Usambara Mountains
Description: Due to the physical isolation and the remarkable climatological stability of this area over the last 40 million years, there is exceptional biodiversity and literally there are thousands of plant and animal species that are not found anywhere else on earth. Bird watching is especially rewarding and the views from the mountaintops stretch over the Masai Steppe and, on a clear day, as far as the Indian Ocean. While not on most safari itineraries, the Usambara Mountains provide one of the friendliest and most scenic areas of Tanzania. Most people stay in Lushoto where the altitude keeps the weather cool and there is a nice selection of budget and mid-range hotels. The Usambara Mountains near Lushoto are not actually part of a reserve or national park and the area is densely populated.
Within the Usambara region is Amani Reserves. This is one of Tanzania’s most attractive yet unvisited destinations, with wonderful scenery, impressive flora and fauna, and one of Africa’s largest botanical gardens. There are also enough hiking trails to keep one busy for weeks. This is a birdwatchers dreamland with 335 recorded species. There are few large mammals but several primates can be spotted. This is a great place for hikers and for those who want to get off the beaten path. Like the Usambara Mountains, this is a great place to spend a few days, have a great time, and save money on the budget.
Location: Lushoto is approximately half-way between Dar es Salaam and Moshi, reachable only by an approximately 4-hour drive from either.
Things 2 Do: Cultural visits, Hiking, Biking
Time: Plan to spend from a half-day to 4 days. Paths get muddy during the rainy seasons.
Animals: An impressive variety of small animals and birds. Amani Reserves has 335 recorded bird species and several primates.
Accommodations
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Irente View Cliff Lodge
Lawns Hotel
Muller’s Mountain Lodge
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Babu’s Camp
“We absolutely loved our experiences with Access 2 Tanzania. We booked our trip to Tanzania only a month before departure and were very happy to find out that November was the low season and that the lodging was still available. Karen was very responsive in getting the dates and bookings to us for review and took the time to talk to us over the phone a couple of times to ensure that we understood the details of our trip. The other highlight of our trip was the guides at Access 2 Tanzania. All of the guides that we had were great. However, our primary guide, Raymond, was the best guide that we have ever had on a trip anywhere and we have traveled a lot around the world. We felt incredibly safe while we were with Raymond. He was also very knowledgeable about Tanzania and the wildlife. He knew exactly where to take us to see the most wildlife and had an incredible eye for spotting the wildlife. He was able to spot wildlife that we could not see with binoculars using his own eyes.”