The Iringa region is a perfect destination for anyone reaching the southern highland regions of Tanzania. The region offers more than just wildlife attractions. The exciting history of Tanzania can be found in Iringa. But one may ask, what are the must-do things in Iringa?
There are a lot of things to do in Iringa. Here, I share with you my favorite things to do in Iringa based on my experiences there several times.
1. Taste the really African cuisine
2. Explore Untouched Ruaha National Park
3. Visit Isimila Stone Site
4. Visit Iringa Boma Regional Museum
5. Visit Igereke Rock Paintings
6. Visit Neema Crafts
7. Visit A Real African Market
8. Visit Kalenga Historical Museum
9. Trek Gangilonga Rocks
10. Explore the Udzungwa National Park
In the remaining part of this article, I will share the information about the activities listed above in detail. Read on to find out more. But before I share the details of the activities with you, let me first explain the basics about Iringa.
About the Iringa Region
Iringa is a region in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The name Iringa is derived from the Hehe word “lilinga” which means fortress.
Due to its geographical location, Iringa is one of the coldest regions in the country. The region attracts many tourists, especially from colder parts of the world.
The region is commonly known for being home to the exciting history of Tanzania, then Tanganyika, and the largest national parks in Africa.
The parks are the Ruaha and Udzungwa Mountains national parks.
Spending a few days exploring what Iringa has to offer is a nice idea that every traveler has in mind when around Iringa.
Let us now explore the most exciting things you can do in the coolest Iringa.
1. Taste the really African cuisine
In Iringa, there are many places where you can eat and enjoy the food of your choice. Moreover, it is in Iringa where anyone would not miss trying some of the best new dishes in the country.
The common cuisine that you should not miss when you are in Iringa is the following:
– Nyama choma
– Ugali na nyama choma
– Wali na maharage
– Ndizi na nyama
– Supu ya ng’ombe
– Chips Yai
These are some of the common local dishes in Iringa that you should try. Are you wondering where to try these dishes in Iringa? There are several perfect places you can visit and enjoy your meals. The following are my favorite places to eat out in Iringa:
Hasty Tasty Too
This is a long-time Iringa classic where you can enjoy the two dishes listed and much more. It is good for breakfast, yogurt, samosas, shakes, and cheap meals. You can get toasted sandwiches to take away here. The environment is cool and clean to make you enjoy a pleasant visit while you enjoy delicious meals.
Neema café restaurant
This place is rightly popular with local coffee and teas and homemade biscuits. It is also a nice place for soup, cakes, sandwiches, and other African dishes.
This is one of my favorite places to eat in Tanzania. The food is well prepared. The service staff is charming, and the location is cool.
Boma Cafe
Not only does this place serve delicious African dishes, but also pizza, quiches, and meatballs, which are very popular in Iringa.
Mama Iringa Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant
This place is recommended for those who want to try African and Italian dishes in Iringa. Pizzas, gnocchi and lasagna are great. The food is good, and the environment is perfect and clean to make you enjoy it more when you are there.
Sai Villa
This place is worth a visit to taste the real food in Iringa, especially in the evening. You will get both African and Indian dishes. The food is delicious and classic!
2. Ruaha National Park
The name of Ruaha Park is derived from the Hehe word meaning “river”. The eponymous Great Ruaha River serves as a lifeline for the Perk’s wildlife.
The Park is the largest in East Africa. It is also the least visited place with an almost untouched and unexplored ecosystem in Tanzania.
The Park is a beautiful mix of woodland, savannah, and swamps. The Park also has an outstanding wilderness character with few exclusive luxurious camps available.
Some of the exciting things to see in the park include watching skulking jackals and hyenas as they forage for their breakfast.
In the Mwagusi area, you can see the pride of lions. Did you know that 10% of the world’s lion population resides in Ruaha National Park? If the answer is YES, then you are right!
What a beautiful experience to see a leopard creeping vigilantly along the riverbanks? If you are short of something, you might spot one of the cheetahs lying in wait on the plains.
Be alert if you spot crocodiles, as the herd of elephants could be on their way to the river to drink water. You may also see predators catching waterbuck, impala, or gazelles coming to the river to drink. Ruaha National Park is home to the endangered wild dogs.
The Park has the third largest wild dog population in the world. This will be your chance to see them in large numbers when you visit Ruaha National Park.
Other animals you can see in the park are buffalo, giraffe, greater, bushbuck, and lesser kudu, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest.
Ruaha National Park is home to more than 570 species of birds. This includes the namesake Ruaha red-billed hornbill. I visited Ruaha National Park in September 2017, during the dry season.
Among the many activities, I thoroughly enjoyed were the guided walks and balloon safari in the park. The game drives in the park are also highly recommended. Kwihala, Jongomero, and Kigelia camps offer the best walking safaris.
Still, looking for what to do when you are in or around Iringa? Ruaha National Park is well worth a visit and offers great value for money!
3. Isimila Stone Site
Located 23km west of Iringa, the Isimila Stone Site is one of the most important historical sites on the African continent.
Here you will learn about the technological development of ancient tools made 60,000 to 100,000 years ago. Here you will also see small canyons, eroded pillars, and a small picnic area.
The place is very convenient for a day trip. I would recommend starting the tour at a local museum. There you will see all the fossil bones of extinct mammals and stone age tools used by our ancestors.
Among the tools, you will see are scrapers, knives, ax heads that were hollowed out that can still be seen at the site. This is a place where we find evidence of the legacy of our ancestors today.
Then walk with your guide to the archeological excavations where the pieces were created. Look at the freestanding sandstone columns.
Some of the columns reach a height of fifteen meters. The columns have been carved out of the surrounding rock by years of weathering.
Ask your guide and he will explain how they were formed. The guides have an accurate understanding and are helpful to the travelers.
We were allowed to bring our own food and drink and enjoy our picnic on site. Our visit to the site was more fun than I would recommend to any traveler. So, if you are looking for what to do in Iringa, include Isimila Stone Site in your list.
4. Iringa Boma Regional Museum
Boma is a Swahili word for fortress and perfectly describes the center as a stronghold of culture and heritage in Iringa.
Did you know that Germans built a military hospital in Iringa in the early 1900s? In case you didn’t know, the current Iringa Boma in Iringa was the German military hospital.
The city of Iringa was established as a military base by the German colonial regime in 1896. The hospital was built in the African and European style of German colonial architecture to serve the German colonizers.
The boma is one of the oldest buildings in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The Askari troops who fought on behalf of German East Africa and their families are the earliest inhabitants of the Iringa boma.
The Iringa Boma now serves as a heritage center and regional museum. I visited the boma in July 2018 after it was recommended to me by a friend. The building itself has been well renovated to its original design.
The Iringa Boma is a place for education, participation, and recreation. There you can enjoy interaction with the local communities. When you visit the Iringa Boma, you will enjoy engaging with the culture and heritage.
After the First World War, the British made Iringa boma their regional administrative center. After political independence from 1961 until 2014, Iringa boma was used as a regional and district administration office.
In 2014, the building was completely renovated and restored to its original form. In 2016, the building was reopened as a regional museum and cultural center. When you visit the Iringa Boma, you will learn a lot about the exciting history of the region.
Here you will find some curious stories that really put the Iringa in perspective. Some of the artfully displayed objects in the museum include an embroidered chief’s robe, a wooden ceremonial stool, and shiny calabashes.
The objects are illuminated by detailed captions that explain the ancient and colonial history, tribal traditions and dress, and nearby points of interest. The staff here is very professional and helpful. They do their work with heart.
So, if you want to learn about the exciting historical events that shaped modern-day Iringa, you should add a visit to Iringa Boma Museum to your agenda.
5. Igereke Rock paintings
The Igereke rock paintings are the best off-the-beaten-track place to visit when you are in or around Iringa. It is easy to reach the site from Iringa town, even by local transport or “daladala” in the Swahili language.
I went there in July 2018. I got a phone number and called a curator who came in about 15 minutes with keys. The site was well worth a visit. I enjoyed the view of the city of Iringa from the site. It was a beautiful view and a nice adventure that I will not forget.
The site is run by a local NGO. For the safety of the site and the people, the site is fenced and locked. It is better to call ahead to be sure the curator is there for you and plan.
The guide and curator will give you a nice history of the colors and the site itself. My guide was very knowledgeable and professional. Rock art is interesting and exciting. The curator told me that the paintings are 40,000 years old and yet can be seen in their natural environment.
Do not forget to ask your guide to take you to the viewing rock at the top of the hill. I recommend that you set aside a good amount of time for the loop hike. You will also have to hike through the hill a bit.
We spent at least 20 minutes hiking up the hill before we got to the rock art. When you hike down, you will be amazed to see a huge boulder with a cave underneath. This is where people used to live. It is well managed, and the prices are well stated at the entrance.
So, if you are looking for something to do when you are in or around Iringa, the Igereke rock paintings are a nice surprise.
6. Neema Crafts
This is one of my favorite places to visit when my family and I are in or around Iringa. It is a great project that aims to change the lives of people with disabilities in Tanzania.
Neema Crafts helps people with disabilities through crafts, training, and employment. Neema Crafts has already provided training and employment opportunities to over 120 people with disabilities in the region.
The project aims to change the prevailing negative perception of people with disabilities in society. The project works to change the lives of people with disabilities who live with the stigma associated with disability in their society.
We were happy and excited to see all their employees and their workplaces! We were shown all the craft workshop areas and they are very interesting! They include:
- The center has eight craft workshop areas which are:
- A therapy unit for children with disabilities,
- An award-winning café, and
- A conference center staffed entirely by the deaf.
In addition, a welcoming guest house runs in conjunction with the local Mothers’ Union. The staff and producers of the products are mostly people with disabilities.
They are very charming and helpful to travelers and the community. I like these people because they are very talented and work with heart.
They make products that are kind to people and the planet. Products include textiles, jewelry, handbags, pencil cases, lamp stands, lampshades, book covers, notepads, postcards, scarves, baby stuff, stuffed animals, and much, much more.
All products are well printed, designed, and reasonably priced. Neema Crafts offers a free tour of their space. It will warm your heart to walk through and explore freely.
The location is beautiful, the products are unique, perfect, and made locally. What more do you want to know? Oh yes, a beautiful place to buy gifts to take home.
When you visit, you show that you care too. Whatever you buy or support here helps those with disabilities and those in need who would otherwise be begging on the streets or hiding out in shelters. So, if you are asking what you should do in Iringa, I can’t recommend it enough.
7. Visit a Real African market
Markets in Iringa are the perfect places where you will meet different people from different areas. You will get to see the life of people from different areas who come to sell and buy products. It is a nice experience to see how the vendors attract the customers to buy their products.
If you need fresh fruits and vegetables like sugarcane, bananas, mangoes, papaya, sweet pineapple, passion fruit, then visit the markets in Iringa. You will find most seasonal produce on sale. Also, markets in Iringa are perfect places to find some hard-to-find items like green beans or cauliflower. Most large markets in Iringa are clean and safe for travelers to visit and enjoy.
The biggest market in Iringa is the Soko kuu market. The market is open on Sunday. This is the best day to visit and explore it. The market is surrounded by important social institutions including a regional referral hospital, a Lutheran church, a prison, and a regional police station. Other local markets in Iringa include the Kihesa and Kitanzini markets.
I would recommend that you visit Masai Market. The market is located on the main road opposite the Iringa Net internet cafe. Here you can see all kinds of beaded things, kitenge bags, herbal medicines, tinga tinga paintings, and wood carvings. Visiting this market is another exciting experience of true African culture.
If you want to buy an item? Remember to negotiate the price first because the vendors set prices that are slightly higher than the normal prices. To enjoy more when you go through the market, learn some Swahili basics. These basics will help you interact with the locals smoothly. Some of the Swahili phrases can be:
– “Mambo?” or “habari yako?” (How are you?)
– “Nzuri?” or “poa” (good)
– “Karibu” (welcome)
– “Shilingi ngapi?” (how much?)
– “Ndiyo” (yes), “hapana” (no)
– “Asante!” (thank you), “Asante Sana” (thank you very much)
– “Kwa heri” (goodbye)
8. Kalenga Historical Museum
Kalenga is another historical site near Iringa Municipality. I have been there twice to learn about the great history of Chief Mkwawa Mwamuyinga (1855 – July 19, 1891).
Did you know that the name “Mkwawa” is derived from Mukwava – a shortened form of Mukwavinyika? Mukwavinyika means “conqueror of many lands.” Chief Mkwawa is a great fighter who led his Hehe tribesmen in the anti-colonialist war of resistance.
He spent 7 years fighting the German Colonial forces. This is the place where he decided to commit suicide rather than surrender to the German Colonial forces.
The Kalenga Historical Museum Center is a symbol of the residence of Chief Mkwawa and the Hehe tribe in Tanzania. You will see his skull which was brought back from Germany on July 9, 1951. The skull is kept in the museum here. You will also see the Hehe battle weapons that are kept there to preserve history for future generations.
This is one of the top tourist attractions in Iringa and Tanzania in general. The museum attracts both domestic and foreign tourists who come to explore the history of Chief Mkwawa and the history of the Hehe tribe. So, if you are in or near Iringa, a visit to Kalenga Historical Museum is a must, an activity you cannot miss.
9. Hike Gangilonga Rock.
Gangilonga is a large rock that is beautiful for adventure seekers northeast of the city of Iringa. The name Gangilonga is a Hehe word meaning “talking rock”. This is where Chief Mkwawa meditated and learned that the Germans were after him. It is a roof of Iringa.
From the top of the rock, you will be enthralled and enjoy a beautiful view of the whole of Iringa from every side. You will feel as if you have arrived on the roof of the world.
It is a short walk to the top. But be careful when climbing as the rocks as it is bit steep. It is recommended to bring good shoes for the hike! I hiked the rock once, but the view was worth it in the end.
There is a security guard, and you have to pay admission to enter the area. Listen carefully to your guide who will help you get to the top. The guide will also help you explain the exciting history of the talking rock. The site is quite safe and popular.
To make your hike more relaxed, go with your friend(s). You may want to bring a flashlight as you will be hiking down in relative darkness.
It is a nice adventure experience to hang out and take some nice selfies and pictures of Iringa from above. The most beautiful time for this spot is during sunset. It is a nice time to watch a sunset and sneak up the rock stairs.
10. Udzungwa Mountains National park
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a beautiful, forested park. The Park is located between the regions of Iringa and Morogoro.
This is a beautiful park to combines both game viewing and mountain trekking. The mountain range is often referred to as ” Galapagos Island of Africa” due to its richness in biodiversity and endemism.
The Park is home to the largest population of rare monkey species such as the Iringa Red Colobus and the Sanje Mangabey.
These species are endemic only to the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. You will see them here! Expect to see elephants, bushbuck, hunting dogs, leopards, and hyenas.
Bird watching is perfect in Udzungwa Mountains National Park as it is home to over 400 species of birds. The bird species include endemic species of the eastern arc and forest bird species. If you are a bird lover, you can spot the green-headed oriole, marabou stork, crowned eagle, forest kingfisher, Ruppel vulture, and silver-crowned hornbill here. Visiting this area when you are in or around Iringa is a worthwhile activity for you.
Did you know that the name Udzungwa is derived from the Hehe word “Wasungwa” which means the people who live on the hillsides? The Park is surrounded by communities. Therefore, you can combine the park with other safari areas such as markets, villages, and plantations.
From the mountain tops, you will enjoy the view of the Selous Game Reserve. If you are lucky and it is a clear day, you can even see the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is a cool place for climbers and pure nature lovers like me.
Remember to take a guide who will not only help you get to the top but also tell you interesting stories about the medicine of the plants and trees.
It took my friend and me about 4 hours to get to the top of the Sanje waterfall trail. There are many other waterfalls in the park. You can explore them and enjoy them more. We enjoyed swimming in the plunge pools and it was unforgettable.
If you like cycling, Udzungwa Mountain National Park is one of the best destinations for exciting cycling activities in Tanzania. You will be able to explore the park by bike. You will enjoy seeing wildlife and interacting with the surrounding communities by bike. So, if you are asking what you can do in Iringa, consider exploring Udzungwa Mountains, National Park.
Conclusion
This article has presented the most popular activities you can do in and around Iringa. However, it can be difficult to try all the activities. So, choose a combination of activities that suit your interests, budget, and purpose of your trip and enjoy more.