CULTURAL TOURISM

MAMBA AND MARANGU CULTURAL TOURISM PROGRAMME

At the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro outside the entrance to Kilimanjaro National Park lie the beautiful villages of Mamba and Marangu. At Babylon Lodge we organize planned walking tours through valleys and waterfalls depicting mountain village life.
Magnificent views of valleys and waterfalls offer great entertainment for nature lovers and bird watchers. Walking through the well maintained coffee and banana fields will lift your spirit.
Tours on the slopes of Kilimanjaro include:

• Guided tours leading to panoramic viewpoints ideal for photographing waterfalls and Mount Kilimanjaro.  As you walk through the banana and coffee fields you will be in a position to see the elegant Mt. Kilimanjaro from different angles and also to take great photos.

• A chance to pass through historic sites of clan wars and ancient legends including large caves for hiding during the chagga-Maasai wars. A morning visit to the ancient Nganyeni area reminds of clan wars and historic legends. You can also enter the large hiding caves which were used to protect women and children during the Maasai-Chagga wars.

• A visit to local blacksmiths who continue using ancestral methods to prepare Maasai spears and tools. You will be in a position to see the men at work heating the iron in hot fire and forging it into shape to get the required items. This method has long been forgotten in most parts of the world and seeing the chagga men do this will be like going back in time!

• Opportunity to experience Chagga culture with a visit to a traditional chagga hut. This chagga hut will amaze you and you will be in a position to witness the chagga architecture. The hut although not looking so big from the outside it had the ability of being used for sleeping, cooking and keeping animals! The hut has been maintained in the traditional way and walking into it will make you know the chagga people a little better.

• A visit to a chagga beer brewimg factory.  You will have the opportunity of visiting a chagga beer factory. Here you will learn how the (mbege) chagga beer is brewed from the ingredients needed and the process that is followed until the final product. For those who are courageous they can even have a taste of the same!

• A visit to the Kinukamori waterfalls. This might not be the greatest waterfall that you might have seen but its good environment and rich history will leave you fascinated. This waterfall which gets its water from Mount Kilimanjaro has a rich history of the chagga people.

• Mountain climbing enthusiasts will be delighted to visit the home and memorial of the late Yahana Lauwo, a Marangu native who accompanied Dr. Hans Meyer on the first recorded climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1889. He lived for an astonishing 124 years. He guided treks until the age of 70yrs.

DIFFERENT OPTIONS

All the sites can be visited on foot. For the tour to be completed comfortably it should be spread through two days but if you have limited time then we can discuss and select some of the places that will fascinate you and allow you to walk at a moderate pace to enjoy the breathtaking views of Kilimanjaro region. We will be more than happy to arrange a custom made tour to satisfy your preference if you wish to focus on certain aspects.

GUIDES

All our guides have been living in the Kilimanjaro area for many years and are conversant in English. Many of them are experienced guides for Kilimanjaro treks and can recount tales of their climbing adventures. They are also familiar with the surrounding area and are sure to captivate you with interesting stories and facts about the different cultures, nature and area.

DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

• Development fee from each tour will go towards schools in the villages on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. Through your tourism participation, you will help improve the quality of education in the Kilimanjaro area. The development fee will assist in fulfilling the needs of schools by supplying school books, equipment and teaching aids. Ask your guide to have a visit to a nearby school.
• For the past few years, we have noticed that the money given to schools was not well managed and at times it did not reach the target group (the students). At Babylon Lodge we have decided to help monitor the project to ensure that the money goes to helping the students.

PRICES

The cultural tourism program cost USD $ 35 per person per day. 

This amount includes:

• A well experienced English speaking guide who knows the area well. All our guides are friendly, charming and well trained to ensure you enjoy every step of your trek.
• Entrance fee to all the cultural areas.
• Babylon Lodge being located at the centre of cultural sites you will have a chance to have lunch and a short break at Babylon lodge before continuing with the tour. You can also carry a lunch box that will be sumptuous and you can take it under a shade!
• Development fee which will be used to assist local schools around the area.