MOUNT MERU TREKKING
Mt. Meru is located in the heart of Arusha National Park and it is 50 miles west of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Mount Meru is a massive volcano reaching 14,980 feet (4,565 meters). This trek serves as an ideal warm-up for Mt. Kilimanjaro due to its altitude acclimatization and hiking distances. This trek is also geared towards hikers that prefer fewer crowds and a challenging ascent.
Because Mount Meru is located in Arusha National Park, hikers must climb with an armed ranger due to the wide range of wildlife living on the mountain. On the lower slopes of the mountain, hikers are more likely to see elephants, giraffes, and buffalo! As hikers continue their ascents, the trail follows the north rim of the volcano’s crater along a dramatic ridgeline. Throughout the climb, hikers sleep in designated huts along the trail. Hikers reach the summit as the sun is rising and they will have spectacular views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and of Mt. Meru Crater.
ACTIVITIES AT MOUNT MERU
Mt. Meru Forest Cycling Tour.
Explore the forest on 2 wheels! Join our guided bicycle adventure
on the slopes of Mt. Meru! Our cycling tour may cover 10 – 15 km alongside the forest, on the southern part of Mt. Meru where one can see various primates such as baboons, monkeys, Black and white colobus monkeys as well as various species of birds and flowers. Bike rides start from the forest’s main gate. You will enjoy the landscape full of fresh and crispy air from the forest on your ride and then extend to the local village settlements and farms to learn local agricultural practices – you can opt to hike down the river gorge to take natural shower at one of our majestic waterfalls. At the end of the
bicycle tour a delicious local food is provided, and you will be part of our daily business of making Mt. Meru always green – visit the nursery and plant a tree
Silent Mt. Meru Natural Forest Walk and Meditation.
Do you want to escape the stressful noises of your everyday life?
Do you want to feel nature, allow your senses to absorb what nature offers, happier and rejuvenated?
Your only choice, join Mt. Meru Forest Silent Walk – the special tour ever offered by professionals in Northern Tanzania!
The program involves a real silent walk through the forest and experience nature at its best, the tour will benefit you both physically and mentally. Be in close contact with the Forest and its
wildlife. Listen to the natural sounds and music of the surrounding nature: the melodious songs of the montane forest birds, the guttural uttering of the monkeys, and the whispers of the wind. Breathe the crispy, fresh forest air and dive into the healing smell of beautiful flowers. Watch the butterflies as they decorate the forest. Let your mind become peaceful and quiet. Be part of nature!
Picnic sites.
Spectacular picnic sites are available for those who bring their drinks and bush lunch. The sites are installed with basic facilities for your adventure. We apply the principle of ‘TRASH-IN
TRASH–OUT’. Visitors are advised to avoid littering in the forest
Community Activities.
Our forest is surrounded by local communities mostly known as the Wameru and Waarusha tribes. You have a great opportunity to interact with locals during your visit as well as learn their way of
life. Visit different sites used for rituals and other tribal activities in the forest and listen to hair-raising stories from the warriors, women, and children born and raised in the rural villages
Village Cultural Tour.
Take an opportune time to visit the local people, sing and dance with them, and learn about their lifestyle in typical African villages. Your local guide from the community will lead you to a massive fig
tree used by Maasai (Illarusa dialect) as a holy worshiping site. Listen to stories about what local people believe about these majestic trees and learn how they give their offerings to their
gods. The tour proceeds to local farms, Maasai homes, herbalists, and midwives who will spend their glorious time with you sharing their traditional knowledge of how they prescribe, and identify the
right medication to cure local people using local plants. The tour ends with a traditional lunch prepared by the Naramatisho womens group. The tour is also combined with a visit to localschools to learn about our education systems as well as othercommunity projects
Tanzanian Food Cooking Experience.
This tour is perfect for those who are interested in learning how to cook different types of local food. The dishes, that you learn to prepare, are always included in our tour packages. You will be
involved from the first step of buying the ingredients at the local market or collecting ingredients from the garden/farm then cooking in a typical African kitchen in the traditional way to the
last step of serving the delicious food. A wide range of mouth- watering dishes can be part of the lesson such as cooking Makande, Ugali, different vegetables with cones, beans, or banana and banana stew. Your tour guide will be there to explain each and everything from the first to the last step.
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