Overview

Basic info:

Where: Moshi | Same | Malameni Rock | Ranzi Dam| Thornton Waterfalls | Mkomazi National Park
Terrain: Off road and paved road
Activity level: Leisurely to tough
Existing pre-planned dates for 2020: Departing on 2/1, 30/1, 19/2, 7/3, 15/3, 5/4, 20/4, 10/5, 20/6, 6/7, 13/8, 5/9, 15/10, 15/11, 12/12 and 20/12.

Tour highlights:

This adventure is particularly special to us. It represents everything that TVA stands for, and gives adventurers an insight into the culture of the Pare tribe, to which both Chris and George belong. For one night, you will stay with George’s own family and learn how to prepare and cook the Pare tribe’s famous dish, Makande.

Bike hire:

We have standard hard tail mountain bikes for hire for this trip @ $90 each. However, we recommend that you bring your own bike with you, if you can, as we cannot guarantee our bikes will be a perfect fit for you.

Alternatively, you might like to just bring your own saddle and pedals. Please note that all bike transit costs will be at your own expense.

If you have a spare bike that you’d like to use for your adventure and then donate to TVA Cycling Club, we will pay your shipping costs as a thank you for your gift.

Day 1:
Arrive in Moshi, Tanzania – Jambo! And welcome to Tanzania!
Riding Distance: 0-36km – it’s up to you!
Accommodation: Chanya Lodge
Included meals: Dinner

Today is about preparing for the adventure ahead. Following your transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), there will be time for a bit of bike set up, followed by a meet and greet at 6pm. After that, you can take a stroll to acquaint yourself with the capital of the north eastern region of the country, which enjoys good weather all year-round. Or alternatively, why not take the chance to get a feel for the terrain and go for a spin with our very own cycling club, Tanzanian Velo Adventures Cycling Club.

Notes: If you can’t arrange a flight that will arrive in time for the meet and greet, you may wish to arrive a day early so you’re able to attend. As well as setting you up for the journey ahead, we’ll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader. We’d be happy to book additional accommodation for you. If, due to any unforeseen circumstances, you’re going to be late, then please let us know.

Day 2:
Moshi to Kifungiro / Pare Mountain
Riding Distance: 23km
Accommodation: George’s family home
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, we jump into the support vehicle and head east to the Same District, which is about 100km from Moshi. Only 20 km into the drive we will start to see the Southern Pare Mountains, as well as acres upon acres of sisal plantations. Sisal was introduced to Tanzania during the colonial times and, at the time of its independence, it became the world’s largest exporter. As part of today’s ride, we’ll visit the local sisal processing machine.

From Same we will head off on our bikes for the first time and head up to the Southern Pare Mountains. This will be on rough road with very few cars and motorbikes. As we ride along, watch out for Pare ladies balancing either buckets of water on their heads or baskets of goods from the market, which we will visit at Mwembe village. The men will be busy farming or harvesting grasses to feed their cows
Also on today’s ride, we’ll see wildlife including birds and monkeys at Mpepera forest, which will also provide a beautiful view of Mkomazi National Park.

Day 3:
Pare Mountain to Ranzi Dam
Riding Distance: 32km
Accommodation: Tona Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today we get straight back on the bikes to make our way up to Ranzi Dam; a natural dam without an inlet or outlet. The scenery provides a stunning backdrop for activities such as camping, swimming and bird watching, as well as yoga. And we will take some time out of our day to enjoy a spot of relaxing yoga and/or swimming – whichever you prefer.

Day 4:
Village exploration and Malameni Rock
Riding Distance: 9km + 3hrs walking
Accommodation: Tona Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4 really immerses us into the culture of the Pare tribe. After sharing an early breakfast with George’s family, we’ll learn how to prepare the tribe’s signature dish of Makande, which is a source of merriment to the other tribes.

After that, we’ll leave the bikes behind and walk to a sugar cane farm to see how the juice for making sugar beer is prepared. We’ll then head off to a local bar to make and, of course, taste our own Denge, or Pare beer. This will be followed by lunch back with George’s family.

It’s then that we’ll pick up the bikes again and head to the legendary Malameni Rock. Here we’ll get to take in the breath-taking view of Mkomazi National Park, and discover the dark and sad history of the rock and its role within Pare culture. A short walk to the Mkumbavana Caves leads us to the hiding place used by the Pare tribe during a war between themselves and the Maasai warriors.

Day 5:
Tona to Thonton Waterfall
Riding Distance: 34km
Accommodation: Nick Resort
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast we will cycle to Thonton Waterfall. With its 136m drop, this is believed to be the second highest waterfall in Africa behind Victoria Falls, and its breathtaking scenery makes activities such as walking and bird watching a delight.

En route, we will cycle through villages such as Msindo, Duma, Ntenga and Heiganda each growing a variety of crops including cassava, banana and sugar cane.

Day 6:
Mkomazi National Park Day Trip
Riding Distance: 23km
Accommodation: Nzoroko Hotel
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

On our last full day of this cultural adventure, we ride from Nick resort to Kisiwani village, where we’ll learn about the history of the village and the origin of its people. As we cycle through on our way to Mkomazi National Park for a game drive, we’ll continue to see different farming practices that are carried out in the area.

Once in Mkomazi, we’ll hop on to the jeep for our final chance to see giraffes, zebras, lions, leopards, elephants and rhinos, and make the most of the chance to snap some fantastic photos.

Day 7:
Transfer to Kilimanjaro airport and journey home
Riding Distance: 0km
Accommodation: None
Included meals: Breakfast and Lunch

There’s no cycling today. Instead we head back down to Same in the support vehicle, where we’ll have a few hours to visit the local agricultural market. Here we’ll see all the crops that we’ve seen being cultivated throughout our trip, being bought and sold.

Lunch at a local restaurant in Same marks the end of our adventure, and is followed by your transfer to the airport.