Ngozi

This was a very memorable day exploring the hills around Mbeya, which provide for some fantastic scenery. We went to Ngozi, billed as the ‘second largest crater lake in Africa’. My sleuthing tells me that Wonchi in Ethiopia could be the largest, but it’s inconclusive. Rain threatened throughout the walk towards the crater rim, and carried through on its threats at times. It was a great walk nonetheless because there were patches of original forest vegetation, which felt very dramatic and primeval. As we emerged onto the crater rim there was a total blanket of cloud covering the crater, which gradually cleared to give us mesmerising views.

The second major highlight of the day, and the second underwhelming description for something that was actually pretty cool, came towards sunset. The ‘highest point of all trunk roads in Tanzania’ reaches 2,900 metres and is located close to Mbeya. We drove along this stretch to reach some stunning sunset views over the Great Rift Valley. One involved some off-road slogging through a pine plantation by our fun guide Abdalla, to reach a protea-covered hillock at 2,400 metres with 360 degree panoramic views. We soaked in the views, only retreating when it got too dark, cold and windy to remain on the hillock.