Rungwe is in Rungwe District in the Mbeya Region. The Mount Rungwe Nature Forest Reserve covers 24,680 hectares and is the main scenic feature of this destination. For planning, it is also worth looking at Mbeya as the broader destination: other experiences there belong to their own places and areas of interest.

Natural surroundings and Lake Ngosi

Lake Ngosi is a crater lake and is considered the second largest in Africa. It is the main visitor attraction in the Mount Rungwe Nature Forest Reserve. This brings together a distinctive natural feature and a striking geological formation. If you choose Rungwe for its scenery, the lake offers a clear starting point for deciding on your trip.

Other visitor attractions in the reserve include a bamboo belt, the Kiwira River, and a viewpoint overlooking the Rift Valley. These features are quite distinct: the bamboo belt, the river, and the view into the Rift Valley extend the focus on nature beyond the crater lake. If your plans depend on visiting a particular one of these places, check access before your visit.

A closer look at Mbeya

In the broader destination of Mbeya, Matema lies on the shores of Lake Nyasa. The village is a fishing settlement where local fishermen sell their catch. Matema therefore offers a different focus from the nature reserve in Rungwe: here, the lakeside village and fishing are part of the destination’s appeal.

From Matema Beach, visitors can take a canoe trip across the lake with fishermen to a nearby village. Women there specialize in pottery. Tourist activities in Matema also include hikes on Mount Livingstone and visits to pottery workshops. The regional context thus includes crafts and hikes as well as the lake, but these places are not part of the reserve in Rungwe. The canoe trip’s destination should not be confused with Matema: women in the nearby village specialize in pottery, while visits to pottery workshops are among the activities in Matema.

Another cultural feature in Matema is a Lutheran mission house built by Germans in the Bavarian architectural style. Matema Beach on Lake Nyasa is also a place to relax, with a cool climate and soft sand. This distinguishes the lakeside focus from Rungwe’s nature reserve and its crater lake.

Rungwe or Matema as a search destination

Rungwe is the right search destination if you want to focus on the Mount Rungwe Nature Forest Reserve and Lake Ngosi. Matema, in the broader destination of Mbeya, is the right place name if you are interested in the lakeside village, the fishing settlement, the canoe trip, pottery, or hikes on Mount Livingstone. This way, you can focus your search on the place whose travel interests match your stay.

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