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TANZANIA CULTURAL TOURISM PROGRAMME.
Welcome to some of the fascinating rural areas
in Tanzania where you can experience the real
African life and enjoy the beautiful scenery of
green mountains and wide plains.
LOCAL PEOPLE OFFER YOU THE FOLLOWING
TOURS:
Babati/Hanang', Engaruka,
Gezaulole, Ilkiding'a,
Kisangara, Longido, Machame,
Mamba/Marangu, Mbeya, Mkuru,
Mto wa Mbu Mulala, Ng'iresi,
Northern Pare Mountains, Pangani
Coast, Southern Pare Mountains,
Usambara Mountains.
The profit is used for various development
purposes. Thanks to your visit, local people can
improve the living conditions in their
villages.
Introduction.
With Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro
Crater and Zanzibar, Tanzania is endowed with some
of the worlds most amazing attractions. Visitors
will no doubt want to experience these sights but
it will be heartbreaking if they were to Tanzania
without realising the other treasures awaiting
discovery. With bountiful ways to experience the
culture, interact with locals and enjoy the
magnificent scenery in many places, tourists could
easily spend a few more days, weeks or even months
in Tanzania complimenting their mountai climb or
safari, thus making their visit much more complete
and rewarding. Local people are now organizing a
variety of cultural tours for all visitors through
the Cultural Tourism Programme.
In many areas, rural life in an attraction on
its own. Carefully cultivated plots and lush
tropical vegetation form a backdrop for simple
traditional houses. Women colourful dresses carry
buckets of water and bunches of firewood back home.
Villagers participate in development projects, from
irrigation systems to primary schools. The people
are willing to receive tourists and show them daily
life, culture and scenery in their villages. They
see tourism as an activity that can be used for
improving their living conditions. Cultural tourism
refers to a form of tourism in which local people
are closely involved. They design and organize the
tours, show tourists aspects of the area in which
they live and of their daily life. During the
tours, local people often show their development
projects, like irrigation and soil conservation
activities or income generating activities projects
of women's groups. Visitors leave the area feeling
they have made new friends and with information on
the many positive developments going on in rural
Tanzania.
Different Tours
Local men and women have organized the following
tours in Tanzania.
Babati/Hanang
A special Barbaig cultural insight hike.
An exclusive Mount Hanang' climb.
A fishing adventure with local canoes while
viewing hippo's on Lake Babati.
Gorowa story teller with information on
rituals.
Engaruka
A guided walk through the mysterious ruined
city.
Thorough description of the past present
irrigation systems that keep the village green.
Bird-watching walks at the foot and slopes of
the Rift Valley Escarpment.
Gezaulole
History of an Arab settlement with graves
History as the first Ujamaa village
Bicycle tours to neighbouring villages
Trip on a dhow to Sinda, the unhabited island
Ilkiding'a
A view to into Wa-arusha culture by visiting
traditional healer and by tasting traditional
food.
Walks through fields on the slopes of Mount
Meru
Visit of craftsmen who produce traditional
objects
Kisangara
Fishing expeditions at Nyumba ya Mungu dam
Spice tour and cooking traditional dishes
A visit to the Lembeni Herbal Hospital
Longido
Walking safaris with Maasai warriors
A view into culture and daily life of the
Maasai
A climb up the impressive Longido Mountain
A view into the culture and daily life on the
Maasai
Machame
A warm welcome in a local Chagga household
A visit to several development projects
Hikes through natural forests with views of
Kilimanjaro
Mamba/ Marangu
Walks by numerous waterfalls through lush green
valleys with panoramic views of Kilimanjaro
Visits to ancient hiding caves used during
wars
Visit of blacksmiths using traditional
methods
Mbeya
A view into the traditional cultures
A visit to Ngosi Crater Lake, where legends
recount tales of a monster residing under the water
surface Mkuru.
A visit to the camel camp at the foot of Mount
Meru
Camel safaris varying in length half a day to
one week
Bird-watching in the plains around Mkuru
A climb up Ol Doinyo Landaree, a pyramid
mountain
Mto wa Mbu
A walking tour of the farms and surrounding area
at the foot of the Rift Valley.
A trip to the Miwaleni Lake and Waterfall
A thorough explaination of the irrigation system
A view into the culture of the different
tribes
Mulala
A tour of Mama Anna's quiant cheese making
dairy
A guided tour criss-crossing coffee and banana
farms to the top f Lemeka Hill
A glimpse of the daily life of Meru farmers,
information on surrounding vegetation and
crops.
Ng'iresi
A guided tour to farms on the green and steep
slopes of Mount Meru.
A view into the Wa-arusha culture (traditional
health care, building styles)
A visit to several development projects
Northern Pare Mountains
A walk through Kindoroko Forest Reserve
Through explaination on medicinal power of
plants and herbs growing in the area
A view into the Pare Culture (old stories)
Pangani coast
A visit to a former slave labour camp and slave
market site.
A river cruise through the vast coconut
plantations.
A walk through Pangani historical town
A fishing experience with local fisherman
Southern Pare mountains
A walk through the Chome Forest Reserve
A climb to Shengena Peak, the highest point in
the Pare and Usambara mountains
Walk to the Tona Moorland and Ranzi dam
Usambara Mountains
A visit to view points on the edge of the
mountains.
Hikes through dense natural forests and along
small tumbling rivers
Visit to irrigation and soil conservation
projects.
Facilities
On the various tours, local men and women offer
facilities in addition to those already offered by
entrepreneurs. If there are no campsites or
restaurants in an area, local people provide
camping space and prepare meals. In some villages
home stays can be arranged.
Quality control
The Cultural Tourism Programme regularly
controls the quality of the tours in order to
ensure that the expectations of both the tourists
and the local people are met. If you have any
comments or suggestions to improve the tours, we
would appreciate hearing from you.
Guides
The local guides come from the region and are
very familiar with their area. Most of them speak
English. All guides attended a tour guide training
class organized by the Cultural Tourism Programme
and are wearing an identity card.
ENGARUKA CULTURAL TOURISM PROGRAMME
Engaruka is situated 63km north of Mto wa Mbu,
on the road to Oldoinyo Lengai and Lake Natron. The
village of Engaruka lies at the foot of the rift
valley escarpment. Narrow rivers that race down
hill are used for irrigating small plots and give
the village a pleasant green outlook. On the
surrounding plains Maasai cattle graze side by side
with herds of zebras. Birds of prey circle above
the area looking for a kill. Remarkable are the
many secretary birds, beloved as killers of snakes.
Dust cyclones often arise at the horizon. They are
feared as ''the devils fingers'', that may bring
bad luck when they touch people.
Engaruka is one of Tanzania's most important
historic sites. Some 500 years ago, a farmer
community of several thousand had developed an
ingenious irrigation and cultivation system. The
water that flowed from the rift escarpment was
channeled into stone-built canals and led to stone
bench terraces. Measures were taken to prevent soil
erosion and the fertility of the plots was
increased by using the mature of stall fed cattle.
For an unknown reason the farmers left Engaruka
around 1700 . Now three centuries later the ruins
still give a good impression of the highly
specialized and integrated agricultural economy,
very remarkable for that period of African history.
Although several famous archaeologists among them
Louis Leakey-have investigated the Engaruka ruins,
the site is still surrounded with mysteries. Many
questions remain unanswered:
Who were the people that lived in Engaruka?
How could they develop such an ingenious farming
system?
Why did they finally leave Engaruka?
Several theories were developed, but none of
them could so far be verified or falsified.
Different tours
You have a choice of several guided tours that
show you the history, scenic beauty and daily life
of Engaruka.
Visit to ruined city
The ruined city of Engaruka is situated at the
foot of the Rift Valley Escarpment. Here you can
see the abandoned remnants of the complicated
irrigation system. The guide will help you to
identify old graves, walls of houses and irrigation
canals and terraces, and explain you the various
theories of the existence and disappearance of this
highly specialized farmers community. When walking
in and around the ruined city, you can always enjoy
the many colourful birds and butterflies that fly
around, see some remnants of German colonial times
and visit and ''Olpul'', a place where Maasai
slaughter and eat their cows.
A one or two hours visit can give you a good
impression of the ruined city: a chance that you
can simply may not miss, when passing Engaruka. For
those with more time, tours can be offered that
vary from a half day to two days.
Half day tours.
Engaruka Farming Tour
Starting from the ruins you walk down to the
green village of Engaruka. On your way you will
visit several farms, where various crops are grown
and get explaination about the current farming and
irrigation methods in the area. Engaruka is one of
the few places in East Africa where Maasai are
practising irrigation, but also other tribes have
arrived to farm in the area. Your guide will give
you extensive explaination about the tribal
background in the village. On your way back you can
visit the market area of Engaruka, that is located
in the shade of an African tulip tree and a huge
mkuyu tree, especially on the market days- Sunday
and Thursday a visit will be an unforgettable
experience.
Rift Escarpment tour
From the ruined area narrow foot paths wind up
the rift valley escarpment. Guided by a Maasai
warrior you will gradually climb the escarpment .
From above you have a good overview over the ruined
city and you can also enjoy the wide views over the
surrounding Maasai plains. During the walk, the
guide will help you to spot many colourful birds
and show you the trees and plants that the Maasai
use for making food and for medicines.
One day tour.
Kerimasi mountain climb.
North of Engaruka arises the green mountain of
Kerimasi. The mountain is of volcanic origin, but
not that steep as several other volcanoes. From the
foot of the mountain it is a three to four hours
climb to the summit. On your way you see Maasai
cattle grazing on the pastures on the slopes and
birds of prey circling above the area. From the top
you have impressive views of Oldoinyo Lengai, Lake
Natron, the Ngorongoro highlands and the mountains
of Kitumbeinei and Gelai. In two hours time you can
descend the mountain and be collected by a car that
can bring you back to your camp.
Two days tour.
Hike to Oldoinyo Lengai.
For a more strenuous and adventurous hike you
can after the climb of Kerimasi try to conquer
Oldoinyo Lengai, ''the mountain of God'' in Maasai
language. On this tour you climb the first day
Kerimasi mountain and descend it on the north side.
You will camp at the foot of Oldoinyo Lengai, the
only still active volcano in Tanzania. Early
morning, preferably when it is still dark, you will
start climbing the steep volcano. An exertion of
four to five hours will bring you to the top, where
you can even enter the crater and see the volcanic
activity. In two and a half hours time you can be
back at the foot of the volcano and be collected by
a car.
Facilities
In Engaruka there are two campsites with modest
facilities. One campsite belongs to the Lutheran
church and it is located next to the ruined city ;
the other campsite belongs to a private Maasai and
is situated along the main road from Mto wa Mbu to
Lake Natron. In the village enough fresh fruits and
vegetables can be bought and on requests a women's
group can prepare a meal.
Conservation of ruined city
At the ruined city there are still several
remnants of houses and graves and the former
irrigation channels and stone terraces can well be
identified. Although built without cement and
already 500 years old more has remained from the
agricultural settlement then from the stone houses
that the Germans built early this century. Yet,
after the tse tse flies disappeared in the area the
decades ago, cattle have come to graze in the dry
season, thereby heavily affecting the ruins. If
this situation would continue for another ten
years, the ruins may disappear for good. Therefore,
the local community now wants to design a by-law
that prohibits all cattle from entering the ruined
city. In return, the community will ask the
entrance fee for visiting the ruined city. The fees
go to a village development fund and are used for
development purposes selected by the community,
like improving the primary schools or buying
medicines for the cattle. In this way the ruins can
be conserved and at the same time the living
conditions of the local people can be improved.
Tourists information
Visiting the area of Engaruka is a unique
experience, provided that you are well prepared.
Especially when you have planned to make longer
walks, you are advised to:-
Wear good walking shoes;
Carry enough food and water;
Leave early in order to avoid climbing the
slopes in the heat of the day;
Take a cap and suncream with you;
Always follow the instructions of your
guide.
Welcome to the mysterious village of Engaruka,
where you can visit the ruins of an early
agricultural community and enjoy the marvelous
nature of the Rift Valley.
The villagers of Engaruka offer you
A guided walk through the mysterious ruined city
of Engaruka.
A thorough explaination of the past and present
day irrigation systems that keep the village
green.
Bird Watching walks at the foot and slopes of
the rift valley.
A visit to historic sites from German colonial
times.
Hikes on the slopes of the Rift Valley and to
Kerimasi mountain and Oldoinyo Lengai.
A view into the culture and daily life of the
Maasai.
Endarakwai
On the West side of Kilimanjaro, Endarakwai is a
Maasai village where some of our relatives live.
With a stunning view of both Mount Meru and the
Kilimanjaro, you cross the vast expanse of
Longido plains. Expect to see herds of zebra,
eland, giraffe and elephants.
Activities include:
Duration. This exercise can pe perfomed
in the following manner:
- Hourly to suite your schedule
- Half Day - Spend four hours riding plus
enjoy drinks and snacks served in the bush.
- Full day - Enjoy the whole day riding plus
lunch and refreshments breaks in the animal's
backyard.
- Multiple Day camping - For the truly
adventurous, trips can be arranged of any length
and duration to suit your individual taste.
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