run down but service is friendly.
  • '''Embalasasa Motel''' On main road, near bus station has modern rooms with tv and bathroom, usd 14-18. they close their door at 21.00. After that you may be in trouble to get in, even you are the guest!
  • There is a plethora of other smaller guests in Iringa, some good, some not so good. Feel free to try them and let me know of any successes you may have.

    '''Ruaha Executive Lodge'''. Across the street from Hasty Tasty and Jacaranda. Offers clean, en-suite rooms with hot water for 12,000/=. Breakfast is included but dinner must be ordered ahead of time.

    You should also visit Riverside Campsite, very romantic nice chalets for resting and tents near the river with nice rooms to pass the night its outside of Iringa town but its a place you shouldn't miss especially if you are a birder or like walks or a swim in the river (only one very shy hippo to worry about evidently!) They also do good food and run avery good language school.

    Cope

    CRDB has a branch near the market and provides all the usual money exchange services. It also has an ATM, in case you get desperate. Useful to note is that they are open until 1pm on Saturdays. In Iringa, there are also branches of NMB (across the street from Jacaranda) and NBC.

    NMB has an ATM at its branch. It also has an ATM in the town center. However, CRDB and NBC take only VISA cards. A Barclays is to be opened soon, which should allow a wider variety of cards to be used.

    Immigration has an office on CRDB - bank building.

    Contact

    There are many internet cafes in Iringa. The most reliable is IringaNet, at the top end of town. It will cost you 1,000/= per hour, though you can bulk buy and get a small discount. Another option is to take your own wireless enabled laptop and, for the same price, use their wireless hotspot. The connections are relatively quick for Tanzania, and stable. Neema Crafts are currently building a new center, just off the main road, at the clock tower roundabout. They are planning an internet cafe in their new cafe location, which should have wireless for you to use your laptop while eating delicious chocolate cake -- you'd better watch this place.

    Get out

    Iringa is a good starting point for a visit to Ruaha National Park.. Transport and accommodation arrangements can be made through Iringa Info, which is opposite Hasty Tasty. You are looking at around $200.00 per day to hire a 4x4 to get there and drive round the park -- this includes a driver and the cost of the fuel.

    Scandinavian Express and Sumry have morning departures to Dar Es Salam around 8.00. Scandinavian Express does not go to Lusaka (Zambia) any longer, unlike their internet site indicates. Instead Taqwa and Falcon do so and arrive from Dar to Iringa around 13.00. Note that those buses do not come to Iringa busstation but roadside. Normally they overnight at the border.