Overview

Basic info:

Where: Moshi | West Kili | Longido | Lake Natron | Mto wa Mbu | Ngorongoro Crater | Rift Valley escarpment | Lake Manyara National Park
Terrain: Off road and paved road
Activity level: Moderate to tough
Existing pre-planned dates for 2020: Departing on 13/1, 19/2, 2/6, 18/6, 5/7, 1/8, 13/9, 3/10, 23/10, 14/11 and 3/12.

Tour highlights:

Our longest wildlife adventure, this trip has been designed to let you experience all that Tanzania has to offer:

• three of the major and must-see sites – Lake Natron, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara
• an evening with the Maasai
• riding with our TVACC future stars

Bike hire:

We have standard hard tail mountain bikes for hire for this trip @ $120 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 thankyou for your gift.

Day 1:
Arrive in Moshi, Tanzania – Jambo! And welcome to Tanzania!
Riding Distance: 0-10km – 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 West Kilimanjaro
Riding Distance: 630km
Accommodation: Osiligilai Maasai Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

What better way to start the day than with a typical Tanzanian breakfast, consisting of Mandazis and Chapatis. Don’t worry if this isn’t your thing though, as there will be more familiar foods available just in case!

After breakfast, we will climb aboard our support vehicle and head west to Sanya Juu. From here we’ll jump onto our bikes for the first time and cycle north along the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro where we will cycle through many coffee and banana plantations.

When we get to West Kili, we’ll be treated to an evening of stories, song and dance with the Maasai – an opportunity not to be missed.

Day 3:
West Kilimanjaro to Longido
Riding Distance: 65km
Accommodation: Longido Private Camp
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today we enjoy a fairly flat and level ride on unsealed road before hitting the tarmac to head north to Longido. The approximately three and a half hour ride will take us past Arusha National Park, taking in the views of Mount Meru on one side and Mount Kilimanjaro on the other. We’ll also come across plenty of wildlife, including giraffes, zebras and gazelles.

To finish the day, we’ll take one of the many walking trails on Mount Longido for a gentle walk to shake off the acid build up in our muscles and to explore the Longido town.

Day 4:
Longido to Lake Natron
Riding Distance: 40km
Accommodation: Lake Natron Camp (sleeping bag required)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today’s 3-hour ride takes an adventurous turn as we cut west across from Longido to Lengai. The roads are unpaved and in poor condition and will push some riders out of their comfort zone. The reward for this however is the majestic scenery of the Kerimasi, Gelai and Kitumbeine mountains, together with the spectacular active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai, translated as the ‘Mountain of God’.

We should see plenty of wildlife during today’s ride including giraffe, zebras, impalas and gazelles, and lesser flamingo at Lake Natron, which is a breeding ground for more than 2 million of the birds.

Day 5:
Lake Natron
Riding Distance: 0km
Accommodation: Lake Natron Camp (sleeping bag required)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5 is a chance for you to have your own mini adventure. You could take your bikes and ride to the nearby river to cool off in the natural plunge pools, or you could go to Lake Natron for a wander around the deep red coloured lake. But if you fancy a serious adventure, then you could get an early start to climb Ol Doinyo Lengai for the famous views of the African sunrise. No technical equipment or skills are needed, but the climb is long and steep and with large sections of scree/rubble/rocks/gravel, and it does get cold in the early mornings so make sure you have suitable clothing.

Or why not try our family favourite, the Kamakia Waterfalls trail. It’s a truly stunning walk that follows the river, and which sometimes requires you to walk waist-deep in the water! The swim in the beautiful waterfall at the end makes it all worthwhile though.

Day 6:
Lake Natron to Mto wa Mbu
Riding Distance: 120km
Accommodation: Fanaka camp (sleeping bag required)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Following a day to yourselves, we’re now back in the saddle as we embark on this brutal 120km bike ride. This stage will test both body and mind, but the positive is the chance to see giraffes, gazelles and zebras up close. The best sight of them all though is the view of the Great Rift Valley which runs alongside our path all the way from Lake Natron to Mto wa Mbu.

Day 7:
Mto wa Mbu to Ngorongoro Crater
Riding Distance: 0km
Accommodation: Fanaka camp (sleeping bag required)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

In the morning, we head out and make our way to the legendary Ngorongoro Crater to take in this amazing destination for a full day’s game drive. The crater is one of Africa’s real national treasures, often touted as a vast Garden of Eden. Within the crater lies every type of ecosystem, including riverine forests, open plains, freshwater and alkaline lakes. The scenery is spectacular as we descend almost 600 metres down to the crater floor. We are bound to see a variety of incredible wildlife here, and it’s our best chance to spot the endangered black rhinoceros. Lunch is by the freshwater lake, fed by the Ngoitokitok Spring – an area inhabited by hippopotamus, elephants, lions, and many others.

Day 8:
Rift Valley and Lake Manyara
Riding Distance: 25-30km
Accommodation: Fanaka camp (sleeping bag required)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

There are two options for day 8:

Option 1 – wildlife adventure – a full day’s game drive at Lake Manyara, beloved by Ernest Hemingway and famed for its tree-climbing lions.

Option2 – cycling adventure – a bike ride alongside the Lake Manyara National Park border where there will be plenty of opportunity to spot the famous flamingos, as well as ride alongside wildebeests and gazelles, before heading out to one of the top 5 things to do in Mto wa Mbu – The Tanzip Zipline Adventure. (https://tanzaniazipline.com/). This will be at an additional (discounted) cost.

Our day will finish with a visit to a Maasai village, which will provide us with a memorable experience of singing and dancing with the Maasai.

Day 9:
Moshi / Arusha
Riding Distance: 0km
Accommodation: Chanya Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast & Dinner (lunch to be grabbed while shopping around)

We’ll board our vehicle nice and early for the drive back to Moshi, taking in a stop in Arusha for a spot of souvenir shopping and a chance to sample some local food for lunch. We arrive back in Moshi with plenty of time to enjoy an optional final night dinner with our fellow cyclists.

Day 10:
Transfer to Kilimanjaro airport and journey home
Riding Distance: 0km
Accommodation: None
Included meals: Breakfast

You are free to depart at any time on the final day of your trip. Your transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), Arusha Airport (ARK) or a shuttle to Nairobi will be ready for you, as agreed in your welcome meeting.