Northern Tanzania has so much to offer on a safari, there’s little wonder it’s one of the best know wildlife destinations on the planet. Expansive and varied landscapes are home to an incredible array and density of wildlife including the Big Five and the Great Migration. From the baobab forests and swamps of Tarangire and the jungle-like forested slopes of Lake Manyara, to the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Ngoronogoro Crater and the endless plains of the Serengeti, a northern Tanzania safari is undoubtedly aesthetically diverse.
Most standard northern Tanzania safaris will only explore these landscapes by vehicle. On my recent research trip, however, I discovered the wonderful walking opportunities that are becoming increasingly available in northern Tanzania. I had the joy of experiencing areas I know well in a different light – taking a slower pace and exploring a variety of different landscapes on foot.
Walking on the shores of Lake Manyara
I spent a night at Chem Chem Lodge – situated on a private concession on the eastern shores of Lake Manyara. The concession has very different feel compared to the lush forest feel of the National Park on the opposite side of the lake. The lodge looks out onto the wide open shoreline dotted with palm trees and plains game. Chem Chem is an extremely comfortable lodge with a very high level of service and attention to detail. With a spa and a swimming pool, it makes for the ideal place for a soft landing on safari or for a slower safari pace at the end.
We set off on an afternoon walk with a local Maasai guide, dressed in his magnificent red colours and shoes made from rubber tyres (also known as Katambuga), accompanied by my Chem Chem safari guide who translated. We stopped and studied tracks, and spoor, and worked out who had been passing through the concession recently. We examined the size of elephant footsteps, watched giraffe gracing the plains from a distance, and stood still as zebra galloped past. We gazed as birds flew in a V formation over our heads, and as the sun was setting we headed towards the lake shore where we were greeted by an incredible sundowner drinks setup. A complete tonic to the driving I’d already done on the trip.
As well as the lakeshore nature walks, Chem Chem offers a ‘silent walk’ which allows you to just soak in the sounds of the wilderness walking in silence with your Maasai guide. If you’re keen to get the circulation going after too much sitting in a vehicle, the option of a brisk ‘power walk’ or a run with a Maasai warrior are also available.
HUNTING WITH THE HADZA – HONEY CELEBRATIONS
Moving north west, I stayed at Mwiba Lodge on the private Mwiba Wildlife Reserve bordering the southern Serengeti. As well as the traditional game drives, the lodge’s location allows a variety of activities which include nature walks and fly-camping as well as authentic cultural experiences with the local Datoga and Hadzabe (or Hadza) tribes. I joined the Hadzabe tribe for a morning’s walk, giving me insight into this indigenous nomadic tribe, some of the last hunter-gatherers in the world.
They were full of life and conversation and laughter, and showed us how they live in the bush, making use of every natural resource they can find. It was a fascinating morning – one of the older ladies showed me how they make sun protection for a baby’s head using plants; they picked and ate mushrooms and dug for tuber roots; and the big highlight, which caused joyous celebrations, was finding a beehive for some honey. After much song and dance, we watched as they made a fire and prepared to smoke out the bees to find the delicious honey inside.
The Hadzabe are incredibly agile, moving quickly and darting through the bush, but your Mwiba Lodge guide accompanies you at your own speed behind them. It’s a unique and fascinating cultural experience as well as offering the opportunity to explore the bush on foot and learn about the many and seemingly endless uses of nature all around you.
WILD WALKING WITH NOMAD
I also spent two nights with Nomad Tanzania and their relatively new Expeditionary Walking Camp. This is a true, old school, back to basics experience. The camp moves around Tanzania according to the seasons – from November to June it’s based around the Serengeti National Park, and from July to October provides a base to explore Ruaha National Park in Tanzania’s south, or Ugalla River National Park in the remote west (a new and unexplored wilderness). While I was there, we set up camp in Kusini in the southern Serengeti.
The camp is simple yet comfortable – the tents are tall enough to stand up in and have an open gauze ceiling which means you can see the stars on a dry night (the Serengeti was not kind to us in December and it was certainly not dry during my stay – but I stayed dry and cosy in my tent with the sound of rain all around me!). You shower under the stars and have a short drop toilet nearby and enjoy delicious home cooked meals in the main mess tent (a simple canvas awning providing some shade).
Prim, the main walking guide and host, is a superb guide with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the bush and is totally passionate about exploring the bush on foot. The walking can be as intense as you want it to be – Prim is happy to walk 20km+ every morning, but usually you should expect to walk around 12km in a morning followed by a shorter afternoon walk. We climbed up multiple spectacular rocky kopjes where we could scan with our binoculars for any movement in the surrounding areas; and we crept through wooded areas and used stepping stones to get across overflowing streams. We stopped in shady spots to rehydrate and gather our thoughts. It was so peaceful and special to get away from the routine of the game viewing vehicle for a few days and discover the Serengeti from a very different perspective.
WHERE ELSE CAN YOU WALK IN NORTHERN TANZANIA
The above walking experiences were all part of my trip in December – but where else can you walk in Northern Tanzania? In the Ngorongoro Crater area there are two camps that offer an off the beaten track experience, including making the most of the spectacular walking in the area. Asilia’s The Highlands offers the opportunity to climb the Ol Moti Volcano or hike down into the Empakai Crater. Nomad Tanzania’s Entamanu offers a range of walking opportunities from a two hour walk to a spectacular Ngorongoro Crater view point, to a six hour hike from the Ngorongoro Crater to the southern plains of the Serengeti. Wayo Africa have been operating mobile walking safaris for many years and offer mobile camping in remote wilderness areas in the Serengeti. Alex Walker’s Serengeti camps (Serian’s Serengeti Kusini, South or Lamai camps) also offer old school fly-camping experiences with superb guiding. For those looking for the ultimate hiking challenge, there is of course Mount Kilimanjaro or perhaps Mount Meru for a shorter high altitude challenge.
While few people are going to journey to northern Tanzania purely for a walking adventure, and eschew the incredible big game viewing that a driving safari will offer, this trip has definitely proved that there is enormous benefit to not spending your entire safari in a vehicle. For those who are able and willing, the chance to set out on foot, explore the bush from a new angle, and have in depth interactions with different cultures, provides a thoroughly rewarding extra dimension to a northern Tanzania holiday.
If you’re feeling inspired to explore northern Tanzania on foot, whether for a few hours, or a few days, our friendly team of experts would be delighted to help you plan the perfect journey. Call us on +44 (0) 1787 888590 to discuss your requirements, or email us via our Contact Us page.
