Articles
MUKUBA EXPRESS, TAZARA TRAIN FROM DAR ES SALAAM TO ZAMBIA
Taking the train may not be the preferred option for many due to its long hours, but it is definitely the most picturesque and relaxing of journeys.
There are around 12 stops – 6 station stops in Tanzania and 5 station stops in Zambia - excluding the station in Dar, and main station in Zambia
Below is a summary of the experience we have had when taking the TAZARA train to the last stop and what we would and would not recommend for you to do when traveling by train.
Departing on a Friday afternoon, we took the TAZARA train to start our Journey from Dar es Salaam for our destination, Kapiri-Mposhi Zambia.
The Mukuba express was clean, the staff were friendly and the beds were as comfortable as beds can be in a train. Due to the space of the rooms and the number of days you would be spending in that room, over the course of your journey, we would definitely suggest you to purchase the entire cabin for your own privacy, or if you will be travelling with friends / family then we would recommend taking the whole cabin to yourselves. The best cabin to purchase is the first class cabin –which consists of four beds – 2 bunk beds on each side of the room. Either way, we would definitely recommend that you carry your own toilet paper, blanket, pillows, bedsheets and insecticide.
The top beds in the train cabins can recline and so you can sit comfortably at the bottom one when eating or just sitting; when one does not feel like sleeping. The rooms do contain one tiny table by the window, and a fan on top of the window, an electric switch to plug in your chargers, and lights.
There are two toilets at the end of each corridor, and these do contain showers as well, in case you would like to take a bath. There is no heater however, and the water tends to run out from time to time.
If you do not feel like staying in the room, there is always the lounge/bar area where you can sit and enjoy a variable amount of drinks (on-board purchase) as you sit and watch the lush greenery view outside the large train windows.
There is also a restaurant cabin that offers a variety of food (on board purchase). Although the menu is not expanse, the prices are reasonable and the food is good.
We left at 1550 on Friday, and we arrived Kapiri Mposhi at 1800hrs, but normally you would arrive at 0930am. We had a bit of a delay due the rains in Mbeya, and so we arrived at 6 PM, rather than the scheduled time of 9 AM. Hence, it is not recommendable to travel by train on rainy seasons, as the trip would drag and get very tiring. But if you are not in a hurry, then this is definitely a lovely experience. Especially for people who love taking pictures, the route is so scenic and picturesque. It is also good to note, that as you go onwards from Dar es Salaam, a few stations further the weather gets colder. It is advisable to carry warmer clothes.
When you stop between stations, you can get off the train to take a walk around the areas. There are always people selling food outside, however, it is not recommendable to buy from there for hygiene purposes.
At Tunduma, the immigration officers board the train and stamp your passports for exit in Tanzania, and this can take time, we stopped for around one and a half hour, and at Nakonde as well to get stamps for Entries in Zambia – this also took us around 2 hours. Once you reach the border of Tunduma, you have to exchange money from Tanzanian shillings to Zambian Kwacha, as after the border, you can only use Zambian Kwacha.
Admittedly train rides are not for everyone, especially if you do not like taking long journeys which have limited amount of things to do, then we would recommend a direct flight with Air Tanzania from Dar es Salaam, which takes approximately 2 hours only from Dar to Lusaka.
However, if you are into scenic journeys, love taking pictures, and enjoy travelling at a leisurely pace from time to time at no rush, then this train ride is a definite try.
By Farha Rayes
