CULTURAL TOURISM

At the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro outside the entrance to Kilimanjaro National Park lies the beautiful villages of Mamba and Marangu. At BabyloLodge 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 bananas will lift your spirit.

Tours on the slopes of Kilimanjaro include:

Babylon Lodge organizes guided tours leading to panoramic viewpoints ideal for photographing waterfalls and Mount Kilimanjaro.  As your 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.

•  Our cultural tourism program will give you a chance to pass historic sites of clan wars and ancient legends including large caves for hiding during the Chagga-Maasai wars. A morning visit to the ancient Makundi area recalls 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 the fire and beating 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 house. 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 could be used for sleeping, cooking, and keeping animals! The hut has been maintained traditionally and walking into it will make you feel like you know the Chagga people better.

• A visit to a Chagga beer-making 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 materials 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. 

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. They are also knowledgeable on Mount Kilimanjaro tours and if you are intending to Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro after this tour you might ask them questions regarding Mt. Kilimanjaro.

PRICE:

•  The price for the cultural tourism program cost USD 50 per person per day 

This amount includes:

• A well-experienced guide who knows the area well. All our guides are friendly, charming, and well-trained to ensure you enjoy every step of your trek. They will also be walking according to your speed making it a relaxed and beautiful tour around the Mt. Kilimanjaro region.
• Entrance fee to all the cultural sites; Waterfalls, Chagga museum, Chagga banana plantation, and beer making factory
• Babylon Lodge is located at the center 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! The tasty lunch will be prepared at the hotel and after lunch, you will enjoy seasonal fruits as dessert.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be glad to answer any questions.