Mto wa Mbu Cultural Tour

You are collected in Arusha, Moshi, KIA, Manyara or Karatu and driven to Mto wa Mbu at the foot of the Rift Valley escarpment, where you meet your local guide. Set off on foot or by bicycle through the green rice farms, then follow the papyrus lake trail to Miwaleni waterfall. Here you meet the Irangi (Rangi) people, who gather materials from the papyrus for weaving baskets and mats. Another walk climbs Balaa Hill for a breathtaking view over the village and the lake, and visits the farms of the Chagga, who come from the Kilimanjaro region.

Visit a Maasai boma and mingle with the Maasai in their red, blue and checked shuka robes. See how the women build an enkaji house from grass, ash, poles, cow dung, urine and mud. You will also learn about the Hadza, how they gather fruit, tubers, berries and honey in the wet season, and how they use bows and arrows to hunt in the dry season. Lunch is a local meal eaten with the villagers. Guests who wish can join local women in the kitchen to prepare a delicious traditional meal, an exciting experience well worth trying.

In the afternoon, choose from a lakeshore or village bike ride, a Maasai tour by bicycle or bajaj, a Rift Valley tour or a nature walk, before returning to your pick-up point. For a deeper stay, a Maasai or Mto wa Mbu homestay can be arranged.