On the edge of Kilimanjaro National Park and just a 45-minute drive from Moshi lies Materuni village, an authentic Chagga village. The Chagga are the third largest tribe of over 120 tribes existing in Tanzania, and most of them live on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. You’ll spend most of the day hiking to and visiting Materuni waterfalls, but you’ll also get tons of information about Chagga culture, and the chance to make your own coffee from A to Z. Local style, of course!
Your guide/driver will pick you up in Moshi around 9 am and drive for 45 minutes to Materuni village. After you’ve registered at the village office, your adventure can start.
First on the planning is a visit to the waterfalls. You’ll walk for about 45 minutes over narrow paths through lush vegetation. On a clear day you might see Kilimanjaro, but even if you don’t we’re sure you won’t be disappointed. The scenery is stunning and your guide will give you a first introduction to Chagga culture and habits. There’ll be time to rest at the waterfall, or even a swim if you’re brave enough to face the cold water.
Later on you’ll walk back to the village over a partly different path, which again will take around 45 minutes. You’ll continue your day with a coffee experience. Your guide will explain more about how the coffee beans are grown, dried, roasted etc. But that’s not all! You won’t just get the explanation, but also the opportunity to execute every step by yourself, while the locals are singing and dancing all around.
After all this hard work you deserve a nice lunch, and the local ‘mama’s’ will be more than happy to prepare some of their favorite Chagga dishes for you. Banana stew, pilau or rice and beans are only a few of the options.
Once you’ve finished your meal and coffee it’s time to leave and your guide/driver will take you back to Moshi.
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