Welcome to the green and fertile Usambara Mountains, where you can experience all facets of African rural life and enjoy the marvelous views over the area.
About Usambara Moutains Usambara Mountains are situated in the North Eastern part of Tanzania between Mount Kilimanjaro and the Indian Ocean. The mountains rise up steeply from the surrounding plains and can only be entered via a few roads. The only tortuous tarmac road in the area winds along a small river to Soni and Lushoto the largest towns in the area. Because of its pleasant climate the mountains were favored by the Germans and the English during colonial times as this is evidenced by the numerous historic buildings from the past. From a distance the mountains are a colorful mosaic. On the fertile slopes around Soni and Lushoto, farmers cultivate small plots but further away from the large town. Areas are still covered by the dense tropical forests.
The viewpoints on the Southern and Western side of the Usambara Mountains are well known for the spectacular views of the Mkomazi and Handeni plains, Kilimanjaro can be seen on the horizon, and at the end of the day the sunset turns the area into tremendous palled of unforgettable colours.
Arrival Day Arrive at Dar es Salaam Airport (Tanzania) and spend the night at a hotel in Dar es Salaam and transfer to Lushoto on the following day. If you will arrive early you can be transferred on the same day to Lushoto area for overnight at Kakakuona Hostel. Lushoto is the starting point for this tour.
Day 1: The tour starts by driving from Lushoto to Magamba village where you start walking through Magamba rain forest the home of black and white colubus monkeys, flowers, and birds. Continue with more up and down hill walk to the village of Lukozi for Overnight. Picnic lunch will be served along the way.
Dinner: At Watoto wa Nyumbani guest House /Camping Lodging: Watoto Wanyumbani /Camping
Day 2: Walk from Lukozi through traditional villages, good, views, farming area to Rangwi Convent.
Breakfast: At watoto wa nyumbani /campsite Lunch: Lunch box Dinner: At the Convent provides by the Nancy Lodging: At the Convent
Day 3: Just after breakfast which will be provided by the Nancy you walk from Rangwi through beautiful villages where you will learn about the traditional life especially Shambaa life, forest to Mtae a World View Point with spectacular views overlooking Maasai plain, Tsavo National Park in Kenya, Mkomazi Game reserve and on clear day you can see Kilimanjaro on the horizon, also the same day you can see amazing sunset and overnight.
Lunch: Lunch box Dinner: At Mtae Lodging: At Mtae
Day 4: A longest day on this trip, right after breakfast drive from Mtae to the Village of Goka for at least half an hour to get to the point where you start walking through the forest, traditional villages where you get chance of visiting pottery women Kibomboi village and learn how to make ports with free hands in a few minutes, then continue to Mlalo for overnight
Breakfast: At Mwivano restaurant Lunch: Lunch box organized by the guide Dinner: At Mlalo Lodging: At Mlalo
Day 5: After breakfast drive to Mkuzu village about two hours, then walk to Mkuzu waterfall which found inside the forest, after enjoying the waterfall drive to Mullers Lodge for lunch, then drive back to Lushoto for overnight.
Breakfast: At Sambamba reataurant /campsite Lunch: At Mullers Lodge Dinner: At Mullers Lodge Lodging: Mullers Lodge
Day 6: Walk to Irente view Point, a famous view in Usambara with amazing view overlooking Mazinde village almost 1,000 metres below the vast Maasai plains beyond. On the way back visit Irente Farm where you sit for lunch which includes home made cheese, jam, juice, butter, brown bread, and seasonal fruits, then walk back to Lushoto for overnight
Breakfast: At Tumaini restaurant Lunch: At Irente Farm Dinner: At Montessori - ST.EUGEN Lodging: At Montessori - ST.EUGEN
Day 7: Leave Lushoto to wherever, Arusha, Tanga or Dar es Salaam.
This tour can be extended to wildlife visit in the famous parks of Tanzania like the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Mikumi National Park and Ruaha National Park. Or you can continue with Kilimanjaro Climb or you may continue to Zanzibar Island for relaxation in the lodges situated on the white sandy beaches of the Indian Ocean.
PRICE: US$620 per person (Minimum 2pax) – using public transport to and from Dar/Arusha to Lushoto
* Discounts available for groups of four and above
Price Includes - Accommodation based on three meals a day - Service of English speaking driver guide - Conservation fees and village fees - Transport and transfers from Dar es Salaam to Lushoto and return - All accommodations in Lushoto - Activities as per itinerary above
Price Excludes: - International flights to/from Dar es Salaam Tanzania - Accommodation in Dar es Salaam if you arrive in the late evening (we can arrange on request) - Extras at the lodges i.e. drinks - All items of personal nature/use - And all not mentioned in the tour itinerary above
Note: If your time is limited and you can not spend all these seven days on safari and at the same time you are interested to hike Usambara Mountains, just feel free to let us know so that we can arrange an itinerary which fits your time limit.
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This is a fantastic tour and a "must do" for any first time visitor to Dar, as I was.
It helps you understand more about the people who live in Dar and makes what can seem like a complex and intimidating place, accessible, friendly and understandable.
My customized 13-day trip in Tanzania was absolutely amazing!
From breathtaking Ngorongoro hiking to a taste of Kilimanjaro and local village visits, it was truly a life-changing experience.
My driver and tour manager went out of their way to accommodate my whims and made sure that my stay in Tanzania was a pleasant one. Unfortunately I fractured my ankle during one of the hikes I took, but I was taken to the hospital immediately, and taken a great care of.
I would definitely recommend this operator to anyone who's looking for a tour that's much more than just game drives.'
We went on a two day walking – canoeing trip in Arusha National Park. The tour operator also made hotel arrangements for the first three days we were in Arusha.
They stayed in contact for 11 months via email. The person I was in contact with Elifasi and our guide, Apolo Kihwil, meet us at the airport took us to our hotel. On our rest day we visited a school at our request and not part of the paid itinerary this was on their time.
Our guide Apolo was the best we had on our entire trip. He was informative, friendly and had a great sense of humor, we were rewarded with a dream trip my favorite giraffe and several at a time the last bunch we counted eleven, baboons, wart hogs, black and white monkeys, hundreds of thousand of lesser and greater flamingos on big Momella Lake he provide delicious lunches and was infinitely patient while we took photographs.
I would not hesitate to use them on my next trip to Tanzania and would request Apolo as our guide.
We had a most wonderful holiday in Kenya and Tanzania.
They looked after us very well and we were very satisfied with their service. The service provided value for money. The only comment we would make is that the email from them gave us the impression that we would be staying in a lodge but when we arrived we were in a tent. We were satisfied with the tented accomodation, however it could have been made clearer in the original email that it was tented accomodation.
The staff were very kind and helpful.
Tour Operators Reply:
Thank you for the client's feedback and contructive comment/suggestion. We are glad that they were very satisfied with the service we provided to them, despite their impression that they would be staying in a lodge instead of tent.
As per the first enquiry which the clients sent into our company, she stated that she will prefer to stay in Camping “Accommodation Preference: Camping” and the price given to them was based on Camping accommodation, and these was stated in the itinerary that “Dinner and overnight at the camp”
However, there was typing error at the end of the itinerary which indicates Lodge accommodation instead of Camping accommodation.
We will try our level best to make sure that this mistake will not happen again.
After having a wonderful safari in southern Africa organised through your webiste, we decided to return again to Tanzania after 45 years.
We booked a 19 day safari to visit six game parks...Selous, Mikumi, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangari.
Our guide/driver, Hurumu, met us at the Dar airport and drove us to a hotel for our day of jet lag recovery. We drove to Selous first. We're not strangers to East Africa, having first arrived in 1963. By far, Hurumu is the best guide that we've ever had. He was extremely knowledgeable of wildlife, has great game eyes, a good conversationalist, and was very caring for all our needs. He understood our physical age limitations (74) but was not at all solicitous. Cool water was always available. Hurumu had the ability to always get the Toyota into position for the best photograph.
We made our initial contact the operator in 2009. Elifasi, in the office, worked with me to create the itinerary. He also was most helpful. While at Selous we requested an itinerary change. Elifasi made the changes without a problem.
The entire safari was most enjoyable and problem free.
The best of Kenya & Tanzania and they made that experience a reality. They were always on time, concerned about our well being and would without any reservations recommend them! The scenery and game viewing were all memorable and expectations met. Organizing the tour was also without any hassle
I went solo, a 50 something white woman, and me and _______ (I forget his name), rode around for 5 hours. It was a unbelievable experience.
He was a wonderful guide, I called him the "Mayor" because everybody knew him! He was so popular everywhere we went that I felt completely comfortable, safe, and like an invited family friend.
He showed me 3 or 4 neighborhoods, I met coffee makers, chapati breakfast cooks (had breakfast there with a Masaai family who stopped by!), a traditional herbalist (where I learned the treatment for meconium aspiration, I'm a perinatal pathologist!), herbal pharmacist (where I saw that fenugreek seed is used to facilitate delivery with prolonged labor), local market, fabric seller, and had a delicious lunch at an outside Swahili restaurant. I played with kids, talked with everyone, and really got a great sense of the community.
My guide also is very active in local projects and inspired me to help with a bridge rebuilding project he is spear heading. The bicycle riding was easy and really the only way to get around in these neighborhoods. It was by far the best experience I had in Dar, and one of the best I have had in my many travels in East Africa!
We could not have asked for abetter way to end our incredible adventures in Tanzania. We saw everything and did everything we could have ever imagined. From the big game watching in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Lake Manyara, to ascending the highly active volcano next to Lake Natron, it was all so unbelievably incredible. A total dream come true!
Our guide Huruma had he most expansive breadth of knowledge of the natural environment, he was a pleasure to talk to. He was also extremely flexible with us as lans often changed for various reasons, but ALWAYS for the better. Huruma made us feel safe and comfortable the whole time. Alex our cook as wonderful as well making sure we had the best quality meals possiblemade from the freshest ingredients.
Choosing a safari operator is tough, but I will just say that I will always recommend these guys. They are very professional and will do everything to make sure you have the best trip possible. Thanks again for our lifetime memories. We will be back, so you will hear from us again.
Thanks Elfasi for all your time, flexibility and support in orchestrating this dream trip.
