Overland Travel Across Borders: A Tale of Two Frontiers
Songwe Bridge Karonga Kasumulu in Lake Rift Trade
The Songwe River carves a natural boundary for much of the 512-kilometer border between Malawi and Tanzania, a frontier that marks the transition from the Great Rift Valley into Tanzania’s southern highlands. This is a critical trade route for landlocked Malawi, providing its most direct access to the port of Dar es Salaam and the Indian Ocean.
Tobacco Tea Flow in Scenic Mountain Port Artery
The one and only major crossing point for you is at the Songwe Bridge, which connects the town of Karonga in Malawi with Kasumulu in Tanzania. This border post is a vital economic artery, handling a steady stream of trucks carrying Malawian agricultural exports like tobacco and tea to port, and returning with fuel, vehicles, and other imported goods.