The nearest town is Dodoma which is 40kM along an unmade road. Visitors to Mvumi Hospital can usually be met in Dodoma either at the airport, railway or bus station. However, because of the communication difficulties with Mvumi it is sometimes difficult to arrange so be prepared to catch the bus or stay over in Dodoma until arrangements can be made. Unfortunately it is not possible to meet visitors routinely at Dar-es-Salaam because of the time and expense involved, but hospital vehicles do go to Dar on business occasionally so given sufficient warning it is very occasionally possible to meet people.

People generally fly to Dar es Salaam and then catch a bus to Dodoma. This is the cheapest way though not necessarily the most comfortable. The alternative is to fly via Nairobi and catch the weekly flight onwards to Dodoma.

If you need to stay overnight in Dar, cheap and safe places to stay are the Salvation Army (known as Jeshi la Wokovu), YWCA , YMCA, which both take men or women, or Luther House, Sokoine Drive near the waterfront. The YMCA is recommended at the moment for men or women. Any taxi driver should know these and be able to take you. Slightly more expensive and out of the way is the Catholic Secretariat (known as T.E.C) at Kurasini. There are lots of cheap hotels mentioned in guide books but some are in seedy areas so you need to be careful with possessions. Don't go out walking after dark.

The best bus from Dar-es-Salaam to Dodoma at present is the Scandinavia Express which leaves from its own terminal at 9.15 a.m. and cost Tsh 6,500. This avoids the Ubungo bus station which is full of touts. For other buses the average fare is about Tsh 5,700 and they do leave from Ubungo which is a fair way out of the city centre. A taxi to Ubungo from the centre costs about Tsh 3,500. The Metro and DeLuxe bus services no longer run.

If you are sensitive to noise, a pair of ear plugs is worth considering. You are often bombarded with videos and music played full blast for most of the journey! There is generally a short stop about half way to Dodoma at Morogoro where there are basic toilet facilities. The whole journey takes about six hours and you will be dropped at the bus station. If someone is intending to meet you they will generally try to get there in time to meet the bus, so hang on. If on the other hand it looks as though no one is coming, take a taxi to "Mackay House" before 4pm or to "Uzunguni" on Biringi Avenue (see below) if you are later. A taxi should cost about 200 Tsh.

If you haven't been met go to "Mackay House" (Diocesan Headquarters) which is in the centre of town. This is open from 8.30am to 4pm weekdays. People from Mvumi often leave messages there or use it as a rendezvous point. Ask around you may be lucky to find a car going back to Mvumi or they may be able to arrange accommodation for the night. Cheap accommodation in Dodoma can be found at the guesthouse opposite Mackay House or in the Furaha hostel.

If you are unable to get a lift to Mvumi you will have to catch the bus. There are several daily bus services between Dodoma and Mvumi. Buses leave Dodoma from about 1.15pm onwards from the town centre and the last one is at about 4pm. The safest and most reliable bus is Ahmed's which leaves at 3 p.m. from its own bust station and calls at the town bus station a few minutes later. Ask the locals for directions. You will need to book a ticket, which costs Tsh1,200 before the bus leaves. It does get full, so book your ticket as soon as possible. The bus will drop you at the hospital entrance and the journey takes about one and a half hours in the dry season, but can take considerably longer if it has rained.