Mto wa Mbu

Mto wa Mbu means river of mosquitoes, and the town sits where a stream comes off the Rift escarpment and irrigates a strip of ground at the foot of the wall. Because the water made farming possible, people came from all over: it is said that speakers of well over a hundred of the country's languages live here, which is unusual anywhere in Tanzania. Cultural walking tours run through the banana plantations, the rice fields, the market and the woodcarvers' workshops.

What you actually see

• The mixed settlement - a town drawing people from across the whole country.
• The banana plantations - irrigated smallholdings growing many varieties.
• The market - the main trading ground, at its busiest on market days.
• The carvers' workshops - Makonde-style carving worked and sold in the town.

When to go

June to October is the dry season and the busiest for through traffic to the parks. Market days draw the biggest crowds. The rains make the tracks in the plantations muddy.

Honest expectations

Souvenir stalls target passing safari traffic and pressure is heavy. Cultural tours are commercialised and prices are negotiated. The town is dusty and functional rather than attractive.

Nearby

Lake Manyara is south, and Engaruka is north.