June 17, 2018
I am blend of a thrill seeker and escapist. A thrill seeker in the sense that I find excitement exploring off the beaten paths and destinations. An Escapist in that I use travel as a distraction from my normal every day very busy work routine.
Yes, I did the drive a few days ago with my best friend. We exited Kenya through the Namanga Border then drove across Tanzania through the Dodoma- Mbeya route with a couple of days stops on each of these 2 towns. From Mbeya, we drove to the Kasumulu/ Songwe border then into Malawi. Our first destination in Malawi was Nkhata Bay, which is the North and later to Lilongwe, the capital.
It took about 8 hours to drive from Namanga to Dodoma and another 8 hours from Dodoma to Mbeya hence the reason behind the breaks.
The main challenge was adhering to the speed limits and all the road rules in Tanzania. There are traffic police in nearly every town in Tanzania and the speed limits changes quickly from 80 Kph outside urban areas to 50 kph in the urban areas.
Driving a car with foreign registration plates attracted scrutiny from the police and we were stopped at nearly all the police check points. The standard requirement in Tanzania is to have a fire extinguisher (ensure that this has not expired), 2 stable reflector triangles, and a first aid kit. The police requested to see these in most of the check points in addition to the vehicle clearance documents.
Breaking it down;
Nairobi to Namanga- This stretch is good, the road is not crowded and there are no speed restrictions.
Tanzania- Smooth, the road is tarmacked and clearly marked. In my view, the best roads to drive on.
Malawi – Similar to Kenya, the roads are good and there are no speed restrictions. However, the section between the Songwe border and Karonga, the first major town from the border, is currently under maintenance. The deviations are bumpy but doable.
Yes, we preferred to drive at night on our way back, specifically in Tanzania solely to avoid the numerous police checks.
Research and plan ahead on the route you intend to use. Ensure you have the necessary travel documents, your passport and valid driving license and also the standard requirements earlier mentioned.
For the vehicle, you require the following for Customs clearance;
This will be used to obtain a Temporary Importation of Road Vehicles Form that will be presented to the customs officers in the subsequent border points.
You will be required to pay approximately Kshs 2,000 in levies at the Tanzanian border if your vehicle be within the Tanzanian borders a continued period of more than 7 days. However, these are not applicable if you are on transit to another country.
At the Malawi border, you are required to pay 10,000 Malawian Kwacha to obtain a Temporary Importation Permit (TIP) for the vehicle and USD 20 as Road Access Fee. These charges are mandatory and are deposited at the National bank of Malawi branch at the border point. After payment, a Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) customs officer will then clear the vehicle and issue you with a TIP document and a receipt as evidence of payment of the charges. Be sure to carry these documents with you since customs officers will stop you randomly and request to see the documents.
Frequently. I’m big on road trips and I’ll most probably be on one every other weekend within Kenya.
Diani. I love the serenity that comes with the long stretches of the white sandy beaches, the ocean and the wave splashes. Simply put, it’s tranquil.
My phone, phone charger, comfortable shoes and a pair of slippers. As a road tripper, I always ensure I have several bottles of water, food/ snacks and a travel blanket and pillow (in case I get stuck in the wild).
Locally- Samburu, outside of Kenya- Namibia and Mauritius.
Find him on instagram: @vokejay
