Materuni Village & the Waterfall

A Chagga village on Kilimanjaro’s southern slopes, a waterfall at the head of the valley, and coffee grown, roasted and ground in front of you.

2 days · Starts and ends in Moshi or Arusha · Budget · Private journey

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Materuni falls dropping through forest on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro

At a glance

Destinations: Materuni · Kilimanjaro foothills
Best for: Culture & history, Hiking
Travel style: Village visits & guided walks · Road transfers
Activity level: Moderate — walking days on forest and mountain paths
Best time to travel: The village and coffee visits can be arranged throughout the year. June to October and January to February usually give drier walking conditions at Materuni; rain makes the waterfall and farm paths muddy, and mountain views are weather-dependent.
Start and end: Starts and ends in Moshi or Arusha

Why this journey

The waterfall at the head of the Materuni valley
Coffee from tree to cup with the Chagga farmers who grow it
Views down over Moshi and out to the plains
Small groups — two to ten people
A gentle two days, easy to put either side of a Kilimanjaro climb

Day by day

Materuni sits above Moshi in the banana and coffee country on Kilimanjaro’s lower slopes. The walk to the falls takes about forty minutes each way; the coffee is the other half of the visit, from picking through to the cup, run by the community that farms it.

Day 1 — Moshi or Arusha to Materuni Village

Pickup in Arusha or Moshi (about 30 minutes' drive to the village). After checking in, a guided walk through banana plantations observing the different banana varieties, then to the Nnambe waterfall for swimming in a natural pool. After lunch and rest, a coffee plantation tour covering Chagga cultivation and harvesting methods. In the evening, learn to prepare the local banana beer *mbege* and attend traditional Chagga dance performances — welcoming songs, ceremonial pieces and harvest celebrations.

Stay budget (local family house), mid-range (Zebra Hotel), luxury (Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel) Meals Lunch & Dinner

Day 2 — Materuni to Moshi or Arusha

After breakfast, trek uphill through traditional Chagga *shamba* farms toward rainforest showcasing indigenous flora and fauna. At about 1,700 m, fresh mountain air and views over Moshi town and the Kilimanjaro foothills. Hot lunch at the lodging before transport back to Moshi, Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha.

Meals Breakfast & Lunch

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

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.

Related journeys

Every route here can be changed

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