Agro community tour

Tour Type

Tent Camping

Duration

3 days

Reviews

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Agro-Community Cultural Tours
Community Based Rural Tourism Development Project (CBRTDP) was initiated in the Lushoto District, Tanga Region, in partnership between The Network of Small-scale Farmers Groups in Tanzania (MVIWATA) with Collaboration with Friends of Usambara Society. CBRTDP received financial assistance from the Agriterra organization, based in Netherlands. The Rural Tourism project is implemented in Kwekanga and Kwalei villages in Lushoto District where the project aims to enable the farmers to start cultural/agricultural tourism projects, and have them become a source of income to the local community.

Friends of Usamabara is promoting the two initiative to achieve their objectives:

To establish a viable and lucrative tourism business in four to five years that can run on its own without financial support of outsiders
To deliver a quality tourism product providing an authentic rural experience catered by farmers
To offer a new and innovative tourism product in the Usambara mountains and in Tanzania in general
To offer a unique possibility for cross cultural exchange between the tourist and Tanzania farmer culture
Preservation of culture and environment
To contribute substantially to rural and economic development (income and employment), poverty alleviation and quality life of farmer communities in the villages of Kwalei and Kwekanga

Kwekanga Tour Village tour Time: ca 6 hours

Description:
This tour leads through Kwekanga, up to Kuze Mountain, offering some interesting interactions along the way. The tour includes: a visit to the devil huts and the traditional healers; the sugar cane press that is used to produce the local “Boha” beer, which can be tasted in the “Bandi Boha” bar; and the opportunity to watch traditional dancing. Furthermore the tour includes a nice lunch at one of the local houses.

Mtumbi Mountain * Time: ca 7 hours

Description:
A walk to Mtumbi Mountain, the highest mountain of the Lushoto district. From here beautiful views can be enjoyed and when the weather is clear, Kilimanjaro Mountain can be seen.

Kijelwa Viewpoint * Time: ca 4 hours

Description:
This walk leads to Kijelwa viewpoint, where the visitor has a nice view over the Usambaras. The hike to Kijelwa is charming and passes interesting rural settlements. Kijelwa viewpoint is a very interesting spiritual place. A local inhabitant will share his supernatural stories with the visitors.

Kuze Viewpoint * Time: 3 hours

Description:
Mountain Kuze is a spiritual meeting point for the traditional healers in and around Kwekanga. Regularly these traditional healers come to the mountain top to heal sick people and make sacrifices for their gods. Furthermore mount Kuze offers a nice view over the surrounding villages and the Mkomazi plains.

Kwalei Tours Day 1: Village tour Time: ca 4 hours

Description:
A walk around the village and the shambaas, including: a visit to the primary school; the opportunity to drink a cup of tea at one of the villager’s home, watch a traditional healing dance, a visit to the local corn-grinding machine, a look inside a house where women are cooking local dishes, see the boha-beer machine and visit a local bar for a drink. During this tour the guide will explain more about the local agro-farming and the village life. The tour ends with a nice lunch at one of the farmer’s house in your choice can participate in preparing the local dishes with family.agro

Day 2:Tea Plantation Tour Time: ca 4 hours

Description:
A scenic walk through the local farmer fields and a nearby tea plantation. A visit to the tea factory is a possibility but a request in advance is necessary. The walk leads to Kianga view point, which gives a nice view over the eastern Usambara Mountains. Kianga Mountain used to be a place where people worshiped their Gods; nowadays it is still an important place for the locals during celebrations such as Christmas and Easter.

Day 3: Forest Tour Time: ca 4 hours

Description:
A walk through the Baga forest where a wide variety of flora and fauna can be seen, including the Colubus monkeys (white and black). The tour can be extended to Kianga view point.
Description: Walk to the top of Kianga Mountain, a height of 2100 meters, and have a scenic view over the eastern Usambara Mountains and the tea plantations. Besides the beautiful view, Kianga Mountain is also used by the locals as a place for celebration, about which the guide will tell more at the location itself.

*(The mountain tours can be used as a first practice for climbing mount Kilimanjaro)