The most beautiful natural sites to discover Tanzania

140 km south of Kilwa Masoko, the Mto Nyange site is transformed every year into piscine from June to February. A good idea for a day excursion from Kilwa Island Tours.

The "Northern Circuit" is the most recent route. On the northern flank of the Kili, it is better protected from the rains and can be completed in 8 to 10 days. It's quieter because it's less well-known. From the Londorossi gate to Big Tree (night 1) and then Shira 1 (night 2) in the forest, you climb 700 to 800 m per day, before climbing 1,000 m to Lava Tower (4,550 m). A peak that allows you to acclimatize as you descend to Buffalo Camp at 4,000 m and Third Cave Camp (3,870 m), before climbing back to School Huts camp at 4,870 m before the summit.

Along the road from Paje to Jambiani, you'll see several signs pointing inland to natural caves. Kuza Cave is one of the oldest, while Maalum has just opened to visitors. In both cases, you can bathe in pure, crystal-clear, cool water, while vegetation envelops the cave walls. Maalum is a cave more open to the sky, with more light and a pleasant wooden pontoon for lounging and taking photos. Entrance is also much more expensive.

Pungume is an alternative excursion to Safari Blu, popular for decades but overbooked. The advantage of the Pungume excursion is that it's only done by private boat (you don't get stuck on a boat with other people like on Safari Blue), but it's more expensive in a small group. The corals are better preserved, and the seafood is grilled on a sandbar uncovered at low tide (beware of sea urchins), not on an island. A real change of scenery. We leave from Uzi when we come from Stone Town.

By continuing on 4 km after Mkoani, we reach a very beautiful beach facing that of Wambaa, across the bay.

For more information contact the Dar es Salaam Tourism Office, Tel (022) 212 0373/213 1555 - Fax: (022) 211 6420 - www.tanzaniatouristboard.com - [email protected] (see «Dar's Practice»). Created in 1964. 12 950 km 2, west of Iringa. Altitude: between 750 m and 1 900 m. This third largest park in Tanzania, 13 times greater than the Maasaï Mara in Kenya, for example, erected as a hunting reserve from 1910, was attached to the Réserve reserve, which was the same size as it. It holds its name (in hehe language, the region's ethnicity) of the river, which forms on 160 km its entire limit, and which flows into the Rufiji. Unfortunately, three large rice plantations take much of the water on the plains of Usangu, north-east of Mbeya where the river has its sources. The Ruaha is certainly the most beautiful park in the country, and therefore the most beautiful and wild in the world. It is also, with the Selous, the most important elephant sanctuaries. Far from everything, it is still very little visited: less than 1 000 visitors per year… All this helps make this park a place reserved for elite tourism, at least from a financial perspective.

Wildlife is absolutely exceptional: in addition to the classic lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants (more than 6 000, while there were only 3 000 in 1985, and 16 000 in the region's ecosystem), hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, buffalo (35 000), guibs harnachés and other élans, it is almost easy to see large and small koudous, black hippotragues, rouannes antelopes, oryx, yellow baboons, lycaons and many others, without forgetting 370 bird species (more than 460 according to some), 38 fish species and 1 650 different plants… The vegetation, dotted with kopjes, is very varied from one place to another in the park: miombo (dry and fairly dense wood of Brachystegia), baobabs, palm trees and savanna trees in the plains, acacias along rivers, fig sauvages, Commiphora… For an interesting visit, start by walk (west side) the Ruaha River, then the Mwagusi and Mdonya Sandrivers; a loop is even possible, along between these two sandrivers the north-west escarpment (which is about metres high) on the side of the Mwayembe wetlands. A stay of about one week is recommended. The best season for the visit is from late June to early December. It rains from December to April. In general, it is warmer than the northern highlands. Attention to tsé flies, very present in places, but to which one owes the park's wild wealth, the flocks and the absence of the human installation…

For more information contact the Dar es Salaam Tourism Office, tel +22 212 0373/213 1555 - Fax: +22 211 6420 - www.tanzaniatouristboard.com - [email protected] - (see «Dar» entry). This park of 1 900 km ² (6 ^th country by size), the most recently created (1992) - although already partly forested since the 1950 s - has a beautiful altitude amplitude: from 300 m to 2 576 m. It is located west of the northern part of Selous, only 10 km from the southwest of Mikumi park. It extends from the forest of Mwanihana, west of Morogoro, to the west Kilombero forest, east of Iringa, and bordered to the north by the Grande Ruaha River that runs along the road from Dar to Mbeya (Tanzanian Zambian Highway). The park is inhabited among others by lions, leopards, black hippotragues, elk, harnachés harnachés, céphalophes, elephants, buffalo, red colobes of an endemic type, souï-grouse, endemic also… In all, six species of monkeys (two endemic), including mangabeys, black and yellow, purple monkeys, reptiles (chameleon, serpents…). This park is also one of the ten largest in Africa for the preservation of ornithological fauna. It also includes many plant species (2 000), of which 20% to 30% are unknown elsewhere. Its forests play a very important role in the country's economy: construction, utensils, oils and honey, medicinal products… Compared to other parks, the establishment has been marked by a strong collaboration between the surrounding villagers and those responsible for conservation. This region has been preserved from all human occupation due to the enchevêtrement of its steep mountains, culminating in Luhombero. Some waterfalls are impressive, including those of Sanje, 170 m high. The park does not include roads or tracks. The explorers must therefore walk from the park headquarters on routes taking 15 minutes to a few days in tents. The park, which will delight the trekkeurs, can be visited in addition to the Mikumi or Ruaha (there are fewer than 400 visitors per year), in 2 or 3 days. In the programme: trekking, walking safari and bird watching. Better period: July to October and December to February.

Some travel agencies organize safaris or hunting parties in Moyowosi. It is a very wooded game reserve known for its lions, leopards, buffles and rare beaks birds. Its fauna is characteristic of the flood plains of East Africa with bloody wood and black woods. It is accessible by car by road from the north to Mugombe (125 km from Kigoma), and then by taking the trail that stretches to the east over 65 km.

Caught, on the one hand, between Tsavo West National Park in Kenya and, on the other, the Southern Mountains and the Usambara Mountains, this reserve of 2 000 km ² is very well known for its exceptional botanical richness (90% of the country's varieties, including a strictly indigenous third party). The savannah is quite dry, which once hosted many black rhino, but still houses elephants, buffles, lions, leopards, small koudous, guérénouks, oryx, etc.

In 1998, 4 black rhino transported from South Africa to Antonov 12 were reintroduced on a special reserve of 50 km ², heavily mounted by rangers and fences used to protect them as much from a dangerous leak as a possible ill-intentioned human intrusion.

3 km north of the caves of Amboni, the Sulphurous hot springs of Galanos bear the name of Greek who discovered it in 1950, and vanta medicinal virtues. The thermal establishment is very damaged. In the Hanky region there is also the huge hunting reserve of Umba (about 1 500 km ²).

It is a 2 to 3 hour walk to the refreshing Engaresero waterfall, ideal for swimming not far from the village between basalt rock and palm trees. After going up the river with good shoes (but you will wet them), the waterfall forms an incredible natural rain curtain thanks to a beautiful rocky height and natural bubbling water pools.

Allow 6 hours of hiking to cross the rivers, reach the foot of the Great Rift Fault that you will take following a path traced by the Germans during the colonial period. Today, it is used only by Maasai who travel extensively throughout their territory from Kenya to visit their families, and by local villagers who move their livestock for shepherds, or who sell jewellery and handicrafts for women. We do a bit of driving with the people we meet on the way, young shepherds playing in the rocks, then we gradually climb to reach the beginning of the Serengeti highlands at 1,300 m, a steep rocky ledge that offers a spectacular view of Lake Natron. We then continue across the great windblown plain where Maasai villages (the famous bomas) built of cow dung and dried earth scatter in the vastness of the landscape. A traditional way of life still intact here. We then stop to get to know the women and children, creating a certain animation, until the time comes to buy jewellery. An exchange here privileged because outside the tourist circuits, one comes only after having discussed, exchanged, it is very pleasant because one takes one's time. The return passes by Engaresero where a stopover is recommended to soak up the more "modern" atmosphere of the village, contrasting with the village life that we have just discovered.

Ol Doinyo Lengai dominates Lake Natron from its 2,878 m and stands out in the savannah landscape, often escorted by white clouds appearing as thick scattered smoke (but they are clouds today). It is a roughly circular mountain with a conical appearance on the horizon like any volcano, but in reality with concave slopes (so steeper and steeper). On the lower slopes, you may see hyenas or oréotragues (small African antelopes). On the ridge, from which a superb view of this 500 m diameter crater emerges, greenish or yellow cracks appear, releasing sulphur-laden fumes. Lengaï lava has the particularity of being composed, in particular, of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), which in the 48 hours following its release into the open air solidifies by taking on a white colour, even brighter under the sun, which, from a distance, on the road from Serengeti to Olduvai for example, gives the impression that the volcano is snow-covered.

Religion. "The Mountain of God", in Maasai, is of paramount importance to this Nilotic tribe. Although converted to Christianity by missionaries who provide them with small material help, the Maasai are deeply animist and believe in the spirits of nature, regardless of whether their totally pagan traditions stick to Christian precepts, and that is good. Precisely the sky is considered as God and the blue has a sacred character symbolizing the Almighty but also fertility (and dresses women in tradition). The Maasai, however far from the sacred mountain, regularly come here to make pilgrimages, sacrifice animals to invoke the gods and ask for mild rains, fertile soils for their animals, large offspring or peace between villages. There are many complaints. But the fervour was very impressive during the last big eruption in 2008. Virgin women were asked to go and collect the hot ashes of the volcano threatening the villages, considered as God's offerings, by singing and praying to the volcano day and night. No one wanted to be evacuated despite the government's insistence on protecting local populations from a possible eruption. The Maasai, who consider the mountain to be protective, invoked the most beautiful gods to ask for their protection, sacrificing even more animals to obtain its mercy and indeed no one was killed and the volcano calmed down after violent outbursts of lava.

Volcanology. Haroun Tazieff came to observe Ol Doinyo Lengai, the only volcano in real activity on the Great Rift before those of Ethiopia, one of the youngest volcanoes in East Africa and perhaps the most active. The volcanologist came to study this very fluid lava specially - of a viscosity comparable to water, imagine! - rock, much colder than other types of lava and melts at "only" 500°C. The last major eruptions took place in 1992, 1983 and, above all, in 1967 and then in 2007 and 2008. The eruption was most violent in 1967, scattering hot ashes as far as Seronera, 100 km away. The runoff poisoned entire herds of Maasai cattle. The Maasai were convinced that their god was very angry and had unleashed himself on their beasts, their most precious possession. Thousands of animals died poisoned by the volcano's toxic ashes. In 2007 and 2008, lava flowed dramatically from the crater during 4 eruptions. Since then, it has been in relative calm, but it could burst into flames at any time.

The ascension. It is being prepared in Engaresero, where the office of guides and rangers is located, but Arusha agencies also offer it with 4x4 transfers included (but it is more expensive). The ascent and descent take 4 to 5 hours in each direction at a very average pace. It is absolutely not necessary to bring a rope to climb Ol Doinyo Lengai, you just have to be in good shape and not have any breathing problems. The effort is really worth it. If you want to cook up there, you have to bring fuel and a lot of equipment, it might be easier to settle for sandwiches. It is often customary to leave in the middle of the night at around 1am to watch the sunrise from the top of the mountain on the plain, magical! But also to avoid the overwhelming heat of the day during the ascent. Return to the lodge around noon.

If you prefer to do it during the day, it is advisable to leave very early to avoid the heat of the day, around 5am.

Take a 4x4 to the track that runs south along the escarpment and climbs for about fifteen kilometres. After crossing a few korrongos (erosion beds), you will reach the maximum point of slope that can be crossed by the vehicle.

The walk is done on three successive types of terrain, a path first rises slowly in the tall grass. Then the slope rises, and on a ground of stone and volcanic sand, we go straight along a ridge parallel to korrongos 15 m deep at first, but then less and less marked. Finally, the last third is the steepest part, which is climbed on ashes in which the foot sinks and slides (always straight ahead, following a small lava bar to the right).

North of the Ngonrogoro crater, from the museum where you can pick up a guide for this visit, you can make an interesting expedition to Nassera Rock, a large 100m high rock rising in the middle of the plains, where traces of habitat have shown that people have lived there since prehistoric times. Quite old paintings, probably Maasai, decorate the bottom of the walls. The crossing is interesting, especially between December and March, at the time of the great wildebeest migration. It is also a first choice observatory because it overlooks the plain and the wild animals which graze peacefully there. We first pass Naiborsoit ("white stones"), and after 14 km, we reach the shifting sands, a curved dune of almost 100 m long and 9 m high, formed of sand and ash from the Ol Doinyo Lengaï volcano, and which advances towards the west of about 20 m per year. We continue northwards along Longoijo ("the mountain of the fertile cattle"), Nondekien ("the mountain of the killed bird"), in memory of a plane that crashed here in the 1930s, killing two people, while two injured survivors were rescued by the Maasai. But also Olomirakini Sowaten ("the mountain of donation"), where the surrounding Maasai villages offered goats and cows to the warriors. After 16 km, after passing the Korrongo, you reach Nassera Rock. The rock can be climbed on its eastern side: the view is superb. The area is inhabited by eland and giraffe.

You can continue east into Angata Kiti for 20km and then north into Sanjan ("the treeless plain") for 24km, following the mountain on the right. As you cross the Korrongo River, you can see the Olkarie Gorge cutting into the mountain, over 150 m high. A colony of Rupell's vultures lives on the walls, as well as baboons that fight from time to time (beware of falling rocks), Verreaux's eagles and great horned owls. Maasai sometimes take their animals to drink in holes at the bottom of the gorge, a little before the natural bridge.

You can continue south to pitch your tent in a very basic Tanapa camp (you have to take everything with you) located at the edge of the conservation area which is about 1 km from the gorge, near the village of Malambo, towards Lake Natron. A very wild and remote area where few tourists venture and where it is necessary to leave well equipped, with good guides and 4x4.

This is the evening's must-see show at Michamvi Kae, facing Chwaka Bay, on the beach facing the sunset. An ideal spot in the mangroves for a drink (accompanied by a kebab or home fries, but the food isn't great) on a sofa or hammock to the swinging sounds of reggae during the day. Every evening, acrobats perform impressive human pyramids. A large bonfire burns and crackles, adding an enchanting touch. The atmosphere is family-friendly at the start of the evening, then more youthful and festive, even electro. On Sundays, the Sunset Beach Party is more intense and admission is charged, but it's worth the show. The show takes on contemporary dimensions, with incredible performances, body make-up and Afro-electro music (J Crew Dancers) that make a welcome change from traditional acrobatic shows. Live bands and electro DJs are also invited. We recommend arriving by pirogue from Michamvi Pingwe before sunset. Since 2023, the beach has been transformed to limit the number of entrances (unpaid to the site) and to deal with soil erosion, so you soon find your feet in the water with the sandbags forming a dike, which is a shame. The mangrove behind is magnificent, and just to the right of Kae Funk, we recommend a trip to the village beach, where children play in the water every evening. An authentic atmosphere set against the backdrop of Konokono's luxury hotel bungalows on stilts.

This is one of the three most popular camp routes, as the scenery is fabulous and acclimatization easier, and it can be completed in 7 to 8 days. In reality, it begins on the west side of Kilimanjaro in the rainforest (Forest Camp, Shira 1 and 2), then joins the Machame route via the Lava Towers (a peak at 4,630 m) before descending to Barraco Camp, an acclimatization strategy that pays off before climbing back up to the summit. In high season, the route is very busy, especially from the Lava Tower.

Magnificent and unmissable: the Chemka (or Kikuletwa) hot springs. An oasis tucked away in the vegetation and made up of heavenly pools of incredibly clear emerald-green tepid water, frequented by locals at weekends. Take the time to swim against the current and jump into the water with a trapeze - splash! You can also rent a buoy. A few pretty souvenirs on site, and something to eat if you've forgotten your picnic.

Day hike to the Chagga village of Materuni, at 2,500 m altitude, close to a 70-metre-high waterfall that you reach in 8 kilometers (300 m ascent). Formed by the glaciers of Kilimanjaro, the view of the summit is magnificent on a clear day. On the way back, you visit a "shamba", a coffee, banana and avocado plantation. A welcome break for a coffee roasting and tasting demonstration with your local lunch.

Moshi, Tanzania, is a tourist destination offering a wide range of outdoor activities. Rau Eco & Cultural Tourism Enterprise is a local company offering a variety of tours and experiences in the region. Activities include bike tours of the Lower Moshi rice fields, silent walks and meditations in the Rau Forest, Tanzanian cooking classes near the Rau Forest, guided tours of the Rau Forest focusing on medicinal plants, homestays near the Rau Forest, nature walks in the Rau Forest and night tours of the Rau Forest.