Driving from Iringa to Arusha via Dodom

 

A view down to the Mtera reservoir

Iringa to Arusha is not easy from a logistics perspective. There are no direct flights and thus one would have to fly to Dar es Salaam and then up to Arusha. Flights from Iringa to Dar are only available once per day and are quite costly at $550 round trip, and then another $200 round trip to Arusha. Already for one person the costs are high and if you are traveling with a group then driving becomes a viable option. The road is paved the entire way and there is very little traffic making for a rather pleasant drive.

The journey starts in Iringa and the first notable part of the journey is the drop down the escarpment. It's a beautiful view looking down over Mtera Reservoir and although the road is windy there are not a lot of cars and it's nothing like the hectic nature of the escarpment coming up the other side from Dar es Salaam to Iringa. You then pass along the Mtera Reservoir before crossing over it. There is a bunch of security at the reservoir due to the fact that it is of strategic national interests and there is an immigration check so make sure to have your passport. 

After Mtera the drive is a tad boring, though pleasant enough passing through sparsely populated areas peppered with Baobab trees. Luckily the highway passes around Dodoma and thus there isn't much traffic and the journey continues through the acacia/commiphora landscape. One thing to note; there are currently no gas stations in between Dodoma and Iringa although I saw a few under construction. 

The road then begins to climb into the highlands in the north around Babati, a growing yet still quaint little city. There are hippos in the lake so keep your eyes peeled! After Babati the road begins to have much more traffic which gradually increase as you reach Arusha. There are expansive views of the rift and Lake Manyara and after we pass Tarangire gate we enjoy counting the number of safari vehicles that we pass. I think we got somewhere around 100 this past trip but depending on the time of day it can be impressive!

Google Maps estimates the journey at a cool 10 hours and there are a few ways that we approach the journey. We usually like to leave Iringa in the evening and make the 3-4 hour drive to Dodoma and overnight there. We then continue the journey in the morning to Arusha which can be anywhere from 4.5-6 hours. I think most average folks would make the journey in 9 1/2 hours. The quickest I've made it, driving with pace but not like a total maniac, was 7 1/2 hours. 

As mentioned, the journey is overall pleasant and the lack of traffic reduces the amount of constant attention that is typically required on the roads of Tanzania. The road is in great shape at the moment with very few sections pot-holed or under construction. It's a long journey but not a bad one!