Mount Kilimanjaro
Rising over 5km from the surrounding plains to a peak of 5892m, Kilimanjaro, a national park, and a World Heritage Site since 1989, is Africa’s highest mountain. Kilimanjaro is located north of Tanzania near the town of Moshi and is a protected area, carefully regulated for climbers to enjoy without leaving a trace of their presence.
The mountain’s ecosystems are as strikingly beautiful as they are varied
and diverse. On the lowland slopes, much of the mountain is farmland,
with coffee, banana, cassava, and maize crops grown for subsistence and
cash sale. A few larger coffee farms still exist on the lower slopes,
but much of the area outside the national park has been subdivided into
small plots. Once inside the park, thick lowland forest covers the lower
altitudes and breaks into alpine meadows once the air begins to thin.
Near the peak, the landscape is barren with rocks and ice the
predominant features above a breathtaking African
view.
Mount Meru
Some visitors to Tanzania treat Mount Meru as an acclimatization trip before attempting Mount Kilimanjaro. A visit to this spectacular mountain, located within Arusha National Park, is an unforgettable experience.
Its lower slopes are covered in dense highland forest, where colobus
monkeys play and buffalo graze concealed beneath the thick foliage. The
mountains vegetation is similar to Kilimanjaro’s though the high
altitude glaciers and ice fields are absent. The extinct volcano’s
extensive base gives way to a perfectly formed crater, and another
internal crater whose walls are sharp, sheer cliffs. The Momela Lakes
and Ngurdoto Crater are visible from Meru’s slopes.
Crater Highlands
Rising up from the floors of the Rift Valley, the Crater Highlands form a
lush chain of mountains and volcanoes that includes the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Hiking safaris take visitors from Ngorongoro Crater to the foot of Ol Donyo Lengai and
offer visitors a chance to see some of the most spectacular and
stunning scenery in Tanzania. Exploring this little-visited wilderness
is the hiking adventure of a lifetime, an exciting if hair-raising
prospect.
Mahale Mountains
On the borders of Lake Tanganyika lies Mahale Mountains National Park,
dominated by the Mahale Mountain chain and one of Tanzania's most
impressive chimpanzee populations. The park is located on a jutting
peninsula of Lake Tanganyika, offering stunning views of the mountains just being the sandy beaches of the country's most beautiful lake.
The Mahale Mountains are a photographer's dream, with six prominent
peaks forming the skyline. The largest at 8,069 feet is Nkungwe.
Udzungwa Mountains
Located west of Dar es Salaam are
the Udzungwa Mountains, an immaculate forest-cloaked wilderness whose
1900 square kilometers are among the most biodiverse on earth. Vervet
monkeys play high in the forest canopy, and small forest antelope can be
viewed at the right time of day. Botanical diversity is exceptional,
and the park is host to a large number of endangered bird species.
Views from the peaks of the mountains, towards the Selous Game Reserve and
the distant Indian Ocean coast, are incredible and well worth the
effort. The Udzungwa Mountains offer visitors the opportunity to view
several species of primates and endangered birds in a beautiful African
rain forest. Five distinct trails cover the forests and mountain peaks
within the park, and offer varying levels of difficulty for everyone
from novices to experienced trekkers
Monduli Mountains
North of Meserani lie
the Monduli Mountains, which acts as a condenser for rainfall providing
year-round water and pasture. Only a few hours’ drive from Arusha, the Monduli Mountains make a lovely day trip or can be part of a longer hiking itinerary.
Masaai pastoralists
herd their cattle along the slopes and cultural tourism programmes give
visitors the opportunity to learn about traditional medicines and local
Maasai culture. The Maasai village of Emairete occupies a crater that
was once considered sacred.
Mount Hanang
Remotely located on somewhat bumpy tracks 200 km south-west of Arusha is
Tanzania’s fourth-highest mountain, Mt. Hanang. This almost perfect
volcanic cone and extinct volcanic crater makes for a stunning feature
above the otherwise undulating plains.
A two- day climb takes trekkers through numerous tribal areas, including
the land of the semi-nomadic Barabaig, recognizable by their goatskin
garments.
Ol Donyo Lengai
Rising up at the south end of Lake Natron and
the bush land of Kenya to the north, is East Africa’s only active
volcano, Ol Donyo Lengai, whose Maasai name means ‘The Mountain of God’.
The volcano erupts sporadically, sending small streams of grey lava
down the crater rim and spitting hot ash high into the air.
The climb, undertaken overnight so hikers can experience sunrise over the Rift Valley escarpment, is highly challenging.
Usambara Mountains
Southwest of the Pare Mountain, and also belonging to the Eastern Arc chain
are the craggy and mist-shrouded Usambaras. Their western and eastern
ranges are divided by a 4 km wide valley of small villages and farms,
and hiking trails cover the foothills and larger peaks.
Day walks and overnight treks take visitors through some of the most
concentrated areas of biodiversity in Africa. Bird watching is
especially rewarding, and the views from the mountaintops stretch over
the Masaai Steppe and, on a clear day, as far as the Indian Ocean.
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Chapisha Maoni