THE SOUTHERN TANZANIA HIGHLANDS - RUNGWE DISTRICT

Rungwe district in the far south west of Tanzania is one of the least visited areas of the country and one of the most fertile areas of Tanzania with rolling mountains, crater lakes and lush valleys. In addition to the tea estates and a host of natural attractions there are several good hiking opportunities.

Rungwe Tea and Tours is a community based tourism program and money generated from the tours is used to help build classrooms, buy schoolbooks or medical equipment for the local dispensary.
Authentic Tanzania recommends spending a couple of days to relax between safaris in this stunning region and enjoy some genuine local Tanzanian hospitality. There are a range of low budget hotels or beautiful campsites in the area.

COMMUNITY TOURISM PROGRAMMES:

TEA TOUR
On this tour a tea farmer will tell you everything about tea while showing you around their smallholder shamba and the expansive Rungwe Tea Estate with its great views. After hiking to the estate through small local villages you can relax and have a cup of tea before hiking back or visiting the local tea factory.

MOUNT RUNGWE
One of the highest mountains of Tanzania, Mount Rungwe (2,960m) dominates the area. This great volcano can be climbed on a full day or two day hike. After camping on the slopes of the mountain and seeing the sun come up over Rungwe, visit the village of Ilolo with its traditional healer and famous stories about the last big chief.

MONKEY TOUR
Mount Rungwe is famous for its unique wildlife. This is the place where the Wildlife Conservation Society has discovered Africa’s first new species of monkey in over 20 years: the highland Mangabey, or Kipunji in local language. On the slopes of the mountains these and other monkeys can be spotted.

NGOZI CRATER
Ngozi is another million year old volcano, that can be climbed in just a few hours. After climbing to the top through tropical vegetation you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the crater lake, lying 200 meters below.

KAPAROGWE FALLS half day tour
This tour is not just a trip to the beautiful Kaparogwe falls, but also includes a hike in to the valley to see the German built hanging bridges. On the way to the waterfall you will pass through the authentic village of Isuba with traditional houses and a traditional bar.

DARAJA LA MUNGU half day tour
The Bridge of God is a millions of years old rock that forms a bridge over the Kiwira river. This ‘bridge’ is only one of the attractions in the Kiwira valley. The ‘cooking pot’ and the Marasusa falls are also worth seeing. A completely different kind of attraction is the famous traditional healer that you can visit in Lugombo, the starting point for this beautiful hike.

LAKE MASOKO
This crater lake is the perfect place to swim, picnic or even camp. It is especially known for its history. The Germans dumped coins and other items in the lake when they were being chased by the British forces during the first world war. Find out more about Rungwe’s past during a nice walk around lake Masoko.

KYEJO MOUNTAIN
Kyejo Mountain is one of the main mountains of Rungwe area. Hike up this 2,152m high active volcano along the lava pathways. From the slopes of Kyejo mountain you have great views on the surrounding tea growing villages. One of the farmers of the village at the foot of Mount Kyejo welcomes you to have a look on his ‘shamba’.

For further info see www.rungweteatours.com

From Tukyu its a short drive through the Livingstons Mountains to Matema Beach, Lake Nyasa

6 DAYS/5 NIGHTS RUNGWE DISTRICT – MBEYA REGION and LAKE NYASA ITINERAY

DAY 01. TUKUYU
Drive to Tukuyu from Ruaha or Iringa. O/n Landmark Hotel. BB

DAY 02 TUKUYU
Options to tour tea estates, visit Ngozi crater lake, several hikes in the mountains, visit local villages, etc. O/n Landmark Hotel. BB

DAY 03. LAKE NIASSA
Drive to Matema Beach, Lake Niassa.
Options to relax at beach, take dug out canoe ride to local pottery market (SATURDAY ONLY), visit local villages. O/n Lutheran Centre. BB

DAY 04. LAKE NIASSA
Options to relax at beach, take dug out canoe ride to local pottery market (SATURDAY ONLY), visit local villages. O/n Lutheran Centre. BB

DAY 05. LAKE NIASSA
Options to relax at beach, take dug out canoe ride to local pottery market (SATURDAY ONLY), visit local villages. O/n Lutheran Centre. BB

DAY 06. IRINGA
Drive back to Iringa. O/n Kisolanza Farmhouse. BB

UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE, MANGULA

CULTURAL TOURS IN THE ULUGURU MOUNTAINS, MOROGORO

ISIMILIA STONE AGE SITE, IRINGA

USAMBARA MOUNTAINS

Visit local community projects in the Usambara Mountains and enjoy hiking in some breathtaking scenery around the Amani Nature Reserve.

MIKUMI, USAMBARA MOUNTAINS and PANGANI ITINERARY

THE EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS

The Eastern Arc mountains stretch from southern Kenya to southern Tanzania and are recognized as one of the 24 most important ‘biodiversity hotspots’ in the world.

Eco tourism offers a sustainable livelihood to the local communities in the Eastern Arc and helps motivate the communities to conserve their forests. While many areas do not have mainstream tourism facilities Authentic Tanzania work with local tourism initiatives and there are some stunning campsites to truly get off the beaten track and be self sufficient.

Amani Nature Reserve, Lushoto, Udzungwa Mountains and Mufindi have all started to attract increasing numbers of tourists seeking something more than standard wildlife safari holidays to Tanzania, while the beautiful Nguru, Uluguru, Rubeho and coastal forests offer great potential for adventurous tourists to explore.

In addition to walking trails through the tropical rainforests with spectacular views and waterfalls, there are exciting bird watching opportunities, some extraordinary flora including many orchids, genuine cultural exchange visits with local communities and the chance to see the smaller beasts that usually go unnoticed such as chameleons, elephant shrews and the ‘little 5’.

We recommend combining a couple of days to visit the forests and local communities combined with stops in Morogoro, Mikumi, Ruaha, Saadani, Selous or Kilwa.

For further in depth information on the Eastern Arc Mountains see the following links.

http://www.easternarc.or.tz/home

http://www.tfcg.org/

KILOMBERO VALLEY

A new initiative has been started by the local fishermen in the Kilombero Valley, take a relaxing safari by dugout canoe along the Kilombero River. This is probably best suited to those seeking an adventure tourism experience on a low budget and combines well with a visit to the Udzungwa Mountains.

KILOMBERO VALLEY CANOE SAFARI