2 days Two Days at Lake Natron
A caustic soda lake at the bottom of the Rift, red from the algae in it, and the only regular breeding site for East Africa’s lesser flamingos.
Wildlife & Culture
Materuni & the Pare Mountains
Five days walking in the South Pare mountains — Chome forest, the Shengena ridge and village hills that see almost no outside visitors.
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At a glance
- Destinations
- Materuni · Pare Mountains · Chome Forest · Shengena
- Best for
- Hiking, Culture & history
- Travel style
- Mountain and forest walks · Road transfers
- Activity level
- Moderate — walking days on forest and mountain paths
- Best time to travel
- June to October and January to February usually give drier walking conditions from Materuni to the Pare Mountains. Chome Forest can remain damp and clouded; recent rain affects both the waterfall path and the Shengena trek.
- Start and end
- Starts and ends in Arusha
Why this journey
- Chome forest reserve, in the Shengena mountains
- Malameni Rock and the history the villages keep about it
- Materuni waterfall and coffee on the first walking day
- Village-based stays rather than lodges
- A part of the north with effectively no tourism infrastructure
Day by day
The Pare mountains are the northern end of the Eastern Arc, and Chome is one of the last big forest reserves on them. This route walks up through the villages at Manka to the Tona moorland and the Shengena ridge, with Materuni on Kilimanjaro at the start.
Day 1 — Arrival
Pickup from Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to your pre-booked Moshi hotel. Check in and relax after travel, with overnight to prepare for the adventure.
Day 2 — Materuni Waterfall to the Pare Mountains (Manka)
Morning departure to Materuni Village for a 40-minute walk to the waterfall. The guide explains Chagga culture, village life, flora and fauna, with possible Mount Kilimanjaro views. The waterfall stands more than 80 meters high with an inviting swimming pool below. Return to the village for a traditional Chagga lunch and local banana beer tasting, then a coffee tour covering cultivation, drying, roasting and processing, including grinding accompanied by local songs and dances. Taste the coffee you prepared, then drive to Pare, arriving at Mbaga Hill for the evening.
Day 3 — Manka to Chome Village
Early 06:30 breakfast, then hike the Tona moorland toward the Tona Ranz Dam, where the missionary Mr D. J. Danholz once operated a wheat farm. Continue trekking to Chome village, renowned for producing vegetable and fruits, arriving in the early afternoon for lunch.
Day 4 — Chome to Shengena Mountain and back
Breakfast in Chome, then ascend Mount Shengena (2,463 m), the highest point in both the Pare and Usambara mountains, hiking through the Shengena forest reserve with its endemic plant species and Shengena black-and-white colobus monkeys. After about 3 hours, reach the peak with views of Mount Meru, Kilimanjaro and the Usambaras on clear days. A 3-hour descent back to Chome for early afternoon lunch and relaxation.
Day 5 — Chome to Manka to Arusha
After breakfast, walk back to Manka for an early afternoon arrival and lunch, then the drive back to Arusha.
Stay and travel
Camping and simple lodges or park bandas, with a cook travelling with the group.
A 4×4 with a roof hatch and a window seat for everyone, driven by your guide throughout.
Camps fill, and roads change with the rains. Where something has to change we substitute at the same level and tell you before you travel, not after.
Included and excluded
What is included
- Every activity named in the day-by-day
- Accommodation as listed, or a similar alternative if a camp is full
- Meals as noted against each day
- Transfers between the agreed pick-up and drop-off points
- Park, reserve and conservation area fees
- An English-speaking Tanzanian driver-guide
- A 4×4 with a roof hatch, or the vehicle the route calls for
- Drinking water through the day
- Government taxes
- Boat safari and transfers
- TANAPA armed ranger where the park requires one
Not included
- International flights, airport taxes and visa fees
- Travel, medical and baggage insurance
- Personal spending — drinks, laundry, telephone
- Tips for your guide and crew
- Anything not listed as included
Practical information
- Activity level
- Walking days on forest and mountain paths, some of them steep and often wet underfoot. Ordinary walking fitness is enough.
- Visas, insurance and tipping
- A visa is arranged before travel or on arrival. Travel and medical insurance is a condition of booking. Tipping is customary and we will suggest a range rather than set one.
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Every route here can be changed
Tell us what you would keep, what you would drop and how long you have. We will send back a version that is yours.