One of Moshi's main streets, above 
Some typical Moshi shops in the shopping district of the town
Moshi is known for it's beautiful tree lined streets. The area above is in one of the town's residential suburbs.
Some of the suburban streets are not yet tarred - but all have beautiful trees lining each sideThe town of Moshi lies just 42 km’s (26 miles) from Kilimanjaro’s peak and as a result, is the town from which most of the Kilimanjaro climbs start out. It is also the town through which you pass when heading to the Tanzanian coast and city of Dar es Salaam (if you begin your journey in the north of the country or are traveling to the coast from one of Tanzania’s many National Parks).
Moshi is a delightful town, filled with shady tree lined streets and magnificent views of Kilimanjaro on a clear day. The town sprung up around 1911 when the railway line from the coastal town of Tanga first reached the area.
On the lush green outskirts of the town you will find small maize, bean and coffee farms – Moshi is where Arabica coffee beans were first cultivated (from seed) after being introduced here at the end of the 19th century by Catholic missionaries.
The town has a nice selection of hotels, local guest houses and restaurants along with shops which stock all the basic foodstuffs needed when climbing Kilimanjaro ! (Many people stock up here before heading up the mountain). It also has a large and popular market where you can buy anything from fresh fruit and vegetables to grains, fish, meat and even curios. There are also several banks (many of which now have ATM machines), curio shops (including a great shop which sells handmade leather items such as shoes, handbags, chairs etc), Church missions and hospitals.
Moshi is also home to several factories which manufacture products which are supplied all over Tanzania – beer, sodas, matches and animal feed products, to name just a few.
An interesting place to visit in Moshi is the Commonwealth War Cemetery. It contains 174 Commonwealth burials from both the 1st and 2nd World Wars, including 2 German war graves and 4 non-war burials.
Moshi is often overlooked by travelers as it is not considered to be on the main ‘safari’ / tourist route and if you are not climbing Kilimanjaro you are unlikely to know about it, but it is definitely worth a visit if you are ever in Tanzania and have time to stop there.
