Pre tour: Drive to the Usambara Mountains Maweni Lodge
After Breakfast drive to Usambara Mountains passing through the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania . Several short stops on the way to take pictures and explanations of the natural environments and large sisal plantations. Lunch on the local hotel at Mombo town or any convenient place on the way. The drive takes about 5 - 6 hours to reach the destination Hotel. After check in at the hotel short walks around Maweni farm and if time allows walk to the water falls nearby dinner and overnight at Maweni Lodge (Breakfast Keys Hotel , Lunch at Hotel in Mombo Town, Arrive for Dinner Maweni farm) Our chosen lodge for this trip is Maweni Farm, where you can unwind after Journey with relaxing lunch, dinner and overnight. Maweni farm which situated in a Park-like garden around a lake, and has beautiful mountain footpaths above through forest and coffee farms. Maweni has an amazing diversity of birds attracted by the water and varied landscape. In the mornings you can watch the monkeys steal your breakfast from the kitchen garden, and a mysterious monitor lizard spying on the guinea fowl chicks. The night concert of bugs, hyraxes and eagle owls is spectacular. It is a Mountain retreat which attracts a lot of artists (there are film making facilities on-site) and nature lovers
Day 1: Usambara Mountains Maweni Lodge
Option 1:
After breakfast walk from Maweni farm to Kwemongo Peak 2220 meters where by Mombo and Korogwe towns can be seen. The walk takes about 4 - 5 hours. This day much of the tour will be concentrating on the Natural Montane Forest . There is a high chance to see most of colourful forest bird species, reptiles (like chameleons), butterflies, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Blue Monkeys, Velvet Monkeys and forest flowering plants. Picnic lunch will be provided on the way during lunchtime. On the way back visit the village close to Kwemongo and Shashui and learn about tradition farming practicing including soil erosion control and agroforestry.On returning back to the Lodge if the clients are fit short walks around the lodge for bird watching or to the waterfalls can be arranged. Dinner and overnight at Maweni Lodge. (Breakfast at Maweni Farm, Picnic lunch will be provided during the tour in the forest, Dinner Provided by Maweni farm)
Option 2:
The group can be driven by private transport and dropped at Lushoto town for a short walk around the area, if lucky during the market days the group will have chance to interact with the local people who come to the market to purchase and sale different farm and other products. The duration of the walk will depend on the interest of the clients. After this tour continue walking to Irente farm passing through the Irente view point. Here there is a breathtaking view of the Maasai plains where domestic stock roams, see Lake Jipe (an alkaline lake), Mazinde town and the road from Moshi to Dar (the capital of Tanzania ). After this stop continue walking to Irente Farm where passing through the sugarcane, banana, coffee, potatoes and vegetable plantations. On the arrival at Irente farm Lunch will be served from the locally homemade Brown Bread, Butter, Cheese, Several types of Jams, Juice and Fresh Vegetables and Fruits along with Usambara tea and coffee. After lunch walk back to Lushoto Town passing through natural trails inside the Montane Forest .The bus will be ready at Lushoto town to take the clients back to the lodge. Evening coffee and/or tea will be served at the lodge during the arrival of the clients. This will be around 1500 - 1600 hrs. Upon the interest and fitness of the clients' short walks around the lodge can be arranged for bird watching or to the waterfalls.Dinner and overnight at Maweni Lodge. (Breakfast at Maweni , Picnic Lunch at Irente biodiversity reserve, Dinner Provided by Maweni Lodge)
Day 2: Usambara Mountains Mazumbai Forest Reserve
After Breakfast drive to eastern Usambara Mountains passing through the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Several short stops on the way to take pictures and explanations of the natural environments, the tea and coffee large plantations, Lunch at any convenient place on the way, The drive takes about 1 - 2 hours to reach the starting point Bumbuli Old Germani seltlement,and commence another 3-4hrs of walking to Mazumbai via Mbokoi village at the top of the ridge offering superb views and a chance to meet local people. Enter the rain forest, bird watching on route watch birds on the way as well as black and white Columbus Monkeys, incredible place to observe the nature. The 320 hectare forest reserve has been set aside for ecological contorting and high education studies, stretching from 1350m above sea level to 1900m at the top where the zone bounds of vegetation change. Mazumbai is a bird lover¹s paradise. 0900 Walk through the farm land, learn about old farming practices in the Usambara, Dinner and overnight at Mazumbai Rest House. Dinner and overnight at Mazumbai Rest House. (Breakfast at Maweni Farm, Picnic lunch will be provided during the tour in the forest, Dinner Provided by Mazumbai Rest House)
Day 3: Usambara Mountains Mazumbai Foresr Reserve
After breakfast full day tour at Lushoto The forest including climbing the peak, after lunch take a walk to Mgwashi villages and interact with locals, possibly helping the local farm on tea harvesting, this is also a day of leaning tradition way of living by the locals, However as the forest cover 320 hectares another option may be researching more tree species including extend to the Villages forest and compared the two and overnight at Mazumbai Forest reserve. Dinner and overnight at Mazumbai Rest House. (Mazumbai Forest Picnic lunch will be provided during the tour in the forest, Dinner Provided by Mazumbai Rest House)
Day 4: Usambara Mountains Amani Nature Reserve
After breakfast start your trek mainly descending down to the Luengera Valley with fantastic view over the Plain, nice landscape on the way down to the plain, the walk will take you 3-4 to get the plain where the car will be waiting you ready to drive to Amani Nature reserve, well-established hiking routes make walking a breeze for all ages. It has been declared one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world, containing a high concentration of endemic species. About 3,400 species of vegetation have been recorded in the area, including about 650 different species of trees. Around 350 species of birds live in the East Usambara Forest, many of them rare and endangered. You will hear, but perhaps not glimpse, the songs of various birds, cicada, tree frogs, and crickets. We recommend you take a guided hike, so you can hear first-hand about the medicinal and other uses of various plants by the local people. In addition to a rich array of nature, you will also encounter amazing views of waterfalls and the Lwrenga Valley .Of the 23 species of African violets, 19 of them are found in Tanzania (the other four are in Kenya). In Amani, it is possible to see four of the nineteen Tanzanian species. Several hikes ranging from ten minutes to four hours can be taken around Zigi or the Amani Nature Center to view the violets. All of the hikes pass through the beautiful rain forests.Possibly you can take also arrange a night walk in the Forest, so you can hear the sounds of the forest when nature is most active, at dusk and dawn. Dinner and overnight at Amani Rest House (Breakfast at Maweni , Picnic Lunch on the Way or Amani
Day 5: Usambara Mountains Peponi beach in Pangani
After breakfast, walk in the Amani nature reserve including visit to the butterfly farm which is well known for its colourful butterflies. Then continue to Zigi Botanical Garden, to learn about the local flora. A car will transfer you to Pangani Beach, about 2 hours drive. If the group is fit, it can add another walk to Bombani. From there drive 1 hour to Tanga and lodge at Peponi beach resort. If the group is interested, they can visit Galanos Hot Sulphur Springs, about 12km on the way to Mombasa from Tanga city. The spring is still actively bubbling from the earth and flows to form a stream along to the Ziggi River. The spring is obviously rich in minerals, and evidence of this can be seen in the blue and yellow color deposited in the canal in which sulphur water flows through from the main sources. Dinner and Breakfast at Peponi beach resort, Picnic Lunch on the way to Tanga.
