Best Walking Tours in Tanzania for Nature and Culture Lovers

With the expansion of the safari business in Arusha in recent years, more and more companies are beginning to offer unusual safaris which don’t just involve driving around the game parks in vehicles but demand more effort from you. These include walking safaris (usually outside the national parks), cities, small villages, and attractions out of town. Tanzania offers excellent walking opportunities, brilliant scenery, and hair-raising roads.

The more accessible walking trip is the Lake Manyara and Arusha National Park, which attracts hundreds of bird and mammal species – they’re a naturalist’s dream and a visit to at least one of them is a must. Walking activity is usually an accompaniment to the mountain, and Tanzania has both Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru. Kilimanjaro at 5895 m is accessible, easy to climb and certainly the most dominant feature of the landscape as you enter Moshi town from Nairobi or Arusha. Mt Meru, at 4562 metres, is a challenging climb, although can be reached without specialist equipment. Further north-west is the Mt Oldoinyo Lengai, “The Mountain of God”, which stands at 3188 m, home of the Maasai, and also home to a profusion of wildlife that you’re not likely to come across anywhere else in the world – a walking safari area not to be missed.

Lake Natron Walking Tours

We recently set up walking safaris, which are featured in our Safari itineraries. Sometimes our walking Tour specialises in part walking/part-driving safaris, especially around Lake Natron in the Engaresero village. Walking safaris offered by us around Engaresero village, which is located 220 km north-west of Arusha and close to Lake Natron, which its water of these soda lakes may feel a little strange to the touch (it’s soapy) and often doesn’t smell too pleasant (though this is mostly due to the bird shit).

However, the abundant insects and fish are heaven to many species of waterbird, and they flock here in their millions — it’s a twitcher’s paradise. Foremost among the birds is the deep-pink lesser flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor), which feeds on the blue-green algae, and the pale-pink greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), which feeds on the tiny crustaceans and insect larvae. Also numerous are various species of duck, pelican, cormorant and stork. The highest concentrations of these birds are found where food is most abundant, and this can vary from year to year and lake to lake. The walking safaris along this awe-inspiring place are indeed a great way to see nature up close and personal.

Mt. Oldoinyo Lengai ”the mountain of god”

Mt Oldoinyo Lengai is directly in front of Lake Natron, while the plains of the Maasai sweep away to the south. Mt. Oldoinyo Lengai is famous, known as the Mountain of God. Its location makes it a far less popular goal. The mountain is an extinct volcano located in the Maasai community. A volcanic mountain with breathtaking views rewards once reached at the top, 3888 m, after going through steep hiking.

Other activities around the area include walking down to the valley where you can find the old colonial trail. You will also have a chance to walk on the Maasai village and experience the livestock grazing and wildlife viewing, Hike to the rift valley escarpment and have the great view of Embalulu Crater, Oldonyo Lengai and Gelal mountain beneath you. Many people prefer to visit here coming from Serengeti National park or Ngorongoro Crater after long hours of sitting in the safari jeep.

Day Trip – Walking Tours

Apart from walking safaris featured on our safari tours, we also have different day trips walking tours that can be arranged from Arusha (before or after your safari trip) and visit Lake Duluti, which is famous for its amazing forest walk along the lake shore just outside the Arusha town with great view of Mt Meru and creatures from the lake as well as numerous birdlife around the forest. The walk will last for 2 hours and afterwards, you can opt to take a Canoeing tour which can last for another 1 hour or so.

From Moshi (before or after Kilimanjaro climb) where you can visit the Materuni waterfall plummeting over 72 metres into a ravine and resulting spray bathes the dense forest below in a perpetual mist, the surrounding is intensively cultivated with maize, beans and banana trees and well forested. The excellent road from Moshi, which snakes up and down through farmlands and forests and offers spectacular views over Moshi town, is used by many as a pre-Kilimanjaro climb activity. You will also be accompanied by one of our guides who will explain and teach you all the necessary information that you will come across during the walk, and in addition to that, you will also learn and experience the traditional coffee making and take what they call “coffee shots” afterwards, a very great local experience.

Maasai Village Walk

A knowledgeable and experienced Maasai guide will take you around the Maasai village community, where you will have a chance to learn about the traditional medicine and herbs that can cure common diseases in Africa like Malaria. You will also be able to interact with the Maasai people and learn more about their interesting and strong cultures, especially how they interact with their cattle as well as their daily life. The Maasai tribe is one of the must-see culture tour in Tanzania offered by Safari ASAP.

The main aim for our tours is to introduce overseas visitors to rural life off the well-trodden tourist circuits, using selected local camping for overnight stops. You will see some wildlife on some of the walks, but the emphasis is on meeting local people, introducing you to their customs, visiting farms and climbing mountains in the area. The man who started this venture, Mr Simon Emmanuel, is keen to see the concept catch on, so if you’re interested, write us a message for more information.

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